8 Outdoor Secret Staircases Around Los Angeles

Did you know? Los Angeles has a vast network of public staircases hidden all over the city. Many of these secret staircases were first created in the early 20th century to help Angelenos make their way from their hilltop neighborhoods down to the Pacific Electric Transit System near busier streets. 

Today, all neighborhoods have streets connecting them to the rest of the city (this is a car-centric town), but there was a time when these staircases were the only option for some locals. 

Looking for a hidden gem in LA? Many of these walkways offer stunning views for those who make the climb or offer the chance to peer into quiet spaces that the stairs pass by. Here are some of the best outdoor staircases in LA worth exploring.

1. Murphy Ranch Stairs

The Murphy Ranch Stairs are located in Pacific Palisades in a canyon off Casale Road beyond a yellow gate. After passing by the gate, you’ll walk along a quiet, unused graffiti-lined road to reach the top of the stairs. 

The Murphy Ranch stairs are a steep descent made up of 529 steps that lead down to a dirt path surrounded by pine trees. Walking to the end of the path brings you to the fenced-off remains of what was once Murphy Ranch, a community with an unsettling past. Murphy Ranch was an encampment of Nazi sympathizers during World War II.

After the attack at Pearl Harbor, U.S. troops raided the ranch, which had over 50 occupants at the time. By the 1990s, most of the larger structures were demolished, and even fewer parts of the compound remain today.

2. Eldred Street Stairs

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If steep stairway hikes are what you’re after, you may want to visit the Eldred Street stairs. Located behind Aldama Elementary School, you’ll climb a hill to reach a staircase that’s surrounded by a barren hillside. The stairs connect to nearby Cross Avenue. 

Once you’ve ascended the stairs, be sure to turn around and take in the view of palm trees, Highland Park and the Eagle Rock hills. The stairs can be accessed close to 4836 Eldred Street.

3. Baldwin Hills Stairs

Hidden in an industrial section of Culver City along Hetzler Road, you’ll find a set of outdoor stairs surrounded by brush that lead to a circular hilltop terrace offering outstanding views of the region. 

Those who take the stairs are rewarded with views of parts of Los Angeles and depending on the weather and how clear it is, you may also be able to see the Ballona Creek watershed that flows through Culver City and empties in Santa Monica Bay. It’s even possible to see the Santa Monica Mountains farther off in the distance. This particular staircase is described as one of the most intense stair workouts to be had in the area.

4. Bunker Hill Steps

Like people-watching? Don’t miss the Bunker Hill Steps in Los Angeles’ Financial District. The hike up these steps begins at the base of the U.S. Bank Tower, just across from the Central Library.

The pictureseque Bunker Hill Steps are made up of wide stone steps divided by a fountain and surrounded by terraces and plants. The top of the stairs ends in the Bunker Hill area surrounded by office towers. Turn around while you’re on the steps, and you’ll get a view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline. The stairs can be accessed around 633 W. 5th Street in Los Angeles.

5. Prospect Stairs

One last staircase for our list, the Prospect Stairs in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles are located east of Prospect Studios. This climb includes three consecutive stairways that take you up the Los Feliz hillside streets. The first portion of the climb includes 58 steps that are shady and lined by homes. 

Once completed, you cross Deliz Avenue and begin the second set of steps which includes 71 steps. Here the climb is lined by fencing and flowers. 

A hike through Griffith Park with views of the Hollywood Sign and LA skyline

Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park Hike

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Next walk across Hollyvista Avenue to begin ascending the final stairway, which is the longest at 168 steps. But be prepared because this section is also the steepest. Along the way you’ll have quiet views of backyard gardens, terraces and walkways.

Once you reach the top, don’t forget to turn around and look at Hollywood Boulevard below.

6. Castellammare Stairs

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Another set of stairs in the Pacific Palisades area, the Castellammare Stairs begin at Breve Way and Castellammare Drive. Here, you’ll find 92 wooden steps shaded by trees. Once you’ve climbed the first 92 steps, you may think you’re all done. But that’s not the case. 

Turn to the right, and there’s an additional 86 steps at the corner of Revello Drive and Posetano Road. 

Once you make it to the top of the second set of stairs you can see the Pacific Ocean. The Castellammare Stairs can be accessed near Brave Way and Castellammare Drive. 

7. Corralitas Stairs

The Corralitas Stairs can be found along the Glendale Freeway at the base of a dirt hillside near Corralitas Drive and Roesbud Avenue. The first portion of the Corralitas Stairs is made up of 43 steps that include a railing. 

But if you’re ambitious enough, keep going and turn right to find another 90 steps (that have no railing). 

Those who make it to the top will find a large log structure in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The views, meanwhile, include the freeway below, Echo Park, and the Glassell Park hills.

8. Entrada Stairs

At the intersection of Entrada Drive and Amalfi Drive in Santa Monica, there’s yet another set of popular stairs. The approximate location of these stairs is across the street from Canyon Charter Elementary School, where you’ll find 171 wood steps.

The payoff for climbing nearly 200 steps is access to Adelaide Drive, a street that takes visitors across a clifftop offering views of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Explore LA’s secrets

These are merely a few of the many interesting outdoor staircases located all over Los Angeles. If you want to learn more about the history of Los Angeles’ outdoor staircases, there’s a popular guidebook called (appropriately) Secret Stairs.

But, better than a guidebook, see LA with a real live guide. Our Los Angeles tours cover the best of the city from a local’s view, and you can even see part of the Prospect Stairs on our guided tour of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park.