If you firebombed L.A. and obliterated its strip-mall ugliness, you'd see how pretty this place is. That's because of the ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains, which we, along with anyone who watches MTV, call "the Hills."

The plastic, Beverly Hills types notwithstanding, L.A. is divided into two kinds of residents: ocean people (rich, mellow, beach-front-dwelling yuppie/hippies) and hill people (grungy, hip urban cowboys, who eventually have kids and move to the beach). The ocean people surf and run and bike along the water. Us hill people, we hike. We hike obsessively. And the good-looking people hike Runyon. You might see famous people here, but you won't even notice them because you'll be blinded by the hotness of merely struggling actors and actresses. Plus, you'll get a workout — from panting at hot people.

• 1. Runyon Canyon Park
  Franklin Ave. & Fuller Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; 213-485-5572 34.103434-118.348954 lamountains.com