👋 Hi, I'm Nicholas Roberts. I create and perform music and write this daily blog.

I currently live in Los Angeles with my wife and golden retriever.

Email me: hello@nicholasroberts.io

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For my birthday, I wanted to go outside for a hike. It's become a bit of a tradition.

This year, I noticed that many of the hikes I wanted to try were closed due to recent rain in LA.

When it rains excessively, it can cause landslides and falling rocks—Fryman Canyon was closed for this reason, one of my preferred hikes.

One hike that remained open was the Bronson Caves in Bronson Canyon, just off Canyon Drive in Hollywood!

It's an unassuming road right next to Griffith Observatory that leads directly to a parking lot at the base of a quick hike overlooking the Hollywood Hills.

A gentle, enjoyable climb up the side of a hill opens out into an old rock quarry. The Bronson Caves used to be a mining quarry, but it was abandoned over 100 years ago.

What remains is a small cave system that's been carved into one of the mountains. And with some clever trail design, you can feel like you're in the middle of the mountains in the middle of nowhere.

Most famously, the Bronson Caves are the filming location for the original Batman TV series. But the caves can be seen in hundreds of TV shows and films. Just a few minutes from Hollywood, the Bronson Caves are a fun retreat.

You can get adventurous with your hiking and climb up some steep cliff faces to get great unobstructed views of the Hollywood sign.

There are also prayer and meditation circles that have been set up there by visitors and travelers.

There are so many hidden gems and easy hikes in LA like the Bronson Caves.

In total, it took about 15 minutes to hike to the top of the trail and 15 minutes back down to the car.