9. Lake Hollywood Reservoir

Beyond “secluded”, this oasis is barricaded. Several years ago I was new to L.A. and saw Lake Hollywood featured on the cover of Los Angeles Magazine as the most beautiful park in L.A. One fine Saturday afternoon I packed a lunch and a book and planned to make a day of it. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. The lake was just visible through a stand of evergreens surrounded by a three foot concrete wall which supported a seven foot chain link fence topped by a coil of razor wire. People are welcome to walk/jog along a generously wide gravel path OUTSIDE this barrier and across the small dam at the far end of the lake. I now understand that this reservoir provides drinking water for L.A. and people are barred to help keep it clean. Go to the beach.