The Los Angeles Walk 2024 Frequently Asked Questions

It's time for the annual BURNING QUESTIONS! As we are asked every year: Is walking 14-ish miles even humanly possible? (When you're taking your time on an all-day leisurely stroll, of course!) Can I bike it? (Yes! But you'll miss some of the joys of exploring the city on foot and meeting others.) Take the Metro? (Of course!) Bring a dog or my kid? (Sure!) Quit half way through? (Whatever you want!) Does it cost money? (No!) Can I treat this like a bar crawl and stop and every restaurant and bar? (Yes, you are doing it right!) Are you personally driving me back to my car? (Well, no.)

Here it is, the Frequently Asked Questions roundup for the GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2024!

1. WHEN/WHERE? Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 at 9 a.m. -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving, like we do every year. We're meeting at the the oldest palm tree in Los Angeles, in Exposition Park -- right near Exposition Park Drive and Figueroa, at West 39th.

Before 9 am we'll gather for a pep talk and some info about the day. Among our partners, the Los Angeles Times will be passing out copies of their special walking issue, featuring a story about the Great Los Angeles Walk! Also, the fine folks at Noom plan to pass out bottles of water. We'll chat a bit, get to know everyone, and take a few group pics. And then it's off -- first to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County! (More on that below.)

THE WALK HAPPENS, RAIN OR SHINE! (We've had light rain a few times year, but it always clears up by mid day.)

2. WHO? We're expecting 300 or so urban hikers this year, but perhaps more thanks to the LA Times story. RSVPs are not necessary. We'll take anyone who shows up! Also sign up for our email list (or email greatlawalk@mail.com) if you want future info about the Walk.

3. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? C'mon, it's completely free! But you're on your own when it comes to paying for lunch, dinner, water, etc. So don't forget to plan accordingly.

4. WHAT'S THE PATH? From the palm tree, we’ll walk through Exposition Park and past the BMO Stadium, California Science Center, California African American Museum, Memorial Coliseum and the future Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and then stop at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. At that point we will walk around the museum's new NHM Commons building and take a look at the new attractions at the just-opened wing.

After that, we'll get to Vermont Ave and head north to 24th Street, hanging left to walk west through one of the historic West Adams neighborhoods before hitting Normandie and heading north again to Washington Blvd. At that point, we can detour to the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery to look at some historic gravestones before heading west — all the way down to Culver City.

At Culver City, past the Sony lot we’ll walk around the Veterans Memorial Park, then turn north on Overland, scoot over (via Pico) to Westwood and walk our way to UCLA, where we’ll hit the campus' entrance at Westwood and Le Conte. (We've decided not to go with our original plan of walking all the way to the Bruin statue, as it's currently encased on a box to prevent vandalism.)

Then, we'll turn around and head to our afterparty at Broxton Brewery & Public House.

We strictly walk down sidewalks. As for bathroom breaks along the way, it's up to you to find businesses that will let you go. Coffee shops like Starbucks are usually pretty good for that.

5. WAIT, I DIDN'T GET ALL OF THAT! Don't worry, there will be a PDF you can download to your phone, and handouts with the map!

Several hikers will be posting on social media -- including us, at the Great LA Walk Instagram account.

6. WHAT DO WE DO ALONG THE WAY?  Explore! The whole excitement of exploring L.A. by foot is to get up close and personal with sites you might normally miss while cruising down the street in your car.

7. HOW LONG IS THE HIKE? A little under 14 miles -- that sounds like a lot, but it's really not, when you take time to explore. And this happens to be one of the shortest Great Los Angeles Walk routes ever, so definitely take your time to explore!

That's why it's even more IMPORTANT to note: This is not a race. Sure, you can sprint all the way to the end, but where's the fun in that? There's no prize for who gets there first. Instead, take a breath, and join the bulk of us as we leisurely stroll through downtown and stop frequently to take in the sights.

8. WHEN WILL WE GET TO THE END? With so many hikers, people will eventually start to space out. The idea is to finish at around sunset.

9. CAN WE BIKE IT? BRING KIDS? PETS? Because you're walking on your own accord -- remember, this is an unofficial gathering of passionate Angelenos walking the streets of our communities -- you can do whatever you want. Use your best judgement, of course. We're not responsible for you.

10. WHAT ABOUT INJURIES? Again, there is no infrastructure to our Walk, so you need to take care of yourself just like you would whenever you walk anywhere. Be careful, stay safe and stick with a group of walkers!

11. WHAT ABOUT LUNCH/SNACKS? There are so many restaurants on our walk, you'll have quite the pick to choose from. We're working on some partnerships with several eateries around the Washington and La Brea area, including Re/creation Cafe, Pacific French Bakery, Kyu Cafe and more, so stay tuned! There may also be a few food trucks stationed in that area.

12. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WALK IS DONE? We'll take group photos at the end... and then celebrate at Broxton Brewery & Public House in Westwood! Simultaneously, the Westwood businesses will be holding their annual Broxton Plaza Holiday Market and Tree Lighting that evening -- be sure to RSVP with them here. 

13. HOW DO I GET THERE, OR GET HOME? Carpooling, rideshare or public transportation.   Check out LA Metro for bus or train times, as the E Line (formerly the Expo line) will be an easy way to get back to the Exposition Park starting point!

14. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR/BRING? Loose, comfy clothing. I'd wear shorts, a t-shirt (and perhaps a sweatshirt, depending on the temperature). Also, tennis shoes... sunglasses... a hat... sunscreen... extra socks... a blister kit (optional, of course -- I haven't brought one, although Band-Aids  are a good idea), and most importantly, your phone! Take photos, share on social media, and document your experience.

15. HOW CAN I GET A T-SHIRT? T-shirts are now for sale at Great LA Walk's Spreadshirt page (we don't make any money off of these). But order fast, in order get the shirts in time for the Walk.

16. HOW SHOULD I TRAIN FOR THIS? It's not a marathon, so training isn't really necessary. I suppose you could walk around your neighborhood in the days before hand... but I'd avoid any big gym routine the day before, so you're not sore the day you're hiking. But other than that... I didn't train at all for any of the previous walks, and have turned out just fine.

17. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Why not? There's no special reason, no charity, no protest, no issue we're promoting -- other than a passion for Los Angeles. In 2006, I organized our walk down Wilshire to mark my 10th anniversary in Los Angeles. But it was so much fun, and it was a chance to meet so many new people, that we did it again in 2007, down Pico; in 2008, via Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd.; and in 2009, we hit West Adams as we walked down Adams and Washington to Venice Beach. In 2010, we returned to Wilshire for the fifth walk; in 2011, we hit Hollywood; in 2012, it was Melrose's turn; in 2013, it was all about Sunset Boulevard; in 2014, we hit the Valley via Ventura Boulevard; in 2015, it was Olympic Boulevard; in 2016, we returned to Pico; in 2017, we hit Beverly Boulevard; in 2018, we walked on 6th Street and through Koreatown; in 2019, we went from Arcadia, through Pasadena and Highland Park to downtown; in 2020, we conducted a socially distanced walk back down Wilshire; in 2021, we retraced the steps of L.A.'s founders, Los Pobladores, from San Gabriel Mission to downtown; in 2022, we once again explored West Adams before heading to Venice; and in 2023, we did a loop to and from Griffith Park.

It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving as well, so somehow I don't feel as bad gorging on sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie a few days later. And hey, it'll be a cool conversation piece at your holiday party.

18. CAN I SEND IN PHOTOS? READ A RECAP LATER? Of course! Check out www.greatlawalk.com the Monday after the Walk to read a full recap! Send us links to your own recaps, YouTube videos, etc.

19. IMPORTANT: You are walking on your own volition. The Great Los Angeles Walk is just a casual opportunity to walk with other Angelenos through the region. It's not an official organization of any sort -- and is therefore not responsible for your conduct or anything that may happen during your hike. Be careful, and be respectful of others and of your city.

The legalese: As consideration for being allowed to participate in Great LA Walk, all participants are deemed to have released from liability and waived any right to sue its organizers from any and all claims, including claims of negligence, resulting in any physical injury, illness (including death) or economic loss as a result of participating in the Great LA Walk. By participating in a Great LA Walk event, each participant understands that there are risks, such as physical and/or psychological injury, pain, suffering, illness, disfigurement, temporary or permanent disability, death or economic loss. These injuries or outcomes may arise from a participant's or other's actions, inactions or negligence, or the condition of the location(s) or facility (es). Nonetheless, participants assune all known and unknown risks of participation in the Great Los Angeles Walk.

Any more questions? Add 'em below and we'll answer them!