The Hollywood Sign Hike

Don't let your nav take you up Barham to Lake Hollywood Drive to get to the sign--you will be led around a reservoir with an ugly fence into a 60s/70s community and will miss the splendor of HOLLYWOODLAND. TAKE THE TIME TO GO UP BEACHWOOD CANYON (from Franklin Ave, or the Gower Exit off the 101 N.) in Hollywood, You will get a true flavor of the 20s steets and Spanish homes, and the closest views of the sign. My drive around the chain link fence gets one star. more

I have not had the opportunity to hike to the Hollywood sign yet but hope to do it this weekend. I came upon this site, along with many others, when researching the best way to hike to the sign. I was surprised to find a site that goes into great detail about the security set up to protect the sign www hollywoodsign_org/signsecurity.html check it out, maybe JaneTunks isn't so crazy after all! Guess I will have to see for myself when I make it up there this weekend, I won't be venturing over the wired fence, that's for sure! more

Hiking up to the top of Mount Lee, just above the Hollywood Sign letters, is one of my favorite things to do in Los Angeles. In fact, I just did it again last weekend. The trailhead for the shortest route that I know is on North Beachwood Drive near Sunset Ranch. It's a moderately strenous hike, but the views of Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory, Burbank, Forest Lawn cemetery, Walt Disney Studios, and NBC Studios will entertain you on the way up. I just posted a review of the Hollywood Sign Hike along with beautiful photos from the trail and a map that you can print and take along on your hike at mydreamcametrue dot com/hollywoodsign more

Hey! I did this hike and in fact I watched a video before I ventured out on my own. There is a website that has this hike along with other really cool LA hikes. Don't worry...the videos are short so you don't get bored. Check out the Hollywood Sign video before you go. It's literally a step by step on how to get up there. www.losangeleshikingguide.hikesyoucando dot com more

my sister and i did the hike today. we went right behind the sign. there is a fence, you can only get within 20 feet of the sign. We found a nice spot, set up a picnic and ate lunch! JaneTunks, maybe you should actually take the hike before you comment on it! Pros: beautiful view, not crowded Cons: hike (only 5 miles), can only get within 20 ft of the sign) more

me and 3 friends hiked up the face of the mountain to try and touch the letters. little did we know that there is a paved trail that leads up the back... they do enforce the no hiking zones with helicopters as i have learned from experience. never got caught but we were circled about 3 times with a search light. i recommend taking the specified trail to the sign. hiking the face is quite a task. it is a worthwhile gorgeous view. more

i love cruising up and seeing this sign! i know you can't get very close, but theres a dog park ill park at and walk up the hill a bit, its just such a pretty view of the sign and the city! more

The hike is much easier than it looks. It can get fairly hot if you go during the summer. Check out step by step directions including pictures: hollywoodsigntrip (dot) com more

We drove up the 101 from downtown and took the Gower St exit which shoots you straight onto Beachwood. Go to the end of Beachwood as far as you can and park in the dirt outside the ranch. Bring some water with you and start up the dirt trail to the right which will wind around above and past the ranch. Just when you've had enough of the horse manure, take the foot trail that cuts back and up to your LEFT. This will wind around and end in a T at a paved road. Go right on the paved road and follow this up as it winds counter-clockwise around Mt. Lee until it dead ends at the radio tower. We saw lots of hummingbirds along the paved road and there is a nice view of the Hollywood Reservoir from the top. We also saw 2 patrol cars drive the paved route so think twice before scrambling down to the letters from the top. The entire hike took about 2 hours. Not bad for an urban hike when you have a few hours but can't escape the city. Wear light breathable clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting dusty. If you are looking to get a close photo of the hollywood sign, save yourself the hassle of a dusty hike around horse manure and just snap a photo from Beachwood Drive! The hike itself doesn't provide many good photo opps of the sign. Pros: Short hike, views of the LA sprawl and Burbank, hummingbirds and lizards Cons: Horse manure dodging, dusty, hot in the afternoon more

great hike! drive up beachwood, park up at the horse stable parking lot and follow the hollyridge trail. there will be a point where you can continue the trail with the horse excrement or fork up to the right... fork up to the right and wind your way up to get to the sign... i was there today and also saw a helicopter come to make sure there was no one at the letters. more

I went on the hike yesterday and it was amazing! It's a beautiful hike...with great panormic views of Downtown LA, Burbank, Griffith Observatory and Lake Hollywood (just to name a few). In response to the helicopter debate....we witnessed a close call! We were at the tower at Mount Lee and heard voices but didn't see anyone until we looked over the edge and saw 3 or 4 people down at the letters. Within minutes there was a helicopter right on them with a loud speaker saying "you are tresspassing on private property, you need to leave immediately or you will be put under arrest!" Then it circled 3 or 4 more times giving them a second and then final warning...I'm assuming they left because the helicopter flew away but it was definitely an interesting experience to top off the day. Overall, I would definitely recommend it! It's not too difficult (part is even paved) and it is a wonderful experience and seeing those letters up close is quite awe inspiring! Pros: great views, not too difficult, good workout more

Hey all, Don't listen to Jane Tunks... she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. The Hollywood Hill Sign is not bugged. Can you really imagine a helicopter flying down to tell you to get off the hill? Do you know how much money and absurd human resources that would cost??? What if there were 48 people hiking during the course of a day? You're telling me Tunks...can I call you Tunks? Thanks. You're telling me that you actually believe the BS that you're spewing?!? She's claims to have grown up on that hill. Yeah, right...you must mean that you lived ON THE HILL. Like one of those crazy homeless sleeping in the bushes and talking to the trees. You'll find a few homeless camps, maybe some deer, but you're not going to find the CIA, FBI or any other acronyms. The homeowners association did no such thing with regards to using helicopters to fight the hikers. Listen up Tunky: if I lived up in the prestigious Hollywood Hills the last thing that I'd want would be constant flyovers from loud helicopters interrupting my family dinner night. You sound like you've taken far too many stupid-pills and you're one of those paranoid, stringy-haired, lonely souls just reaching out to scare others with your ridiculous drivel. Take it from me. My friends and I have done the hike. I'm talking we hiked up and actually touched the Hollywood Sign. It's quite perilous, with regards to how steep the climb is to those beautiful, giant letters. We touched the "D" in HOLLYWOOD. I warn you to be careful though, honestly people. The closer you get to the top, the steeper it gets. Sheer edge!!! Good luck and have fun! YOU WROTE: 05/20/2002 Posted by JaneTunks_Citysearch Don't get too close to the sign, because the whole hillside is bugged, and helicopters will fly down and tell you to "get down from the sign...." Pros: There are no pros...if you want a pro you should go to one of the massage parlors. Cons: I didn't encounter any swindlers whilst on my hike. more

We did this hike for my birthday, and had a great time. It's not the world's most challenging hike (I could do it, after all), but it was still a workout. We parked at the top of Beachwood and took the trail by the stable until we got to the road that leads to the radio towers. There's only one point to take a wrong turn (don't follow the horses--they're not going up Mt. Lee), so it's pretty easy to find your way. The trail is wide and clear, and the road is a road. Be careful when you get to the obvious landslide areas; there's still some treacherous spots along the edge, presumably from the rains during the winter of 2005. more

3rd street promenade is fun - shopping at midnight appeals to people for some reason. The Pier and Venice should be seen, but to appeal to EVERYONE, not just art buffs (Getty) and nature lovers (Huntington), seeing THE SIGN is a requisite. The Hills are awesome to drive through, the houses eclectic, and views tremendous and in the end, seeing the sign is something worth traveling all the way to Los Angeles. Pros: free, famous, fantastic Cons: cannot touch it more

There is no way to hike up to the front of the sign. The only way is to go walking up by the rear of Mt Lee. To do so, you have to drive to the end of Beachwood Drive. Once you get to the Hollywoodland entrance, keep going... The street will get narrow. You begin to feel that you are going the wrong way, but that´s the path... Reaching the end of the asphalt, you´re going to find a gate where you have to park. Beyond that it´s not private property, but it feels like it, since it´s all so quiet and the suspicion that someone is watching you... just keep on walking. You are going to hike around Mt Lee by this trail... Then you finally reach the top, where a fence protects the Sign, along with surveillance cameras... Very good view of LA and SF valley. more

the Hollywood sign is visible from anywhere in Los Angeles....I can look out the window and see it....nothing spectacular. If your coming to L.A. hoping for something great...you will be dissapointed! And dont even think about going up to it- its barracaded!!! It still has aesthetic value though....i cant speak for any non L.A. natives--- but they all seem to enjoy it!!! Just shows ho Pros: CALI RULES!!!! Cons: OVERRATED more

There are no lights, so you can only see it during the day. And you can't get close to it. The best view of the sign is from the Griffith Observatory. Pros: It's free more

As a lifelong LA resident, I don't normally think of the Hollywood Sign in any special terms, but reading some of these reviews made me alter my perceptions. For those who complained that it's hard to get a good view, I suggest finding your way up to the Hollywood Hills (unofficial) dog park. It's a great vantage point. Just don't do it late at night. If you don't live in the neighborhood, security guards will kick you out. more

from reading the other reviews, I can tell we did something wrong, but basically we madse our way from the Observatory to the Hollywoood sign by following some dubious trails...oftimes seeming like they had only been travelled by deer. It was very hot and dry and steep and challenging and we loved it. We couldn't get right to the sign, but very close. Those letter sure are big!!! Pros: historic Cons: hard to get to more

Don't get too close to the sign, because the whole hillside is bugged, and helicopters will fly down and tell you to "get down from the sign." I grew up on this hill, and used to hike it all the time. Unfortunately, the homeowners association have fought the city to enforce a no-hiking zone with helicopters. more