Miracle Mile in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Pit 13

— La Brea Tar Pits —

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 24, 2025

1. Pit 13 Marker

Inscription. A few inches of La Brea's tar took down huge ground sloths and scores of other animals. It could take you down too, if you're not careful. The tar works like fly paper: the harder an animal struggles, the more stuck it gets.

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Look closely at the active tar seep in this pit. Birds, squirrels, and insects still get caught in the tar. La Brea's death traps keep recording L.A.'s changing environment - even today.

Photo caption: Hancock Park, 1930s: Today's tall fences around the tar pits are here for your protection. Low brick walls that lined the pits when the park first opened were not adequate. People could hop over them and get too close to - and sometimes stuck in - the tar.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Paleontology • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 34° 3.877′ N, 118° 21.492′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Miracle Mile. It can be reached from West 6th Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located in Hancock Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or

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near this postal address: 5939 W 6th Street, Los Angeles CA 90036, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Death Trap for Meat-Eaters (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Pit 13 (a few steps from this marker); Project 23: Who, What, Why, Where, and How? (within shouting distance of this marker); Pit 9 (within shouting distance of this marker); 1,000 feet above an underground oil field (within shouting distance of this marker); How Did 27 Columbian Mammoths Fit in This Small Pit? (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Pit 9 (within shouting distance of this marker); What's in the crates? (within shouting distance of this marker).

Pit 13 Marker ( along left edge of photo) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 24, 2025

2. Pit 13 Marker ( along left edge of photo)

Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 29 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 22, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.