O’Melveny Park and the trails which begin there into Bee Canyon provide an interesting contrast. The park is home to an orange grove and trails through sycamores and alders. The Bee Canyon trail is chaparral and riparian area set between high rock walls. The last rest area for birds going north over the Santa Susana Mountains, this is an excellent migrant trap.

The park is named after Henry W. O’Melveny, in 1927 one of the original members of the California State Parks Commission. Originally called C.J. Ranch, O’Melveny Park was purchased in 1941 by attorney John O’Melveny of O’Melveny & Myers and later acquired by The Trust for Public Land and turned into a park.

At 675 acres, O’Melveny Park is the second largest public park in Los Angeles after Griffith Park. O’Melveny Park is managed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.

The park is unstaffed. It provides large grassy areas, picnic tables, and is known for its extensive hiking and horse trails and the stunning views they lead to. Near the entrance is a grove of citrus trees.

Directions: Take the 118/Ronald Reagan Freeway and exit at Balboa Blvd. Turn north, driving two miles to Sesnon, turn left going west 0.6 miles, turn right at park entrance. Meet in the parking lot. RAIN CANCELS. Contact Carolyn Oppenheimer at (818) 885-7493 (before 7 p.m.), or c.oppenheimer@sfvaudubon.org.

Accessibility at O’Melveny

There are appropriate parking and restroom facilities. The outing is about 2/3 accessible, with some travel on manicured lawn. Halfway through, we hike off, up hillside trails. Those who don’t wish to hike are afforded benches in shade for waiting, or they can end their outing there. When we get back , the journey continues back to the beginning by a different route.