The Hollywood sign is easily the biggest star in Los Angeles, and both easy to photograph and very elusive.
It sits atop Mt. Lee looking down at Los Angeles, so it’s easy to spot all over town. But if you want to get up close and personal with it, you have to climb to get there. The best shot is through a residential neighborhood, and the folks in Beachwood Canyon have put up blockades and no parking signs to keep you away.
So what to do? There are several, authorized ways to see the sign without bothering the residents, however, so if you’re not up on the options, please read up.
Viewing only
Griffith Observatory, one of the busiest tourist attractions in Los Angeles, has a viewing area of the Sign, by the James Dean statue, but the Sign looks tiny in the distance. I wouldn’t make this my first stop. The Ovation Mall (formerly Hollywood & Highland) has a similar viewing area on the fourth level, and the sign is even more distant than from Griffith. Parking is really hard to come by at the Observatory and city officials recommend taking public transportation there. You can also park in the Greek Theater parking lot during the day and take a shuttle bus up the hill. (Or climb the mile yourself.)
That said, anyone coming to Los Angeles should definitely visit Griffith Observatory. It has the best scenic views of the city in town, especially at magic hour.
Easiest to get to
Lake Hollywood Park, which is near Universal Studios, has a way better view of the sign, public parking, and facilities than Griffith or Ovation. This is probably the most logical stop for out-of-town visitors, due to the ease of getting there. However, know that there are only so many parking spots, so you’ll want to get there early before the spaces are all gone.
Hikes
For the best views of the sign, you’ll have to work for it. The Brush Canyon hike is off Bronson Avenue, has plenty of parking (more than Lake Hollywood) and facilities. It will take you at least one hour to hike uphill to get to the Sign, but you’re afforded two great, close-up views. Here’s where your jump in front of the sign will work out perfectly. From this vantage point, you’ll also get killer views of Los Angeles from high above.
From the Brush Canyon hike, you can also take it all the way to the top, directly behind the Hollywood sign letters, with the city in the distance. Everyone visiting should do this at least once.
Brush Hike gives you one more bonus: a chance to go into the “Batcave” used on the 1960s “Batman” TV show, which you’ll pass as you climb.
The Mt. Hollywood Griffith Park hike, which starts at Griffith Observatory, is a longer climb that will also take you to Mt. Lee. Expect two to three hours of climbing.
Tough
Cahuenga Park Trail
Here’s how Allhikes.com describes it: “Get to know this 3.9-mile loop trail near Los Angeles, California. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 36 min to complete.” The Hollywood Sign Trust, which manages the Sign, calls this one “hard”, even though it’s the shortest of the hikes. That would be because it’s the steepest.
The Hollywood Sign Trust, which manages the Sign, is celebrating the Centennial all year long, but the actual birthday is considered to be Dec. 8th.
And the Trust has a great birthday present for everyone. It’s announced plans to build a Visitor Center that would make visiting the Sign way easier. The idea is that visitors would park, board a shuttle bus and get whisked up to a special viewing area.
“Over the years, visitors and locals have expressed great interest in a ‘close-up’ experience where they can learn more about the roots of the Hollywood Sign, its legendary stories, and the epic hopes and dreams the Sign continues to inspire,” said Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust.
So let’s all say Happy Birthday and hooray for Hollywood!
