Hollywood Trail

Nearly all tourists visiting the Greater Los Angeles hope to get a money-shot photo of the Hollywood Sign. The 44-feet tall spelled-out letters are erected on top of Hollywood Hills in the small neighborhood of Beachwood Canyon.

Just recently, getting there has been rather difficult because homeowners have had enough with tourists wandering around their community and taking up much of the parking spaces available. So they took the liberty to confuse visitors and placed official-looking road signs. They also managed to ask Google Maps and Waze to purposely redirect tourists into going to an alternative location, The Griffith Observatory. And well although the observatory is definitely a place to view the famous landmark, it's not quite as good as it is up close.

Since the roads of Beachwood Canyon is too narrow and cannot support much traffic, here are two surefire ways on how to get there without ruffling somebody else's feathers.

Option 1:

The first option is a 0.9 mile hike upto the start of the trail. Head down to Lake Hollywood Park and pull the car over there. Hike along Mulholland Hwy, take a right at Durand Dr, then left at Heather Dr, and another left at Ledgewood Dr. From here on, the path will be the same for the second option.

Option 2 (What my hiking buddy, Treszia and I chose because food is life 😅):

This one is 0.2 mile longer, but certainly ensures a space to park. Drive towards Beachwood Cafe at North Beachwood Dr and gather a much-needed energy for a very long tramp. After chowing down a succulent meal, take a hike along Beachwood Dr, then make a left at Ledgewood Dr.

Good Food Good Mood. Check out their menu here.

At this point, the two options meet. From Ledgewood Dr, make a right at Rockcliff Dr, then left at Deronda Dr. At the intersection of Mulholland and Deronda, there is a gate (a misleading wall) that hides the official hiking trail of Mt. Lee Summit. The door handle may look deceiving and seems to have a passcode, you just have to simply push the door open.

Walk a little bit up et voilà! The best unobstructed view of the Hollywood Sign.

Crop top: Calvin Klein by bellelily | Leggings: Gift | Neck scarf: Gift | Shoes: @ladygratitude | Sunnies: The Grove Bazaar, LA

Hike further up the trail for another 0.2 mile to reach the peak of Mt. Lee Summit AKA the back of the Hollywood Sign. It's a long, winding and steep road but the view is rewarding and super worth it.

Los Angeles Skyline.

To the north, the City of Burbank.

Overlooking the southwest point of the hill is Lake Hollywood. Also known as the Hollywood Reservoir, it is bounded by the Mulholland Dam as part of the city's water storage and supply system.