El Dorado Nature Center

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

The 105-acre grounds hold two miles of dirt trail and a quarter-mile paved loop, winding past two lakes, a stream and forested ground where turtles, rabbits and more than 100 recorded bird species turn up. A wooden bridge over the water leads to the Visitor Center, built on a small island, with nature displays, an art gallery and a small gift shop.