Ah the Hollywood Sign. Nothing else has sparked and subsequently crushed as many dreams as you. A beacon for our vast city, and as impenetrable as the Presidential bunker due to 24-hour surveillance, the sign sits high on a hillside in Griffith Park with a view to die for.
24-hour surveillance?? Yes, sadly you can't actually touch the sign. But you can get pretty darn close to the back of it. See:
Believe it or not, some ninjas have actually been able to outwit the cameras, motion detectors and helicopters which protect the sign. You may have seen these stealth artists posting photos of themselves on the internet touching the sign. I don't recommend trying this, due to threat of a fine. Instead, why don't you take one of the photos of these guys off the internet and photoshop your head onto him? Brilliant!
The hike to the sign and back is only 3 miles (1.5 hours), but getting there is a tad tricky. First you have to find parking in the small lot at the end of Beechwood Drive and follow the sign on the right for the Hollyridge Trail. Next, dodge all the horse poop from the Sunset Ranch Stables (remember #13: Sunset Ranch Horseback Riding?). Down the road, you're gonna come across two junctions. Take a hairpin left at the first one and a right at the second. After that, you're home free.
view of Griffith Observatory and Downtown
If those directions are confusing, check out this awesome website that gives you pictorial directions. Click here for the driving directions and here for the hiking directions.
view of Glendale
Your hard work is worth it. In 45 minutes, you'll find yourself high above L.A.. To the right of the sign is the Hollywood Reservoir. To the left is Griffith Observatory and Downtown. Behind you is Glendale. When you reach the radio tower, climb the hill to get an even better view.
Radio Tower
Have you been to the Hollywood Sign? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!
