Franklin Canyon Park

and Clark Gable try to hitchhike in It Happened One Night. The park traces its beginnings to 1914 when William Mulholland and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power built a reservoir in upper Franklin Canyon. The canyon was used by the family of oil baron Edward L. Doheny as a summer retreat. The 1930s began the frequent use of the canyon for filming. Claudette Colbert's hitchhiking scene from It Happened One Night was filmed in 1935. Today about 25 films are shot here annually. During the 1970s the canyon was spared from development through the efforts of conservationist Sooky Goldman and Congressman Howard Berman, which resulted in the creation of the park. == Neighborhood ==

The Franklin Canyon neighborhood lies south of Mulholland Drive and extends south almost to the city limits of Beverly Hills. It contains about 700 single-family homes. It is represented by the North Beverly Drive/Franklin Canyon Homeowners Association, a member of the Bel Air–Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council. == Flora and fauna ==

Franklin Canyon is rich in plant life. Chaparral, shady grassland meadows and oak woodlands are found in the park. and even eagles. Also found are ducks, including Mandarins and Wood ducks. Franklin Canyon is part of the Pacific Flyway and as a result the resident bird species often share company with neo-tropical migrants and other transient species, such as Canada geese. == Activities ==

Popular activities are hiking, cycling, picnicking and bird watching. Park staff lead regularly scheduled hikes. Swimming and fishing are not permitted. The park conducts natural history programs at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center, and the William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom. Located directly adjacent to Franklin Park is the headquarters of the conservation organization TreePeople. TreePeople also offers organized hikes, as well as tree care workshops and themed festivals. == Stop sign cameras ==

In July, 2007, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority installed three stop sign cameras in the park. The cameras photograph on average 17 motorists per day. The cost of the citation is $175. A spokeswoman for MRCA said, "We have seen a significant reduction in the number of people running stop signs." Former Beverly Hills city attorney Jack Allen opposes the cameras. He decried the alleged safety issue saying, "They're not speeding through there." In September 2010 a class action lawsuit was filed against the MRCA. The chief staff legal counsel of MRCA said in 2015 that the camera and ticketing program generates $1.5 million in revenue annually and costs the agency about $780,000. Cameras are also installed at Temescal Canyon Park, Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park, and Topanga State Park. MRCA issues roughly 24,000 traffic citations each year for various violations. == Gallery ==

File:Hastain Trail sign in Franklin Canyon Park, Los Angeles, California.JPG|Hastain Trail sign in Franklin Canyon Park File:Hastain Trail in Franklin Canyon Park, Los Angeles, California.JPG|Hastain Trail in Franklin Canyon Park File:Heavenly Pond in Franklin Canyon Park, Los Angeles, California.JPG|Heavenly Pond in Franklin Canyon Park == In the media ==

This is a partial list of media which have used Franklin Canyon Park: Film • Private Lives (1931) • It Happened One Night (1934) - Claudette Colbert's hitch-hiking scene, rural roads were filmed here • B. J. and the Bear • Bonanza • Camp Runamuck • Combat! • Hunter • Murder She Wrote • NCIS • Quantum Leap • ''Salem's Lot'' • Salute Your Shorts • Santa Barbara • Sons Of Anarchy • Star Trek - some alien landscapes, including "The Paradise Syndrome" • That Girlthe rifleman • True Blood • Twin Peaks • The Fugitive - S1E14 "The Girl from Little Egypt" • The Waltons - S4E25 "The Collision" • Will And Grace • The Young and the Restless Music The park was used by photographer Guy Webster as a background for the following album covers: • Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel • Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), The Rolling Stones == See also ==