The Culver City Steps / Stairs aka Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is an Amazing Outdoors Workout


Steps on a hill in Culver City perfect for an outdoor workout.

By Maximillion

culver city stairs walking hiking exercising

I’m so fat, man. 

My newest favorite thing to eat are Beyond Burgers, but honestly, they aren’t that healthy, especially when you eat two of them every serving along with a side of sweet potato fries slathered in mayonnaise (which is just how I like it). I mean, I seriously can’t stop. It’s even worse because I can brag to my friends about eating Beyond Meat, and they think I’m new-age and woke when in reality I’m just a big lard.

So I’ve made a promise to myself that I would exercise more, and so I’m going to share with you guys today one of the hottest places in LA to burn some calories: the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. It’s also referred to as the Culver City Steps sometimes, but I’m extra so I always like to say Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook every single time. My friends hate me.



What is it like to get to the top?

So basically, this is a hike. The stairs are just a major part of that hike. You start off with some gradual curvy slopes for about a quarter mile, and then you see the glorious steps. What’s interesting is that you can tackle the steps at this point or you can actually do a path that goes around and around the hill all the way up to the top. 

I like to do the steps because it really works on my glutes, calves, quads, and…I ran out of physiological terms for legs. However, the path that goes around is pretty good if you’re looking to just run uphill and not necessarily on the steps themselves. The world is your oyster here. Speaking of oysters, how about some of those with some lemon juice and some butter and Tabasco with a side of calamari dipped in marinara sauce?! I’m getting hungry, and this is bad.

The walk up the steps is only about 15 minutes or so if you’re going at a regular pace. It’s not too terrible. Maybe you can even go down and go up again or a few times like a lot of others do here. 



The view

The reason I like to call this the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is because the top of the hill is arguably the best part. You can feel the ocean wind on some days, and you can get a great 360 degree view of LA. It’s absolutely awesome on clear days, and it’s a great place to watch the sunrise or sunset. To be honest, I never really wake up early enough to see the sunrise, but I hear that’s what responsible people and adventure-seekers like to do. I’m not really either of those.



There are ledges you can sit on at the top to rest and just take in the view. I sat there for like an hour, no joke. I know I’m lazy, but at this point I’m just going to embrace it.

Are dogs allowed?

Well, some people have reported that they aren’t, but then again, I saw some pictures of dogs here. My guess is that they are technically not allowed and that you can maybe be kicked out for it, but it doesn’t mean people haven’t done it.

Parking

Parking is actually not terrible. It sort of depends on the amount of traffic going on around the area. 

Park for the cost of street parking (25 cents an hour) along Jefferson Blvd or you can actually just park in the lot if you’re Mr. or Ms. Moneybags (it’s a paid lot at the top of Hetzler Road, which I heard is $2 but don’t quote me on that).

My tips

    • Sunscreen. Just do it. What’s your excuse? It feels greasy? Come on — I eat greasier things for breakfast, lunch, after-lunch, dinner, after-dinner, before-sleep-meal, midnight snack, and mid-sleep refresher. 
    • Water. I sound like a middle-aged parent who wants the best for you because I put so much time, energy, and money into you because I love you. But seriously now, just bring a water bottle and save yourself some stress. There’s sometimes a juice truck around, but you’re gonna wanna not have to rely on that to stay hydrated.
  • Have fun. OK, wait, I’m giving the absolute most cliche advice ever. This article is over.

Review Highlight

baldwin hills scenic overlook culver city steps google review

Thank you for the useless review, Al!