The Giving Tree

Easy hike (uphill and flat land). Once you get to the top, you’ll be accompanied by obviously The Giving Tree, American Flag, and a box of written prayers/​letters.

This hike is a pretty easy hike. Nothing too crazy about it. My friend and I went to see the Giving Tree although we missed it going up (can’t really tell it’s there when you’re walking upwards to the hike — tree is on the right side of trail) …buuuuut we also missed it when we came back down from the trail. We couldn’t leave without seeing the tree so we decided to go back up the trail and paid a lot more attention. We finally found it, the tree blends in a lot. it’s not very noticeable. I had to walk up to the tree and look inside the trunk and that’s when I saw all the paper inside of it so I knew that was it! We sat under the tree for a good rest and took pictures. A lot of people don’t even notice the tree and kept walking by. Happy we found it!

This hike was pretty easy I would say it’s less than a mile to get to the tree from the parking lot. I went around 7 a. m so it was very cool in the canyon and not too many people. I seen the dragon probably 5 to to 10 minutes into the hike so I knew I was on the right trail. The tree is beautiful and very shady, there was no red box though. Just be on the look out for a large tree with lots of low branches sometime after seeing the Hollywood sign. You have to go up a slight hill to see into the trees trunk where you will find all the notes people have left. I would recommend this hike to everyone! Also Bronson cave a.k.a the bat cave is just down the road in the opposite direction of the tree we did both today :)

I went hiking to The Wisdom Tree around 6pm and it was already dark. I took flashlights which made it easier to hike up and watch my step. The trail is very visible and easy to follow. Once you get to the top, you see the amazing view and the tree on the right side. It’s so peaceful, you forget about everything and enjoy the view.

The Giving Tree storybook holds a very near and dear place in my heart as my fictional childhood hero. Maybe it’s because of life’s circumstances that made me fall in love while reading it, both 7 years old to 20 years old now. She taught us the lessons of unconditional love before we even knew the formal definition of it. AHH ANYWAYS, enough of the sentimental emotions!
It was worth it. It was everything you can imagine The Giving Tree to be. She slightly blends in with the other trees but is more green and immensely shady. You feel so relaxed and cool since its blocking you from the LA heat. Just take a peak under the leaves and the trunk will have a main set of three branches. Climb onto her roots a bit and you’ll see the knucker hole that holds the worn out but simply fantastic jumble of notes and letters. Try to donate a pen because that came in handy after much digging around HAHA.
My friend had never read the book before so of course I brought my own copy to read together. And we finished it off by placing our notes inside. Such a precious moment and hidden gem!
Just look at the reviews and clues and you’re good. We were there more so for the tree rather than the hike so we only experienced a few sets (but very challenging) incline walking. But we found it rather quickly while going up (it’s easier to see going downhill because uphill the tree’s hanging branches cover the trunk). Just look for the shadiest tree and check! That’s how we saw it on the first try and going uphill!
Tips:
— Drive past Griffith Park gates until you can’t anymore.
— Very small parking lot on the left side (asphalt floor, not the dirt one).
— There are a couple of different trails but if you start forward from the parking lot described above, it’s that one.
— Just walk slightly forward and you’ll come out into an opening and see the dragon street art on the right side (now there’s a raccoon and some graffiti).
— From there just keep going up and you’ll see the slight empty lot and it’ll have a tree stump connected to another tree. You’re on the right track.
— Keep going on the trail (dried brooks on either side).
— The path will incline a couple times until you see part of the Hollywood sign (another good sign).
— A few more times of inclined walking and after you pass the trash can and see the radio towers on the left KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR SHADE ON THE RIGHT! This is for uphill of course. Left if downhill.
— Check under the branches and you’ll see it.
It really shouldn’t take too long. It goes by fast. Maybe took us a bit longer because we’re not exactly summer body ready yet HAHA. Tell the Giving Tree hello for me!

If you are a fan of the book. This spot will spark up nostalgia. Nevermind the inclined hike will kick your ass. It’s truly worth it when you see the tree in its full glory along with all the wishes stuffed inside.

A beautiful easy hime. Some up hills on the way up and downhills on the way back. Beautiful view and not crowded at all.
The Giving Tree will be on your right side when going up, left side coming down. Easier to find downhill but I found it uphill. You just have to be cautious not pass observe carefully every big tree that looks like the pix on Unilocal.
I didn’t see anyone stopping there so don’t expect crowd around the tree. I don’t think most people know about this tree because people just passed by quickly hiking.
The Tree is a cool idea, tons of papers/​letters in there when I stopped there.

I LOVE this. When I take my kids with me on a hike we always stop and read the book. We have written to the tree as well. I love who ever started this :)

THIS Tree. Calmed my ass down. No joke.
I’m not cut out to be a hiker as much as I think I am. I like the idea of it but I’m just too lazy to do it often enough to stay in shape for it. That being said, it took my friend and I longer than normal to get there because of the road closures and then we ended up at The Observatory, which is not where the Giving Tree is located.
Directions in a nutshell:
North on Western
Turn left (West) on Franklin
Turn right (north) on Canyon
Take Canyon all the way until it dead ends into the trail.
There is a small parking lot right at the start of the trail.
Start hiking up the trail. You know you’re on the right trail because there’s a good bit of people hiking and it’s kind of an incline at the start. I might be skinny but my ass is still out of shape and I was huffing and puffing and eventually started getting irritable because I was so damn out of shape and it started to get hot. My poor friend had to listen to me whine. *sigh*
Other reviewers kept talking about this dragon being a landmark. We didn’t know what kind of dragon to look for (natural rock formation? dragon shaped tree?). On our way back to the car (after we successfully found the Giving Tree), we saw this: a spray painted dragon on the right. Not sure if that is what other reviewers are referring to but I’m going with it. It was the only one we noticed.
You’re basically just going to keep walking. And if you’re like me, you’ll run out of breath and have to stop every few yards to get the lungs back to normal. You’ll pass by a huge flat field. At this point, you might start bitching about the heat or what not. Keep walking and then you’ll see something magical. A tree with LOTS of shade on the right. I was in heaven when I saw the overgrown branches hanging down to the ground. Little did I know that once you walk under the branches to cool off, you will feel as though you are being hugged. I know I was. The tree that was beckoning to me with it’s shade is in fact The Giving Tree.
From the direction we were headed, the Giving Tree didn’t look like anything special. Only when you see it from the other side, that you become mesmerized (okay, I’m just a nature weirdo and I was mesmerized). In all seriousness, I climbed up to the tree and basically just sat with it for a while. The moment I was that close to it, I kid you not, I could the feel this tree giving me it’s energy to calm my ass down and indeed it did.
There is a hole in the trunk where people are putting in their wishes and we left ours in there as well. Someone was nice enough to leave a pen there (who knows if it’s still there though).
Since you’re in the area, you should hike over to Bronson Caves at the other (easier trail) by the parking lot. It’s where they filmed the entrance/​exit to the Batcave from the 60s series with Adam West.
All in all, I’m sorry I wasn’t in a good mood once I started, but things happen for a reason. Had I not gotten pissy, I might not have stopped for some shade and therefore, we might have missed hanging out with this magical tree.

Must have walked past the tree a bunch of times trying to find this location. I know now after reading some review that the red box has been removed. Kind of bummed thought this was a very neat idea.

I love this tree. I came here for a nice morning/​noon stroll with my little brother. It is definitely a well hidden gem in the LA area. Like another Unilocaler had mentioned, I too passed by the tree unknowingly. I had a feeling I had passed it because the directions alluded to about a 10 minute walk to reach the tree but I hiked for at least 30 minutes. It is much easier to spot on the way back in my opinion. The red box definitely isn’t there anymore and I don’t know about you, but I tried to get onto the
website the night before and got a 404 error. I found the following directions on another site and thought they were accurate and easy to follow (except for the part where my brother and I just missed the tree haha).
1. Off of Franklin turn left on Canyon Rd. or right depending on which way you come from.
2. Follow Canyon Rd. until you reach the gates to Griffith Park. Keep driving until you can’t drive any further.
3. Start walking the trail.
4. You are on the right track when you pass the dragon on the right.
5. Keep on past the potential kickball field on the right…
6. Ahead you will see a small brook. (no water)
7. Follow the path as it winds around. If you look up you will see the Hollywood sign.
8. Keep walking but go slow because the view is quite pretty.
9. The trail seems open at this point but keep going… just as you go around another corner on the right, on the side of the cliffs edge you will see a tree… the branches are overgrown and touch the trail’s path.
10. Give it your thoughts and prayers or anything laying heavy on your heart.
I left a post-​it notepad in the tree so others could leave their thoughts in the tree. The idea of a tree existing where people can drop their worries into seemed very poetic to me. Enjoy it!
I was so inspired by my trip to this tree that I blogged about it. Check it out!

I went to the Giving Tree on mother’s day, which was really special and seemed quite appropriate. On the way up, I didn’t see it, so I stopped under some shade for a drink and some cool air before continuing on the trail. I figured I must have missed it because based on the directions, it didn’t seem like it was a strenuous hike, and I was getting pretty close to the Hollywood sign. So, I turned around and on the way down, on the east side of the trail, I saw it. It was BEAUTIFUL and it turns out that it was the Giving Tree that had provided that glorious shade that let me rest and cool off on the way up, which seemed perfect considering that’s what I had needed at that moment.
The directions from the website and some of these reviews mention a red box that sits in front of the tree. The red box was not there and the notes were removed from inside the tree. I note this because I thought that perhaps I has the wrong tree, but no, it was definitely the correct tree. So, for those of you who want to pay a visit to the Giving Tree, don’t look for the red box.
Just so you all don’t miss it, I would say it’s only about 10 minutes after you pass the little stream/​tiny pond. Start looking for it on the east side of the trail (your right) just after you notice the Hollywood sign to the west (your left). From the direction you’re facing (north), it may just look like a big branch providing shade, but if look at the actual tree the branch is on, that’s it and you won’t be able to miss it.
It’s beautiful and hopefully it will be meaningful for you in some way. Definitely a hidden gem.

After getting some pretty bummer news this weekend, I took myself up on a little hike to clear my head and try to get rid of a severe case of the blues. After a pit stop in my ‘hood for some provisions via Oaks Gourmet and Gelson’s, I walked for what seemed like a very long time from Franklin to the Bronson Canyon Griffith Park entrance. There are two routes that you can take on this hike– one will take you towards landmarks like the original Bat Cave (the one on the right), and the other will take you for a few miles, with great views – the latter also has a little landmark: the Giving Tree (straight passed the gates and passed the dragon). Now I don’t quite know who decided to start calling this tree the Giving Tree, but I remember reading the book as a child and I remember coming up here with my uncle when I was a little kid and putting wishes into the tree. Feeling pretty blah, I thought «sure, why not?» I don’t lie and tell you that I didn’t feel silly… but it did make me smile just a bit.

When I re-​read the book in my older years, it became pretty clear that the kid was such a snot nosed insufferable brat that didn’t deserve any of the things the Giving tree gave him.
But the worse thing was that I didn’t get what the point of the giving tree was. It gave and gave and gave. I don’t get what we’re teaching our kids. To consume and consume and consume all they want. Don’t worry, if someone’s giving of themselves completely to the point that you’re left as a stump, just live it up without giving in return.
Yes, that my friends is the Giving tree story. So I’m not even sure why or how, but this tree in the middle of a random hiking path in Griffith Park has been designated as the giving tree.
Has a hole in the middle and in it is inane wishes, hopes and prayers from people who just want something from this tree. As if it can do anything to change your lot in life. Don’t look to a tree for that sort of thing, look within yourself.
I sort of felt like that one scene in Goonies when they come across the gold that turns out being the coins from the wishing well. You have this massive pile of wishes there. I’ll admit it, I took a look to see what sort of things were being asked. Inane stuff right there.
It then hit me, putting your desires into a rotted out hole in a tree wont get you to them, nor is it really giving. So I decided to switch up fate. I gave back to the tree on this fine day by leaving in it a glow stick.
This is something that is actually useful if you are hiking and it gets dark before you realize it. So the tree is actually giving something to people that isn’t a pipe dream.
Now it’s going to hold on to that till someone who could use a glow stick. So hey, go to the Giving Tree and get a free Glow stick. Then again, let’s just change the name of the tree to The Glow Stick Tree because much like Where the Wild Things Are, the book has not aged well and from the look at the termite infestation, neither has this tree.

it’s a GREAT TRAIL… Very peaceful… you will miss the tree if you don’t know what it looks like… LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT… BEAUTIFUL TREE W A RED BOX SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF IT…

There are few things cooler than finding treasure and the Giving Tree at Griffith Park is no exception. Hidden along the trail leading from Canyon Drive is an oh so secret and special tree that, some would say, has magical powers. Now while it may not look like much, those who have shared in the Giving Tree experience know that it brings smiles and cheer and hope to all.
I don’t want to give away too much so take a peek at the following link (
) as it will serve as a treasure map of sorts. All you will need is a little bit of water, a decent pair of shoes, and a childlike sense of adventure. Good luck and happy hiking…