Walk Pasadena from Old Town to the Arroyo
Pasadena sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, with an old downtown, streets of Craftsman houses and a wooded canyon on its west side. FOG starts the map dark and clears only what you walk, and here it lights up one of the most walkable corners of greater Los Angeles.
Old Pasadena
Old Pasadena is the historic downtown, a district of brick buildings and alleys with shops and restaurants around Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue. Colorado Boulevard is the route of the Rose Parade every New Year's Day.
Pasadena City Hall, a Spanish revival building with a dome and a courtyard garden, is a few blocks east. The Norton Simon Museum sits at the west end of Colorado Boulevard.
Arroyo Seco
The Arroyo Seco is a canyon on the west side of town, with trails along its bottom and the Rose Bowl stadium in it. A loop around the Rose Bowl is about three miles and very popular.
The Colorado Street Bridge, a curved concrete arch bridge from 1913, crosses the canyon. Near it, the streets around the Gamble House are lined with Craftsman houses, and across town, in the northeast, the Bungalow Heaven district has hundreds more with wide porches.
Practical notes
Pasadena is hot in summer, warmer than the coast. Winter and spring are the best seasons.
Old Pasadena and the Arroyo are a manageable first day. The Huntington, a library, museum and garden, sits in San Marino just south.
The character who walks with you
FOG puts a small explorer called Wander on your position. Pick one of five paths (two are free, three come with FOG Unlimited) and every two levels on a path hands you a new piece of gear, earned only by the ground you cover. Twenty five pieces in all, and none of them can be bought.
Under the character it is a plain, permanent record: every street you walk in Pasadena is cleared and stays clear, the app works in the background, and the map is stored only on your phone with no account and no cloud. You can export it as GPX at any time.
Questions people actually ask
How long is the Rose Bowl loop?
About three miles around the stadium in the Arroyo Seco.
What is Old Pasadena?
The historic downtown of Pasadena, with brick buildings around Colorado Boulevard.
Is there a subscription?
No. Exploring is free and FOG Unlimited is a single purchase. There is never a subscription.
Start with a dark map.
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