You wouldn't know it at first, but beyond the smog and the traffic, the glitz and the glamour, Los Angeles County is a hiker's paradise. In fact, there are more than 500 miles of hiking trails in the Santa Monica Mountains alone, and thousands of acres of undeveloped land sprawling out all around the city, giving outdoorsy types a choice of the coast, the mountains and the desert. But here's the question: In a city where hiking trails are almost as numerous as freeway exits, what sets one hike apart from another? The following are some of the L.A. area's most unique hikes.

Melissa Heckscher (310) 540-5511, Ext.329; melissa.heckscher@dailybreeze.com

1. Explore yesterday's tragedies at the Car Graveyard.

>Where: Fryman Canyon (off of Mulholland Drive, between Laurel Canyon and Coldwater Canyon boulevards).

>Time needed: 1 to 2 hours.

>Difficulty level: Moderate to strenuous.

>Description: Situated high above L.A.'s urban sprawl and snaking through the mountains like a racetrack built on a balance beam, it's no wonder Mulholland Drive has seen its share of cars tumbling over its edges. Consequently, people hiking in the nearby canyons can find pieces of those cliff-diving cars embedded into the hillside like scraps of buried treasure. Fryman Canyon, which sits below a bend in Mulholland between Coldwater and Laurel Canyon boulevards, has been dubbed by locals as the Car Graveyard. If hikers keep an eye out, they'll notice scattered wreckage, including an almost fully intact (albeit rusty and old) car that sits directly beside the trail. Keep in mind, most of the other wreckage is hard to find and off the trail; hikers must trek through some thorny terrain to find it. As for the hike itself, it's a moderately strenuous one with spectacular views and nicely shaded trails. From the start, its serpentine path is almost perpetually covered by overhanging trees, which gives it an otherworldly and idyllic sort of feel. As might be expected, the way down is easy (make sure you wear shoes with good traction) while the way back is completely uphill.

Just remember: When you pull out of the parking lot and zip out onto Mulholland Drive, drive carefully.

>To get there: Take Laurel Canyon Boulevard to Mulholland Drive, go west to Fryman Canyon overlook. Parking is free. To get to the Car Graveyard: Take the trail down the hill, make a sharp left at first fork. Follow it about 1/2 mile to the bottom of the canyon. At the creek, go right to see the car wreckage described above. or left (off the trail) and follow the creek uphill to search for other artifacts.

 2. Wake up and smell the flowers at Huntington Botanical Gardens.

>Where: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino.

>Information: (626) 405-2100.

>Time needed: 2 to 3 hours.

>Difficulty level: Easy.

>Description: So what if Huntington Botanical Gardens is more of a walk than a hike? The meandering sidewalks, fragrant air and lush greens are enough of "the great outdoors" to keep most urbanites happy. Pristine, parklike paths cut through the Huntington's 120acres of botanical gardens, including a desert garden, a Japanese garden, a rose garden, an herb garden and a subtropical garden. In February, the Huntington will open a Chinese garden, which will feature a lake, a complex of pavilions, a tea house and five stone bridges. Of course, you've already paid the admission price ($20 weekends, $15 weekdays), so while you're here, stop by the adjoining Huntington Library, which houses a collection of rare books and manuscripts, including the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and a Gutenberg Bible. Then take a stroll through three art galleries, all of which hold an assortment of 18th-, 19th- and early-20th-century art.

>To get there: Take the 110 Freeway north toward Pasadena, where it ends, becoming Arroyo Parkway. Turn right on California Boulevard, then right on Allen Avenue, which leads directly to the entrance.

Or take the 210 Freeway toward Pasadena, exit at Hill Avenue and continue straight alongside the freeway for three blocks. At Allen Avenue, turn right, and proceed south for about two miles to the entrance gates. Parking is free.

 3. Step back in time at Vasquez Rocks >Where: 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road, Agua Dulce.

>Time needed: 1 to 2 hours.

>Difficulty level: Easy to moderate.

>Description: With its prehistoric landscape and jagged towers of stone angling toward the sky like giant orange icicles, Vasquez Rocks has been used as a backdrop for movies about as long as Hollywood has been a movie town. "The Flintstones," "Planet of the Apes," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Blazing Saddles" and the 1931 version of "Dracula" were all filmed here, to name a few. But besides being perennially photogenic, the 745-acre park, in Agua Dulce between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley, is a testament to the Earth's restlessness; it emerged and was shaped by millions of years of earthquakes. The golden slabs of rock also make for natural jungle gyms. If you're not afraid of heights, you can scramble up the rock faces to altitudes of about 150 feet, where the desert landscape stretches in all directions.

>To get there: Take Interstate 5 to the Antelope Valley Freeway going east. Exit at Agua Dulce Canyon Road and turn left at the end of the ramp. Stay on Agua Dulce Road until you reach the park entrance on Escondido Canyon Road. Parking is free.

4. Strike a pose at the Hollywood sign.

 >Where: Hollywood (trail begins at Beachwood and Hollyridge drives).

>Time needed: 2 to 3 hours.

>Difficulty level: Moderate.

>Description: We've all seen it from afar - those four stories of metal that stand as a symbol of all the starry-eyed glitz that makes Los Angeles what it is. But why not get a little closer? The Hollywood sign was built in 1923, and through the years has seen its share of wear and tear (including a 1976 stunt in which pranksters altered the letters to spell "Hollyweed"). Nowadays, trespassers don't have it easy thanks to the modern addition of fences, motion detectors, alarms, audio warning systems and 10 full-color surveillance cameras protecting the famous letters. In fact, the closest you can (legally) get to the sign today is via the Hollyridge trail, which hugs the hills above Griffith Park and boasts views of Los Angeles that stretch all the way to the ocean. It's a popular course and it can get downright crowded on the weekends - so don't expect isolation. This is Hollywood, after all.

>To get there: Take the 101 Freeway to Gower Street and follow the signs for Beachwood Drive. Head north on Beachwood for 2 miles, until it becomes a dead end at Hollyridge. Parking is free.