Lee feet above the city, was originally lit with 4, light bulbs. It was only designed to last until all the property was sold, which they expected to be about 18 months. Nevertheless, until , the company paid for a caretaker for the sign 1 , who lived in a cottage behind the first L. When they ran out of funding for the caretaker, the sign fell into disrepair, so the developers deeded the land north of Mulholland Highway, including the Hollywood Sign to the City of Los Angeles in and it became part of Griffith Park.
In , the City of Los Angeles was beginning to tear down the dilapidated sign when community outcries changed the plan and led to the sign's restoration, minus the LAND and minus the lights.
In the s, the sign was once again in bad shape. Hollywood's A-list rose to the challenge and various celebrities helped foot the bill for a complete restoration. The famed landmark got its most recent paint job in In , a large chunk of Mt. Lee came under threat of development after the Howard Hughes Estate sold a large parcel of land there to Chinese developers.
A fundraising campaign which covered the sign with the words "Save Our Peak" successfully raised enough money to buy the land and add it to the adjacent Griffith Park, protecting the cherished view for future generations. On a clear day, the Hollywood Sign is visible all across the Los Angeles Basin, including from Downtown high-rise buildings, and even from Signal Hill, almost 30 miles south through the coin telescopes at least.
Driving or walking around Hollywood Blvd, you can look north at just about any intersection and see the sign, but the following suggestions offer some special viewpoints with great photo opportunities to get a nice shot of the Hollywood Sign.
Weather conditions and smog affect visibility, but you're pretty close here, so even in rain or fog, you can usually make out the sign. There are coin operated telescopes to get a closer look, so don't forget your quarters. When you park in the parking lot at the Griffith Observatory , there's a nice view of the Hollywood Sign over the next ridge.
The closest view of the sign is along the railing on the right side of the parking lot as you face the Observatory. Driving Mulholland Drive is an attraction in itself, but the easternmost viewpoint on Mulholland Drive near the freeway , called the Hollywood Bowl Overlook , also has a great view looking back at the Hollywood sign to the northeast. Check it out on the map.
This shot was on the day they were taking down the letters. At the back corner of the parking lot at Griffith Observatory is the trailhead for several Griffith Park hiking trails on Mt. It was also clear coming up to the other side of the gate with KPCC that the neighborhood is really not equipped to handle that onslaught of cars. By the time we reached the Bronson Cave it was early afternoon and definitely warming up, but we had seen a decent number of locals and tourists at the other spots on this route so far.
When we hiked through the caves to the viewpoint at the backside of the canyon, there were literally five other people there — one person working on her Instagram shots with a friend and a small family just out exploring.
This is another lovely place to see the Sign and a fun place to explore for film buffs, families looking to enjoy the picnic area and playgrounds nearby, or hikers starting off on a longer trek inside Griffith Park. For instance …. The Berlin Forest was planted in the early s to celebrate the 25 th anniversary of the designation of sister cities between Los Angeles and Berlin, Germany. The forest has been through a lot since then — including a wildfire that singed its northern reaches — but it still survives as a rare grove of dense pine trees and welcome shade in the otherwise sunny chaparral and sage scrub region of the Santa Monica Mountains.
And you only have to walk 0. In , the Tiffany and Co. The Foundation had previously done similar work on urban parks in other cities, but it was their first major initiative in Los Angeles. After more donors chipped in including well-known folks like Aileen Getty and Hugh Hefner and a massive public awareness campaign from the city itself, the land was acquired and annexed into Griffith Park.
The summit provides unparalleled views of the park and the surrounding city, and is one of the best places in L. Save for a few months back in when the Park was testing out a pilot program running shuttles along the road, this street along with Vista del Valle Drive has been closed to traffic since In the 70s and 80s, when parks across the state had to slash services due to reduced funds thanks, Prop 13! When the Park closed the roads in , this section had a chance to recover from graffiti, vandalism, and illegal dumping — and recreationists rediscovered the natural beauty here.
I recommend that you do not go all the way to the end. In fact, you will begin seeing some nice views of the sign at the intersection with Scenic Ave and then going towards the Hollywood Hills. First of all, I want to make it clear that you cannot in any way touch the Hollywood Sign or get very close to it. In fact, the area is fenced and guarded by cameras and security personnel to avoid accidents and vandalism that have taken place over the years, even though these are rare occurrences.
If you want to get as close as possible the only solution is to climb to the top of Mount Lee and admire the view of Los Angeles from behind the Hollywood Sign. In other words, you can only reach that point where the radio antennas stand out. Before seeing the routes to reach the top, there is some basic information that I must outline not only for the sake of your safety but also to help you understand that you will not get as close to the sign as you might expect.
I advise you to read carefully so as not to encounter unpleasant surprises. If you are going to reach the top of Mount Lee to see the view from behind the Hollywood Sign , the first thing you should know is that the residents of Beachwood Canyon the residential area below the sign are fed up with the crowds of tourists who flock to the top of Mount Lee either on foot or by car along the winding, narrow streets that climb up the Hollywood Hills.
The first consequence of this is that they have put up intimidating and misleading official-looking road signs all over this area that aim to discourage people from venturing into this part of Los Angeles.
Some time ago there was even a petition to remove the Hollywood Sign from Google Maps. The second consequence is that law enforcement agencies both private and public are present and ready to report any minor parking violations.
So I advise you to try to avoid using your car and rely on Uber or similar services instead, or if you do drive, you should look out for no parking signs.
If you use a GPS, please know that the directions of Google Maps or other services are not entirely reliable.
In fact, the last time we checked, when we searched for the Hollywood Sign in the various navigation services, at best, they redirected us to the Griffith Observatory. If, thanks also to our advice, you finally manage to find the many trails to the top of Mount Lee, make sure to wear clothing and footwear suitable for walking. Another factor to take into account is the climate. In the summer, temperatures will rise considerably and you will not find many shady spots on the trail.
Also, bring plenty of water with you. One of the best ways to photograph the Hollywood Sign up close and to reach the top of Mount Lee is to go to Lake Hollywood Park and then walk along two residential streets that climb up to the hills.
First, get to Lake Hollywood Park, where you can already start taking some nice pictures of the Hollywood Sign.
My advice, as I mentioned before, is not to use your car because parking in the area is very scarce, and the police are constantly around to issue fines to those who do not respect the parking signs. In other words, this is the first taste of the hostility of the residents towards the tourists who come to this area. The alternative to driving can be to take a taxi or an Uber, which is very successful and very reliable.
If you really must drive your car, the best place to park could be along Canyon Lake Dr , but watch out for no parking signs especially in the evening and be very patient, because, as you can guess, this is a very busy area especially during the high season. If you want to continue the top of Mount Lee, this is where the real adventure begins strictly on foot.
Most people who come here walk up along the streets, hike in on the Brush Canyon Trail, or get dropped off somewhere nearby. It is not as easy to get to, but it is a beautiful view of the sign. My last recommendation along the Brush Canyon Trail is just a hike up to the sign.
If you take the Brush Canyon Trail , then you are almost to the top of Mt Lee, which is the back of the sign, but you can also hike to the sign from other trails as well. However you get there, the views from behind the sign looking down on LA and Lake Hollywood are awe-inspiring.
I have done it many times, and it never gets old to me when you see the sign in this way. Moving on from the close viewpoints, my next recommendation is Griffith Observatory. Griffith Observatory is fantastic to explore on its own, but it also has a great view of the sign out in the distance. I love watching the sunset on the sign from this angle, and even though it is far away, it is still a great viewpoint.
Bonus points if you hike Mt Hollywood from the observatory as there are some great views from up there as well.
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