Laurel Canyon

Laurel Canyon is a residential district in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, carved into a steep, tree-lined canyon. Narrow, winding roads connect homes scattered among oaks and chaparral shrubs across the hillsides.

In the early 20th century, real estate developers opened the area and built Laurel Canyon Boulevard starting in 1907 to market plots. Over the following decades, artists and later musicians settled in the secluded, more affordable homes.

During the late 1960s, musicians and songwriters gathered in canyon homes to write and record new material together. Today, local stories and a few preserved buildings recall that era when rock and folk music found a new sound here.

Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the district to West Hollywood and downtown, offering access to several hiking trails along the slopes. Visitors walking should watch for winding roads without sidewalks and steep sections.

Mountain lions still inhabit this urban district, using the wooded slopes as a corridor between larger wilderness areas. They occasionally appear in gardens or on roads at night, a rare example of wildlife coexisting with residents in a major city.

Location: Los Angeles

GPS coordinates: 34.11722,-118.37528

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:02