It’s a far cry from the manicured lawns we might associate with a city park, but it’s precisely this ruggedness that makes Los Angeles’ Griffith Park our pick for America's most beautiful patch of urban green. At an impressive 4,200 acres, it’s also one of America’s largest city parks.

The urban playground, located at the eastern edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, has more than 50 miles of walking trails draped across its native chaparral slopes. It’s crowned by the Griffith Observatory, which offers incredible views across LA.

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