Vista Hermosa Park

Vista Hermosa Natural Park is a 10.5-acre urban oasis located in the heart of Los Angeles, California. Opened in 2008, it was the first public park built in downtown Los Angeles in over 100 years. The park's name means "beautiful view" in Spanish, reflecting its scenic vistas of the city skyline.

Situated on a former oil field, Vista Hermosa Natural Park was developed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the City of Los Angeles. The park's design incorporates native California landscapes, providing a natural retreat within the urban environment.

The park features walking trails that wind through various habitats, including oak savannas, meadows, and streams. These trails offer visitors the opportunity to explore native Mediterranean vegetation and observe local wildlife. The park's topography has been sculpted to create a diverse landscape, with rolling hills and open spaces that provide areas for both active and passive recreation.

Vista Hermosa Natural Park incorporates several sustainable design elements. The park's layout allows for the capture and retention of 95% of stormwater runoff on-site through a system that includes permeable paving, vegetated swales, and a 20,000-gallon cistern used for irrigation. Green roofs on park buildings further contribute to the park's environmental sustainability.

Educational programming is a key component of Vista Hermosa Natural Park. The park serves as an outdoor classroom for nearby schools, supporting state science education standards. Interpretive signs in both English and Spanish provide information about the park's ecology and stormwater management features. The MRCA offers regular educational programs, often bilingual, to engage the local community and provide opportunities to learn about nature.

The park also serves as a gateway to larger natural areas surrounding Los Angeles through the "Transit to Trails" program, which provides free bus service from the park to the Santa Monica Mountains, allowing urban residents to access and experience more extensive natural environments.