A Peaceful & Therapeutic Solo Adventure in the Hollywood Hills!…read more Sometimes the best experiences are the ones you don't plan! I had nothing scheduled for the day, wanted to get out of the house, and decided to do something different. That's when I came across Sunset Ranch Hollywood. A horseback ride through the Hollywood Hills with beautiful views overlooking Los Angeles sounded perfect! I booked it last minute for $75 for a one-hour guided ride, and I'm so glad I did. The best part? I went completely SOLO! I've always enjoyed doing things on my own, and this was no exception. I didn't need to coordinate plans or wait for someone to join me. I simply booked my reservation and showed up. Being surrounded by nature, enjoying the scenery, and getting away from the everyday noise made this experience incredibly peaceful and therapeutic. Going alone didn't take anything away from the experience. If anything, I appreciated it even more. A few things worth knowing before you go: Getting There & Parking: The directions provided are pretty detailed. Once you reach the end of the street, press the button at the gate for entry. From there, you'll drive up a steep, narrow road with limited space for cars passing in opposite directions. Parking is FREE and available along the right side of the hill and in a couple of dirt areas. Park carefully and expect an uphill walk to the ranch entrance. If it's hot outside, that walk might give you a little workout! Check-In & Horseback Riding: You'll need to sign a waiver before participating. Once you arrive, check in at the front with your reservation and wait to be assigned to your group. Helmets are required throughout the ride. The staff was incredibly friendly, patient, and helpful. They assist you with getting on and off your horse and provide a quick refresher on steering before heading out. Although I arrived alone, the ride is done in a group with a guide, so being a solo visitor wasn't an issue at all. The Trail & Views: The ride lasts approximately one hour at a comfortable, steady pace. The horses are trained to follow one another, and a guide accompanies the group. The scenery is absolutely beautiful! However, if you're afraid of heights, be prepared. Some sections of the trail are pretty narrow, with steep hillsides and significant drop-offs. I'm not going to lie, there were moments when I felt a little nervous looking down! I definitely felt more comfortable staying toward the inside of the trail. You follow the trail uphill, turn around at a designated point, and return along the same route. What to Bring: Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes because it's dusty! Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and water. Phones and cameras are allowed, but selfie sticks, tripods, and similar accessories are not. The weather was in the mid-70s during my visit, which made the ride even more enjoyable. Tips & Extras: I didn't notice any snacks available, and I didn't check whether restrooms were provided. I would definitely recommend tipping your guide. The employees work hard, and everyone I encountered was genuinely nice and helpful. Overall, I absolutely loved this experience! What started as a spontaneous decision turned into a beautiful afternoon in the Hollywood Hills. I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, the incredible views, and the opportunity to experience something different without having to travel far. I think people sometimes assume that doing activities alone means you're lonely, but that's not always the case. I genuinely enjoy my own company, and experiences like this remind me that I don't need someone beside me to have a wonderful time. Would I do it again? Absolutely! I'd happily return solo or bring someone along next time. Whether you're planning a date, an outing with friends, or simply looking for something enjoyable to do on your own, I definitely recommend giving Sunset Ranch Hollywood a try. A beautiful experience, great staff, breathtaking views, and a little adventure right in the heart of Hollywood!

We came here to celebrate my girlfriend birthday. Check in was quick, the employees were very…read morefriendly and very helpful. Luckily for us it rained the night before and the views of LA were amazing and clear for miles. Quick tips: Book and early trip to avoid parking issues since spots seem to be limited. Also, bring shoes you don't care for, jeans you don't care to get dirty and some sun screen. Use the bathroom prior to arriving. And tip your tour guides.

Julie and Izzy are truly the best and most caring people and instructors. I can't live without them…read morenow!

I've been riding with Julie for almost two years now her barn is my happy place. I've started from…read morezero and now I can proudly call myself an equestrian. All her trainers are great and her horses are loved and taken care of. She is very patient and professional. For those who write reviews about her not responding, be patient. You have no idea how busy she is with her lessons program, I'm pretty sure all of been busy with our jobs. Don't forget that besides training and horse shows she has a bunch of horses to take care of.

How cool is it to live somewhere where you can just visit the old zoo while taking a stroll through…read morethe park? Pretty cool if you ask me. After living in LA for just under two years my wife and I figured it was about time we actually checked this place out. We came here with all three of our dogs on a Sunday morning and it was a really cool experience. When you arrive to Griffith Park all you really have to do is follow the signs and it'll lead you right to a small parking lot, usually also loaded with man-made signs for kids birthday parties and such. Once you park, you have to follow a trail and walk up a slight hill for like two minutes before you are suddenly staring at some old enclosures and such. These enclosures are fully open, meaning you can walk right up to them, inside of them, and check them out yourself. If you follow the path a little more you are able to go up a hill and explore behind the bigger exhibits (which I was unable to do this day thanks to some recent lung issues). I have no idea how big the actual old zoo area is, but the area we saw was really freaking cool and definitely has me itching to come back when I'm 100% in order to see everything. Overall, The Old Zoo is cool chance to go back in time for free and experience old some Los Angeles. The park is free, parking is free, and guess what? Checking out the old zoo is free too. You really can't go wrong with some slight exploration and cool photo opportunities. I look forward to coming back soon and exploring some more.

Not anything huge to see, but something unique if you're wanting to do a hiking trail anyway.read more

I purchased a 30min riding lesson for Sagebrook Farms on Living Social and redeemed it today. I…read morehave never taken English riding lessons, but have experience with Western but I've always wanted to learn English. I had no idea this place existed! Sagebrook Farms is tucked behind a residential neighborhood and when you enter the grounds it's like you're not in LA anymore. 1st Star- Julie let me reschedule my original lesson. Something came up at the office and I had to work when I had scheduled to ride. I wasn't able to give 24hrs notice, but she was totally understanding and let me reschedule at no charge. 2nd star- Julie met me when I arrived and was friendly, sweet and very professional. She walked me to the office where I signed my waiver and then it was time to get started. 3rd star- The first thing we did was groom the horse I'd be riding which she showed me how to do and I even got to pick his hooves! Fidelio was such a great horse and very sweet. I didn't feel the least worried that he was going to be a well tempered guy to ride. She explained all the pieces of equipment to me and illustrated the difference between a Western and English saddle. Woo Hoo! Julie has a great teaching method. She explains everything slowly and in great detail which I love. I am a very mental learner so I like to know the whys, the whos, the whens and the hows for everything because then I can put it together in my mind logically and never forget it. 4th star-Julie let me go hands on right away. Not only did I get to groom Fidelio myself, I got to lead him to the mounting block too! Once I got on that English saddle I felt a little weird since the saddle is so much smaller and it feels like you have less support. Julie showed me how to hold the reigns (this is different too) and then we walked to the ring. Julie guided me with her instructions while letting me handle Fidelio. She instructed me from off to the side/in the middle of the ring and taught me how to hold my reigns, use my legs and lead Fidelio where I wanted him to go. Did you know you can lead a horse with your legs alone and hardly any reigns? It's amazing how smart and responsive they are! Julie mentioned that we might be able to go into a trot if it looked like I was catching on... 5th star--I got to trot! This is so different than on a Western horse/saddle. Julie explained how to post the trot then let me give it a whirl: how to hold my heels, legs, arms, hips and it's quite a balancing act the first time you try to do it correctly. But after a few tries I got it! Well, of course I need more practice to be proficient but I was able to post correctly and control my horse at the same time! And what a leg workout! When we were all done I dismounted, Fidelio gave me a little snuggle and we led him back to his stall after taking off his tack. What a great experience! Julie wasn't watching her watch or counting down the minutes until our lesson was over. She was patient and encouraged me to keep trying until I got it. I will definitely be back to take more lessons in the new year. If you love horses, I highly recommend that you check them out and see for yourself how awesome Julie is!

Free hot coffee or chocolate / yes Free huge washer and…read moredryer for your equine unmentionable/ yes Oh wait: constantly and consistently maintained arenas and stalls. Super footing for these sensitive hooves Covered eurociser Yes they have that Large sunpens / that too Two grazing areas Oh and they have great trainers and friendly staff And we even have a young trainer who can take you on terrific trail rides - in a western saddle And NO dust But what do I know : I have boarded a few horses there over these past decades .

High upon Mount Hollywood is this AMAZING tourist attraction known as the HOLLYWOOD sign. You can…read moresee it everywhere in Hollywood if you know the right places to look (& also go to). I've always wanted to see the legendary HOLLYWOOD sign & got to on a recent California trip that took us first to Los Angeles, stayed 2 nights in Oceanside, went to San Diego, & back to Los Angeles. On the last day of the trip, we made the drive up to the Griffith Observatory (which was so amazing!) & while there, I got to see the sign in all its full-blown magical glory! Just so you know, we did not do the hike this time, only because I have issues with my knee but I did see where the hiking trails are. Maybe next time we can do the hike to the sign. There are many good places to check out this marvelous wonder, but I do believe the lookout points of the observatory offer the BEST views & opportunities to capture it on camera. If you're a nostalgic person like me, you will absolutely love Mount Hollywood & the sign! Trivia tip: Did you know that ORIGINALLY the sign read HOLLYWOODLAND & was constructed atop of Mount Hollywood in 1923?

Too many trails to explore, probably the best kept secret LA has to offer, nature, birds ,…read morebutterflies, rain or shine it's here, you will come in a bad mood or a bad day and leave feeling relieved.

I contacted Rachel for a course set and she always replies my email fast enough…read more And I have to say that I'm so impressed that unlike other places, the horses there are all clean. Rachel is patient and friendly to talk to. She is a good teacher.

A trainer who cares about the horses in her care above all. A trainer who explains calmly the why…read moreand how of your chosen discipline. Because most horses are leased or half leased students form a bond with their equine partners And all clients are nice

Reflection dressage is the riding home I have been hoping for. Michelle takes the love of horses…read moreand joy of riding to make the harmony that is dressage. Whether you are just starting out, have ridden your whole life, or want to procure an equine partner- she has the experience to help you enjoy achieving your goals. Michelle's patient personality and keen eye for detail make her a true professional at her craft. Come ride and see how elevated your skills can become!

Michelle is an excellent instructor. She is knowledgeable, personable, and professional. I…read moreespecially appreciate her commitment to prioritizing rider safety and the well-being of the horses. Lessons with her are a perfect blend of enjoyment, challenge, and education. Michelle's communication is very clear and effective. If something ever doesn't make sense, she's great at providing alternative explanations. I'm so pleased with the progress I continue to make under Michelle's instruction. Even within the first few weeks of riding with her, I felt significant improvement in my competence as a rider. I highly recommend Michelle to anyone looking to build a strong foundation in dressage or to simply become a better, more well-rounded rider!

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.

Kay Kay Cool-ay!!!!…read more There are a lot of reviews here by people who are reminiscing about their childhood experiences and so I wanted to leave a more current review for those considering sending their daughters here. Some may consider this camp a "best kept secret" but I would rather the word keep getting out so this place can continue to stay open for future generations! I am not a SoCal native so had never heard of Camp Hollywoodland until I had kids and was looking for a sleepaway camp option that wasn't too far from home. This camp is fantastic. My daughter has now been several times since first attending in early 2017, both to the summer camp and the Girls' Getaway weekends. We've also done the Mother/Daughter weekends which is a great way to check it out with your girl before summer and have some camp fun of your own. They do the girls' only getaways and bring-your-parent weekends in the fall and the spring; as of this writing they're about $110 per person which includes all activities and meals (from dinner Friday through breakfast Sunday). Each session has a theme, which might be anything from Star Wars to Mystery Madness to Hawaiian Luau, but they are all a lot of fun! The camp is a great intro for first time sleepaway campers since their summer sessions are shorter than your average sleepaway camp and include a field trip (beach, theme parks, etc). As of this writing each week's session is $400-450/ for 5 nights, M-F. The camp has a swimming pool (open in summer only), rock climbing wall, beach volleyball court, archery area, arts & crafts room, and fun, professional staff that has very low turnover (with fun counselor names like Cheetah, Amoeba, Cricket, Saffron, and Vanilla!). The food is really good too (seriously, kid and mother approved), and is prepared by dedicated kitchen staff in a modern dining hall: think spaghetti & meatballs, build-your-own tacos, pancakes with bacon & eggs, etc. There is a salad bar as well as vegetarian/vegan options. At drop off, before they are allowed to stay at camp each girl is checked for lice or anything potentially contagious. Sleeping arrangements are in longhouses up on the hill; each one contains 8 or 9 metal bunk beds with plastic covered mattresses (pack a twin fitted sheet), and basic closet space, so it's pretty spartan. At least one counselor sleeps with their assigned set of girls who are grouped by age (7-8, 9-10, etc). They no longer allow cabin buddy requests but camp is small enough that friends will definitely see each other, while making new friends :) There is heating, but no AC. Bathrooms are attached to most of the longhouses, with sinks outside and showers/toilets inside. It's not super fancy (all the buildings except the dining hall/multipurpose rooms seem like they were probably built in the 50's or earlier) but it's definitely "real camp" with campfire singalongs, s'mores, and all the girl-empowered camaraderie you can imagine. It's out in nature and feels much farther away than it is (just a 5 minute drive up the road from Franklin Ave. in Hollywood). As you can read from the other reviews a lot of the girls that go there are 2nd and even 3rd generation campers, it's been around that long. Everyone we have met there has been really nice and laid back. My daughter looks forward to going whenever she can, and I love that she gets a break from suburban life (and technology!) to experience a great week in nature with other girls from all over LA. As far as enrollment goes, there is definitely a finite number of spots and summer camp does sell out so you need to sign up early, especially the Disneyland week (field trip tickets are included in the price of camp, holla!). The only real pain point I have is that because this is all through LA Parks and Rec the registration process is very old school, and you can't do it online (but I think they are working on that). You either have to mail in your application or drop it off in person, and then wait for a snail mail letter to confirm your registration is complete. Call to make an appointment to drop off your application and you can get a sneak peek at the dining facility. I don't think they do tours but it can't hurt to ask.

We are furious and honestly still shaken after what our daughter experienced at Camp Hollywoodland,…read moreand parents deserve to know exactly what happened. Last summer, our daughter got her first period unexpectedly while at camp -- scared, confused, and away from home. Instead of receiving basic care or compassion, she was met with obstruction and what we believe was outright negligence. Staff told us the camp did not have supplies and required us to bring them ourselves, while camp policy prevented us from even speaking to our own child during one of the most vulnerable moments of her young life. We were repeatedly told she was "fine." The very next day, campers were taken to a water park where our daughter, who still had no guidance or support, was reportedly not allowed to wear shorts or bring a towel. When she began menstruating publicly and asked to use the restroom, she was denied multiple times and forced to wait until the group finished eating. She was left humiliated and exposed in front of her peers while the adults responsible for her care refused to help. When we picked her up, she completely broke down, describing an experience that was humiliating and traumatic. No child should ever be made to feel ashamed or powerless for a normal biological milestone. What makes this even more disturbing is what followed. After multiple attempts to address this with leadership, Camp Hollywoodland chose to defend and justify staff behavior rather than accept responsibility. The response we received made it clear that protecting their policies mattered more than acknowledging the harm done to a child. This is an all-female camp -- a place that should understand and support girls through normal developmental changes. Instead, our daughter was left without dignity, without guidance, and without protection when she needed it most. Families should understand exactly what can happen when policies and poor judgment override basic humanity.