LA River Eco Tour e Secret Stair Hiking

The tour commences and concludes at the Lewis Macadams Riverfront Park with those taking part requiring a good concentration span, a moderate level of fitness and a willingness to see parts of the city they never knew existed. Chris, the guide who lives locally, is a wealth of information on the ecology, history, communities and the ongoing revitalisation of the LA River and as the tour moves up into overlooking neighbourhoods proves that he is equally knowledgeable about the residents, properties and architectural styles on display. The sheer volume of information that Chris unpacks would be enough to make this a worthwhile experience, but he also brought an iPad on which we could view scenes filmed along concreted parts of the river and high up in the hills enjoyed a production from the Laurel and Hardy era. Highly recommended to those from elsewhere in the United States and people like me who came from overseas hoping to have access to an experience that is both novel and captivating.

Eye-opening, thoroughly researched, and very fun. History, botany, and some Hollywood lore. Go check out the river and the stairs

We got to see amazing sights along the reborn LA River and learn how herons and egrets now live in what most probably think of as the dry concrete bed where car chases get filmed. We took hidden staircases that we never could have found on our own to see bungalows, flowers, art, and color from LA history (wait for the Pete Seeger song about the disappeared revivalist and the bed). Had a great time and learned so much from Chris, our guide and historian. Wonderful to see LA past, present, and future.

Chris was very informed and interesting. The history of the LA River and community around it was fascinating to learn about. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend this tour! Chris was very knowledgeable and I learned a lot about the LA River, the history of Frogtown and the surrounding area. I enjoyed seeing parts of Los Angeles I wouldn’t otherwise find. Chris researches and writes all the tours himself; he is also well integrated in the area and would greet residents along the way by name. This is a great tour for visitors or locals looking to see parts of LA off the beaten path.

I highly recommend this tour! Chris was awesome. So knowledgeable. Our group loved learning the history of LA River snd all the cool facts about some of the surrounding areas.

The guide was great! He was very knowledgeable about LA history and the eco system. The stair hikes and views were amazing, definitely worth the effort and reasonably priced.

Chris did a great job! He was very knowledgeable about all sorts of LA history, the area we were touring and the LA River. He told some fascinating stories as we traipsed up and down a few staircases and was very engaging and warm.

Chris was an amazing tour guide giving us the history of the LA River and touring the surrounding neighborhoods. There were so many tidbits of information that kept us engaged the entire time, plus the "secret" stairs provided excellent views of the city. A delightful experience!

This tour was a terrific way to learn about the LA River's relationship with the city. I grew up in LA, but it was so fun to visit neighborhoods that I’d just driven by as a teenager. Our guide, Chris, shared well-researched history and local lore. And he had photos of old LA that helped us see how much the city has changed. Chris’ clearly cares about the residents and how the city has developed. We ended our tour at Spoke where my friends and I enjoyed a delicious meal. I highly recommend getting off the beaten track with See LA in a Day. I’m already planning our next outing with them.