The Verdugo Mountains are, quite literally, in our backyard. Coming from the central part of New Jersey, which is exceptionally flat, we don’t often experience panoramic views. (Being able to see across the street to one’s neighbor’s house doesn’t exactly qualify as an awe-inspiring view.) So, shortly after moving here a year ago, we decided to explore this local canyon with our kids, my visiting mother-in-law, and our dog, Ralph.

Kids can enjoy the hands-on activities at Stough Canyon Nature Center

Stough Canyon Park and Nature Center is located at the top of Walnut Avenue in Burbank. The Nature Center contains a small exhibit hall with educational displays about the natural history of the area and its animal and plant life. It features a small nature library, a classroom where nature workshops, classes, and even kid’s birthday parties are held; and a small outdoor amphitheater.

Will, my 8-year-old, really loved all the hands-on exhibits in the Nature Center, which was staffed with a kind and helpful docent who patiently answered all of his questions. Kids can handle animal pelts, feathers, bones, and antlers; look at different types of leaves, eggs, and nests; and ogle the many taxidermied animals representative of the wildlife living in the Verdugo Mountains, including bobcats, mountain lions, hawks and owls. There are also small plastic animals to play with and books to look at. However, Will’s favorite part was going into the classroom and oohing and aahing over the various live critters living in glass tanks, including snakes, lizards, frogs and rodents. (This was, for some surprising reason, not MY favorite part of the trip.)

Grammy and the boys get ready to tackle the hiking trails

Will probably would have gladly stayed in the Nature Center all day, but we wanted to check out the trails, so I bribed him to leave. We exited, walked over the small wooden bridge leading back to the parking lot, and started out heading up the sandy and unpaved trail–it does get quite steep and rocky in spots, so leave the sandals and flip-flops at home. You’ll want a sturdy walking or hiking shoe with good traction for these trails.

The trails, which extend from the Sun Valley area north of Burbank to Glendale‘s adjacent Brand Park, are quite challenging and can test the strongest hiker. I strongly recommend bringing water, a cell phone, a hat, and sunblock. A walking stick is also a very good idea. Luckily, if you’ve forgotten or don’t have one, walking sticks are available to borrow inside the Nature Center. And never hike by yourself–always bring a buddy.

On our way up we passed a little boy of perhaps five, coming down the trail with his mother. He looked us in the eye and commented loudly, “Watch out for the mountain lions!!” Will froze for a second and gave me a panicked look. I gave the same panicked look to my husband, who convinced Will that there wouldn’t be any mountain lions on this hike–and gripped my walking stick a little tighter, just in case.

I could already tell that bringing Ralph was not the best idea we’d ever had. Never the best “walker” to begin with, he kept trying to lunge into the brush at the edge of the trail, nearly pulling me over the side several times in his hot pursuit of lizards or (gulp) snakes, or whatever creature he was after. I made a mental note to leave him at home next time.

On the way to the top of the mountain

There did seem to be quite a number of children hiking up and down the trails with their parents, some quite small, even toddlers. I was pretty impressed by their stamina. My own children, unfortunately, did not share this enthusiasm, and in fact began to complain about being hot, tired and thirsty before we were even halfway to the top. I rolled my eyes and muttered something about too many video games and not enough exercise to my husband, and nervously eyeballed our water supply. Hopefully it would last us to the top.

Insisting that we would press onward and upward, we maneuvered our way up a particularly steep switchback, and suddenly a bench appeared as if by magic. Of course my considerate children pushed each other out of the way and jockeyed for a sitting position on the bench, and left my husband, mother-in-law and I standing there, holding Ralph’s leash while he threatened to leap off the side of the mountain at any moment.

This situation was quickly resolved with some threats and intimidation, and after a minute or two my mother-in-law was resting comfortably on the bench. After she’d taken a little break, I barked at my children like a drill sergeant and we continued up the mountain. Aah, family togetherness!!

King of the Mountain!!

About twenty minutes and a few fairly steep inclines later, we were all standing at the top of the mountain, gazing out in amazement at a gorgeous practically 360-degree panorama of the entire San Fernando Valley, downtown L.A., and nearly out to the Pacific Ocean. Instantly the whining and complaining died down as our trio of “flatlander” sons took in the scenery for miles all around them. The consensus was that it had indeed been worth the climb, and that Burbank was a pretty cool place to live after all.

We took loads of photos, sat and relaxed for a while, and then began the descent back down–which, given that I was still holding on to Ralph, made things nearly as treacherous as climbing up! The boys were happy and proud that they’d made it all the way to the top, and there were no complaints as we headed back to the bottom. And–there wasn’t a mountain lion in sight.

The Center is open to the public (Sept. – June) from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and most holidays. In July and August the Center is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Taking in the view from the top