The Wisdom Tree

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

On top of Burbank Peak, a lone pine is the only tree on this ridge to have survived a wildfire that once swept through the hills -- hence the name Wisdom Tree, though some hikers call it the Giving Tree. Legend traces it to a sapling McDonald's gave away one Arbor Day in the 1980s. Getting there from Wonder View Drive means a steep third of a mile before the trail flattens onto the peak, with views over Burbank, Toluca Lake and the Universal Studios lot below. A hiker's register waits at the tree, where visitors leave their names.