Lacy Park

This 30-acre San Marino park feels like it could be the grand entrance to one of the swanky city’s stately mansions. A tranquil mile-long walking path around the perimeter takes you through shaded patches of trees with plenty of quiet spots to rest along the way. The inner path, meanwhile, encircles the more active area of the park, where you’ll find kids climbing around the playground and pups running around a spacious lawn (dogs are technically only allowed on-leash). Look out for the rose garden on the southwest edge, a picturesque nook lined with tunnels of trellises and rows of pointy cypresses. If it all sounds a little too good to be true, there is one caveat: The city charges a $5 admission fee on weekends for non-residents (though you may luck out and find there’s nobody posted at the fee booth).