For National "Take A Hike" Day we headed off, close to home, for a hike that wasn't so much about communing with nature, as connecting to some local history. "[F]rom 1956-1968, San Vicente Mountain was one of sixteen Los Angeles area Nike-Ajax supersonic anti-aircraft missile launch sites. During the Cold War, Nike sites were located in defensive rings surrounding key urban and industrial areas throughout the United States. This site contained ground-based radar and computer systems designed to detect and track hostile aircraft, and to guide the anti-aircraft missiles that would be launched from nearby Sepulveda Basin to their targets." Along with this bit of cold-war nostalgia, the area offers spectacular 360 views of downtown, the SFV, and all the way to the Pacific.
San Vicente Mountain Park
17500 Mulholland Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Neighborhood: Encino
Proximity: 8 miles
Hike length: about 2.5 miles
Bonus features: Nike site
Tips: Definitely not a destination that feels like an escape from the city, but a good destination for quick urban hike. The kids were fascinated by the old infrastructure. While the weather was warm and sunny at home, by the time we reached the top of the mountain it was quite chilly. Bring change for the telescope!
* * * * *
K: 10/10. I liked the tower. We could see the whole valley from there.
E: 9/10. It was a lot of fun to climb up that tower ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment