Brand Park
Managed by City of Glendale
662 acres8.1 mi of trail
Brand MotorwayBamboo Ruins TrailSkyline MotorwayVerdugo Crest Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Glendale
Glendale has 81 miles of mapped trails, 2.6 for every square mile of land
30% of Glendale’s land is conserved, about 5,877 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Brand Park (8.1 mi), Deukmejian Wilderness Park (7.7 mi), San Rafael Hills Open Space (7.5 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #62 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
30%
5,877 acres · of 30.5 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,792 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
12 mi lanes · 0.8 mi paths
Highest peak
3,122 ft
Verdugo Peak
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Glendale?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Glendale have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Glendale is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #62 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Glendale’s overall grade.
Conserved land30% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (81 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,792 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 93%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Glendale ranks #14 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Brand Park, with 8.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Deukmejian Wilderness Park
Managed by City of Glendale
725 acres7.7 mi of trail
Rim of the Valley TrailCrescenta View TrailLe Mesnager Loop TrailDunsmore Canyon Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
San Rafael Hills Open Space
Managed by City of Glendale
592 acres7.5 mi of trail
Ridge MotorwayCatalina Verdugo TrailRidge Lateral MtrwyDescanso Motorway+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Henderson Canyon Open Space
Managed by County of Los Angeles
207 acres3.7 mi of trail
Verdugo MotorwayVerdugo Crest TrailPlantation Lateral
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve
Managed by Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
244 acres2.1 mi of trail
Scott's Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Crescenta Valley Park
Park
37 acres1.7 mi of trail
Hindenberg Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Montrose Community Park
Park
15 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 34 parks & preserves
Brand Park662 acres · 8.1 mi of trail · City of Glendale
DirectionsDeukmejian Wilderness Park725 acres · 7.7 mi of trail · City of Glendale
DirectionsSan Rafael Hills Open Space592 acres · 7.5 mi of trail · City of Glendale
DirectionsHenderson Canyon Open Space207 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · County of Los Angeles
Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve244 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
Crescenta Valley Park37 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsDunsmore Park10 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMontrose Community Park15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsVerdugo Park42 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsFremont Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMayors Bicentennial Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGlorietta Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lower Scholl Canyon Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPolygon Open Space27 acres · City of Glendale
Bachman Open Space8 acres · City of Glendale
Emerald Isle Park6 acres
DirectionsMaple Park4 acres
Pacific Park4 acres
DirectionsPalmer Park4 acres
DirectionsPelanconi Park3 acres
Glenoaks Park3 acres
Carr Park2 acres
Griffith Manor Park2 acres
DirectionsNibley Park2 acres
New York Park2 acres
DirectionsVerdugo Woodlands Elementary School2 acres
Cerritos Park2 acres
DirectionsAngeles National Forest1 acres · United States Forest Service
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument1 acres · United States Forest Service
Annandale Canyon Park1 acres · City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Catalina Verdugo Adobe Park1 acres
Oakmont View Park1 acres
Casa Adobe de San Rafael Park1 acres
DirectionsThe Green1 acres · The Americana at Brand
DirectionsWho protects it
5,877 conserved acres
30% of Glendale’s land. Who manages Glendale’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city5,237 ac
County246 ac
State conservation244 ac
Regional agency87 ac
Private owners59 ac
U.S. Forest Service7 ac
Local Recreation Area · 4,306 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,003 acState Conservation Area · 244 acLocal Park · 176 acUnknown Easement · 64 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 63 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Glendale Verdugo Mountains Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2,361 | Open |
| Deukmejian Wilderness Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 824 | Open |
| San Rafael Mountains Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 750 | Open |
| Brand Canyon Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 653 | Open |
| Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve State Conservation Area | State conservation | 244 | Open |
| Henderson Canyon Open Space Local Recreation Area | County | 208 | Open |
| Murchison Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| City of Burbank Open Space Mountain Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 144 | Open |
| Lower Scholl Canyon Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Scholl Canyon Golf Course & Tennis Center Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 59 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
63 places to go in Glendale
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Glendale
Brand Park Wading PoolIn Brand Park
DirectionsGlendale High School Pool
DirectionsPacific Community PoolIn Pacific Park
DirectionsPalmer Park PoolIn Palmer Park
DirectionsPlus 3 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Glendale
Maple Park PlaygroundIn Maple Park
DirectionsNew York/ FoothillIn New York Park
Directions32 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Glendale
Crescenta Valley Dog Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Glendale
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Glendale
150In Deukmejian Wilderness Park
DirectionsThe Mesa
DirectionsThe RedoubtIn Deukmejian Wilderness Park
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Glendale
Verdugo Peak3,122 ft elevation
DirectionsTongva Peak2,635 ft elevation
DirectionsFlint Peak1,890 ft elevation
DirectionsCerro Negro1,886 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Thom
DirectionsRobert Katz PeakIn Henderson Canyon Open Space
DirectionsPicnic areas in Glendale
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Glendale
Palmer Park Community GardenIn Palmer Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 25.9 miHorses · 7.0 miUnpaved · 37.2 mi
Verdugo Motorway4.5 mi
Verdugo Crest Trail3.1 mi
Brand Motorway2.8 mi
Ridge Motorway2.6 mi
Whiting Woods Motorway2.6 mi
Las Flores Motorway2.2 mi
Beaudry North Motorway2.1 mi
Catalina Verdugo Trail2.0 mi
Beaudry South Motorway1.9 mi
Rim of the Valley Trail1.7 mi
15 more trails
Crescenta View Trail
1.6 miLe Mesnager Loop Trail
1.1 miLinda Vista Motorway
1.0 miScott's Trail
0.9 miDunsmore Canyon Trail
0.9 miBamboo Ruins Trail
0.8 miValle Vista Motorway
0.7 miOld Skyline Motorway
0.6 miSkyline Motorway
0.6 miRidge Lateral Mtrwy
0.6 miBeaudry Motorway
0.4 miMountain Do Trail
0.3 miCoyote's Trail
0.3 miDescanso Motorway
0.3 miPlantation Lateral
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
12 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.8 mi
off-road bike paths
23 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
60Tennis
58Golf
49Basketball
18Baseball
7Soccer
6Volleyball
4Pickleball
4Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
San Rafael RanchoBuilding · listed 1976
About itJames Daniel Derby HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itUS Post Office-Glendale MainBuilding · listed 1985
About itEagle Rock Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 1987
About itHotel GlendaleBuilding · listed 1994
About itGlendale Young Men's Christian AssociationBuilding · listed 1994
About itAlexander TheatreBuilding · listed 1996
About itGlendale Southern Pacific Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1997
About itArd EevinBuilding · listed 2006
About itSchaffer, J.W. HouseBuilding · listed 2016
About itRockhaven Sanitarium Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2016
About itGrand Central Air TerminalBuilding · listed 2017
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Glendale: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 67 | 67 | 70 | 73 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 72 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 4.4 | 5.2 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 3.0 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.2 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Glendale →
Next door
Glendale and its neighbors
Glendale has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Los Angeles701 miGlendale81 miPasadena40 miLa Cañada Flintridge27 miBurbank22 miLa Crescenta-Montrose0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | 30% | 2.6 | 30 | 97% | A+ |
| La Crescenta-Montrose | 4% | 0.2 | 1 | 96% | B− |
| Los Angeles | 15% | 1.5 | 9 | 83% | A− |
| La Cañada Flintridge | 10% | 3.2 | 26 | 89% | A |
| Burbank | 20% | 1.3 | 21 | 89% | A |
| Pasadena | 14% | 1.7 | 10 | 87% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Glendale
Where can I hike in Glendale?
The longest trail networks: Brand Park, 8.1 miles; Deukmejian Wilderness Park, 7.7 miles; San Rafael Hills Open Space, 7.5 miles; Henderson Canyon Open Space, 3.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Glendale is conserved land?
30% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Glendale’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at San Rafael Hills Open Space (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Glendale?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of painted or protected lanes, 0.8 of off-road paths and 23 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Glendale?
28,468 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Glendale or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,792 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Glendale have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #62 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Glendale neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →