Fun on Fiji

Hike Fiji Hill and Visit Adjacent Occidental College in Los Angeles

09.22.2021
Hiker at Fiji Hill at Occidental College in Los Angeles

Adjacent to Occidental College, Fiji Hill makes a great workout with nice cityscape vistas on this 2-mile route in Eagle Rock. Park at the Yosemite Recreation Center, just north of Occidental College and find the trailhead at the south end of the paved lot. The trail branches into two—stay left (you’ll return on the rightmost route), passing the swimming pool and a surprisingly large stone-seated amphitheater. The path ascends quickly under some pines (about 300 feet over the next half-mile) but the vast majority of the trail is exposed.

Hiker at Fiji Hill at Occidental Campus Los Angeles

Hiker taking a break on the ascent of the trail at Fiji Hill in Los Angeles

Hiker sitting at bench at summit of Fiji Hill in Los Angeles

At the top there’s a bench with an attached steering wheel, oddly enough. Because the hill is so prominent, the views are expansive. Steer your eyes to the north to see the iconic eponymous boulder peering over Eagle Rock and beyond to the San Rafael Hills, the Verdugo Mountains, and the San Gabriels. 

Hike at a tree swing at Fiji Hill in Los Angeles

Bench and steering wheel at the top of Fiji Hill in Los Angeles

Hiker heading up a trail at Fiji Hill in Los Angeles with mountains in the background

When you’re ready, continue downhill along the fence overlooking Occidental College’s fields, staying left at any junctions. You’ll end up on campus, where a pre-president Barack Obama used to roam. The grounds here are beautiful. We recommend staying south on Coons Road and turning right onto Range View Avenue, which turns into Bird Road. This passes the famous Moore Lab of Zoology, home to the world’s largest taxidermy collection of Mexican birds (>39,000). Pass more lecture halls and the Occidental bookstore to reach the main quad with a nearby picnic area and sculptures, including some of manual laborers who created the grounds themselves. 

Woman walking at Occidental Campus in Los Angeles

Occidental Campus Feast local community garden

Woman walking the campus by picnic tables at Occidental Campus in Los Angeles

Head east on Campus Road—passing Feast, the local community garden—taking it to its terminus, where a trail will deposit you back at Yosemite Recreation Center and your car.

BONUS: Trade the kava and rum for some craft beer and pinball fun at Walt’s Bar, a resident watering hole just a quarter-mile west of campus. Enjoy local ales (and wines), classic bar fare, retro arcade games, and chill vibes after your hill of a hike!

Walt's Bar with cold beers in Los Angeles

To get to the Yosemite Recreation Center lot and trailhead from the east, take the CA-134 to the Colorado Blvd. exit and head west, turning left onto Townsend Ave. and right onto Yosemite Dr.. From the west, take the CA-134 to the Harvey Dr. exit and make an immediate right, followed by an immediate left onto Wilson Ave. This turns into Broadway and shortly connects with Colorado Blvd. Turn right at Eagle Rock Blvd., followed by a left onto Yosemite Dr. Dog-friendly!

Story and photos by Matt Pawlik

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View

  4. Roaring Good Time

    There’s nothing quite like the majestic beauty of California’s redwood forests. Now, imagine experiencing those towering giants aboard a historic 19th-century steam train. Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton is home to some of the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines in America.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  2. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View
  3. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View