The City of Los Angeles is home to some of the world’s most popular tourist attractions. If you’re planning a visit, you probably have Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier, or La Brea Tar Pits on your bucket list.
It goes without saying that the flow of tourists in these popular areas is insane. There’s high traffic, for instance, in places like Hollywood Boulevard. There’s also a high chance of getting into an accident due to the high rate of pedestrians, cars, and motorcycles.
The thing is, LA’s tourist atmosphere isn’t only defined by popular places. There are little-known tourist areas and hidden gems that are just as spectacular as the notable places.
Such tourist areas also happen to be the least trafficked because they don’t get as many visitors since they aren’t well-known.
Check out these memorable and least trafficked tourist areas in LA:
- Culver City Stairs
Why go around the whole of Los Angeles when you can view it all at once?
Well, we are not talking about an aerial view from a chopper – which is fun too, just not pocket-friendly for the everyday person.
The place you need to be to capture one of the most picturesque views of downtown LA is the Culver City Stairs, also known as the Baldwin Park Scenic Overlook.
The scenic overlook is on a hilltop a little outside the city, and surprisingly, it doesn’t receive as many visitors as it should, minimizing traffic to and from the place.
- Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park
If the dead are not your cup of tea, then this memorial park is not for you. However, there’s more to the place than just a resting place for some of the notable names of the 20th century.
Compared to the surrounding LA buzz, the park is like the eye of a hurricane. If you’re a lover of serenity, you will welcome the quiet and beautiful atmosphere.
The park makes for a perfect place to stop and contemplate or simply enjoy getting away from the crowds for a bit. And, of course, there aren’t many people pushing to check out the place either.
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
One of the places that few people think of going to is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. While there’s a lot to behold, you can definitely swing by to take a picture or two of the Urban Light.
Urban Light, also known as the LACMA Lights, is a grid of street lights that once illuminated the streets of California at different points in time since the 1920s.
The piece of art is located at the entrance to the museum, with little traffic to the place, making it easier to stop by. While walking beneath the lamp posts is certainly delightful, it’d mean a lot more if you’re a history lover.
- The Old Los Angeles Zoo
The Old Los Angeles Zoo isn’t a zoo anymore but a shadow of what it used to be. It’s nothing but ruins with echoes of the past, from caves and enclosures that used to house animals to winding stairs going further into the rocks.
You may love the hiking trails that have become part of the place as it’s pretty tucked away, besides being in the heart of the city. One thing for sure is that the abandoned zoo doesn’t get many visitors.
- Topanga State Park
Just off the I-405 and the U.S. Route 101 in the Santa Monica Mountains is Topanga State Park. If you’re looking for a place to experience the wilderness of southern California, then you don’t even have to leave LA.
The park is known for its scenic hiking trails with little traffic. You could go all the way up to a rocky outcrop named Eagle Rock and enjoy the spectacular views.
The park is one of the hidden gems in Los Angeles County you can’t afford to skip, except many people do. This map and site information will come in handy if you intend to check out the park.
- Lummis Home
The Lummis House and surrounding gardens is a historic site nestled in the Arroyo Secco, north of Los Angeles.
Sitting on a three-acre property is the Lummis House, a large rustic house built in the 19th Century American Craftsman style.
The site is incredible but not well known. You could live in LA for years and not even know it exists.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of places to visit in LA, but few are quite as interesting and pretty tucked away as the ones we’ve mentioned. If you’ve been looking for tourist areas that enjoy little traffic, you may want to try the ones on this list.
