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How Do I See the Hollywood Sign?

Spend a little bit of time in Griffith Park—or heck, anywhere in L.A.—and eventually you’ll hear The Question: “So how do I get to the Hollywood Sign?” Since it first appeared in the Santa Monica Mountains as the Hollywoodland Sign in 1923, the sign has acted as a beacon. First, for hopeful homeowners buying plots in the Hollywoodland housing development, then eventually as a symbol of the American entertainment industry, and now—somewhat to the consternation of Angelenos—as a global tourist symbol of Los Angeles itself.

People come from all over the world to Los Angeles, and when they’re here they want to see those big white letters they’ve dreamed about—but it hasn’t always been easy to figure out how to do that.

The Hollywood Sign isn’t on Mount Hollywood, but that peak does have a nice view of it.

Remember that people live in the neighborhood near the sign, so please be respectful when you’re visiting.

Griffith Park itself didn’t have readily available maps and wayfinding signs until about 2016, and the rise of GPS and online navigation was sending sign seekers onto narrow, winding roads that definitely weren’t built to handle modern automobiles—let alone throngs of lost tourists.

Gates were locked, lawsuits were filed, and a former city councilman even lobbied Google and Garmin to change the location of the Hollywood Sign on their maps. It’s still a bit of a messy situation, which is why I strongly recommend traveling on foot as much as possible when you’re looking to snap your sign selfies.

Here are some of the best places to see the Hollywood Sign in and around Griffith Park depending on what kind of view you’re looking for.

IF YOU WANT TO GET SOME SHOPPING DONE, TOO

Hey, who said you can’t enjoy a decent view of the Hollywood Sign while also picking up a pair of jeans? The Hollywood & Highland shopping complex was L.A.’s attempt to replicate New York City’s Times Square—I have some opinions about whether or not it was a successful attempt, but you can draw your own conclusion. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s pretty easy to get to without a car and there are some genuinely cool Hollywood history sites nearby, including the El Capitan Theatre, the Chinese and Egyptian Theatres, and the Roosevelt Hotel. You’ll walk along the star-studded (literally) Hollywood Walk of Fame and up into the multistory outdoor shopping center, which is styled to resemble the Babylon set from the 1916 film Intolerance. The upper floor is angled to point you directly toward the Hollywood Sign, but you’ll probably want a good zoom lens, as the sign itself is 2.4 miles away.

Location: Northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave.

Distance from Sign: 2.4 miles

How to Get There: Metro B Line Hollywood/Highland stop, DASH Hollywood, Metro bus lines 212, 222, 237, 312, and Rapid 780; paid parking in garages and on street

IF YOU WANT SOME WATER IN THE PICTURE

For what I personally consider one of the most interesting views of the Hollywood Sign, you’ll want to take a nice stroll around the Hollywood Reservoir. Not only is this paved path a great place for joggers and walkers, but there are also several spots where you’ll manage to get good forward-facing views of the sign with a bit of the Hollywood Reservoir in the foreground—which is not a view many people would expect to see. You can hike partway around the reservoir and shoot through a chain-link fence, but in my opinion the best views come when you’re standing atop historic Mulholland Dam.

Location: Mulholland Dam

Distance from Sign: 1.3 miles

How to Get There: Hike 1

IF YOU WANT TO BEAT THE CROWDS AT LAKE HOLLYWOOD PARK

Over the past few years, Lake Hollywood Park has become a magnet for sign seekers. On clear weekend days, you can expect to see almost as many people at the unofficial viewpoint just to the south of Lake Hollywood Park as you would at the Hollywood & Highland mall. Residents are getting frustrated with the foot and car traffic, which is why I strongly recommend hiking in instead. Following the route described in Hike 2, you won’t get snarled in tourist traffic, you’ll make the residents happy, and you’ll get better views, too. First, you’ll have some great through-the-chaparral views from the Mulholland Highway, and then on the Innsdale Trail you’ll get as close to the front of the sign as you can without getting arrested.

Location: Mulholland Highway and the Innsdale Trail

Distance from Sign: 1.2 miles and 1350 feet, respectively

How to Get There: Hike 2

IF YOU DON’T MIND A BEHIND-THE-SIGN VIEW

When people find out you can indeed hike up to the Hollywood Sign atop Mount Lee, few continue reading to find out that location actually gets you behind the sign with no way to get up close to the big white letters. Don’t fret, though—any route to the top of Mount Lee is a day well spent in Griffith Park, and although the summit can get crowded on the weekends, the views can be exceptional.

There are two primary treks most people take to get to the top of Mount Lee. The route that feels most like a hike is also the shortest and steepest. Coming in from the west, the single-track trail tops out on Burbank and Cahuenga Peaks before joining Mount Lee Drive for the final short summit push. The classic route from the end of Canyon Drive is longer, but it has a gentler ascent and is on wider fire roads, meaning it’s better for larger groups. Either way you choose, this is a mountain you are definitely going to want to summit at some point.

Location: Summit of Mount Lee

Distance from Sign: 150 feet behind the sign

How to Get There: Hike 3 for the shorter, tougher option; Hike 7 for the longer, milder option

There are plenty of places where you can see the sign without having to jostle your way through throngs of tourists.

IF YOU WANT TO HIKE BUT, LIKE, JUST A LITTLE BIT

Let’s say you want to get a good front-facing view of the Hollywood Sign but don’t want to spend too much time on the trail. Maybe you’re in a rush, or maybe you’ve got some little ones with you who don’t have energy for a longer trek. No worries!

If you want to keep it especially short, there’s a good view from the other side of the Bronson Cave with the sign behind some rugged mountain terrain. You may even recognize this scene from dozens of different films or television shows. If you’re up for a bit more elevation gain and not that much more distance, there’s a surprisingly excellent viewpoint on the West Observatory Trail between The Trails Café and Griffith Observatory. If you’ve got kiddos, both options are close to playgrounds and picnic areas, and near the West Observatory trailhead you can pick up some tasty coffee, tea, and pastries at The Trails Café before or after your hike. Keep in mind there are some steep inclines and not a ton of shade on the West Observatory Trail, but you’re not likely to find too much of a crowd at this viewpoint.

Location: Bronson Cave

Distance from Sign: About 1 mile

How to Get There: Follow directions for Hike 6

Location: West Observatory Trail

Distance from Sign: About 1.5 miles

How to Get There: Hike 9; if you head down from the observatory, you can utilize the DASH Observatory or Griffith Parkline

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SOME SCIENCE-RELATED BONUS MATERIALS

The “official” viewing point of the Hollywood Sign has been moved to the west lawn of the Griffith Observatory, a place that the Los Angeles Times notes “offers a nice view, but . . . certainly not the only view or even the best view. It just happens to be the most politically expedient [one].” It’s also one of the most accessible viewpoints and definitely one of the easiest to find. It keeps folks from bothering residents on the narrow streets of Hollywoodland, and for most people, the views are just fine. The crowds at the lawn can get pretty huge, especially on weekends, but you’ll also have access to the free science exhibits at the Griffith Observatory and some beautiful viewpoints from the building’s roof, too. Try to come here in the morning for the lightest crowds.

If you want a smidge more solitude, head to the north side of the observatory parking lot for the Charlie Turner Trailhead and hike up to the Berlin Forest. It’s just a 0.3-mile round-trip, and there’s a bit of shade in the forest, too.

Location: Griffith Observatory

Distance from Sign: 1.5 miles

How to Get There: Paid parking, DASH Observatory, Griffith Parkline, or trek in on foot from Hikes 9, 10, or 14; see Hike 12 for trek to Berlin Forest from observatory

IF YOU LOVE A GOOD COMMEMORATIVE VIEWPOINT

When you’re looking toward the Hollywood Sign, consider that the public land you’re viewing wasn’t always public. In 2010, the Tiffany & Co. Foundation donated $1 million to the Trust for Public Land to secure a large tract of privately held land on Cahuenga Peak that a developer was threatening to build on. Additional generous donations from the likes of folks like Aileen Getty and Hugh Hefner and a massive public awareness campaign and fundraising effort from the City of Los Angeles secured the land, which was annexed into Griffith Park.

Location: Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook on the Mount Hollywood Trail

Distance from Sign: Just over 1 mile

How to Get There: Hike 12 from the Charlie Turner Trailhead

Even with new barriers, the Hollyridge Trail (Hike 5) is still a great place to see the sign.

This official viewpoint on the Mount Hollywood Trail commemorates those efforts and also offers up an excellent view of the Hollywood Sign. Although it can get crowded here, hikers tend not to dawdle so there’s usually a good turnover for the best views. Plus, you’ll almost always have someone who can snap a photo for you!

IF YOU WANT A BREAK ON YOUR BIKE RIDE

If you’re on a bicycle, most of the available viewpoints are a little tough to get to—but not this excellent pullout on Mount Hollywood Drive. This paved road is closed to most auto traffic and is one of the best north-south cycling routes in Griffith Park.

This viewpoint on a small western switchback of Mount Hollywood Drive provides slightly closer views than the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook just above it but has much lighter foot traffic and only requires a bit more navigational know-how to reach.

Location: Mount Hollywood Drive

Distance from Sign: About 1 mile

How to Get There: By bike on Mount Hollywood Drive; Hike 33; or hike up from the DASH Observatory stop at West Observatory Road and Mount Hollywood Drive

The rustic hand-built staircases in Amir’s Garden are just one of the special touches in Griffith Park.