Ascot Hills Park is a great hidden gem located a few miles east of Los Angeles. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking but the gates close at sunset, which is a great time to go, so if you plan on staying later, park outside the gates where there is ample street parking. Depending on the season you will see lush green hills, particularly after rain, or in the dry summer and fall you get wonderful golden hills which look amazing in the setting glow of the sun.

As I was here mostly to photograph the sunset and check out the views of downtown, we parked outside the gates and started exploring the best areas to set up. Even if you aren’t here for a hike or run, plan to get your heart racing a little just getting to a good spot for sunset. From the parking area you can head for the paths either to the east or west, for sunset and downtown we chose to head west. There are 2 paths you can take, one more steep and direct and one you follow a small utility road to the official path. After a couple of moderate switchbacks you should be near the top of a hill and see downtown visible in the distance. There is a chain link fence running along the left side but there is a break in it a short distance down. Go through the break in the fence, find a good spot, set up a blanket and your tripod and wait for the sun to set.

Be sure to stick around even after the sun disappears over the hills as that is when the sky gets some amazing colors and you will start to see the city lights. With your tripod try some long exposure shots as there are plenty of streets to get light trails from cars. For sunset we only saw 2 other groups on the trail and felt like we had the park all to ourselves. If you feel up to some grub after head to the nearby Alhambra for some awesome Chinese food!