Sit on the couch

There are some places that defy the imagination. 2400 feet above sea level, you stand at the edge of the world, the valleys and the city and the coast stretching far, far beyond. The solid ground beneath you is concrete, flat, geometric with right angles, yet also kaleidoscopic and psychedelic and otherworldly.

Click to "embiggen"

Don't get too close to the edge.

Get comfortable instead. Have a seat on the couch.

What is this place?

The tower in 1938 - Photo from LA Public Library

We're in the Santa Monica Mountains. This is a concrete pad where a Los Angeles County fire lookout tower once stood. This land belongs to the County, and there appears to be no enforcing authority overseeing it.


One mile down a dirt road that follows a rollercoaster ridge, you climb a narrow trail and end up on a knob of rock topped with a concrete pad. The layers of graffiti and chips of green and brown glass are evidence of those who've come here before - and what they do here.

Click to "embiggen"

Some minds have been seriously blown here, I think.

We come here several times a year - we like to bring visitors here and impress them with the view. It's a hard hike in the heat of summer because there's no shade, but once it gets cool, it's an easy enough walk, with just enough uphill and downhill to get your blood flowing. It's been several months since we've been, so today when we made our afternoon hike here, we were surprised to see that there was something new.

A couch. Someone carried a couch all the way out here. What a perfect way to enjoy the view.

I don't know how long it's going to last, but for now, put your feet up and sit a while. And respect the couch.