Hiking Mount Lee to the Hollywood Sign

Get up close and personal with two of L.A.’s landmarks on this moderate 6.5 mile out-and-back in Griffith Park — the iconic Hollywood Sign AND the Batcave from the 60′s TV series “Batman.” This dog-friendly route is popular with local hikers, fitness buffs, and equestrians, and is a good way to tack a local workout into your hiking routine. This mostly shadeless route is rarely steep, but it does have a very steady incline for almost the entire route. Be sure to bring water – especially if it’s a sunny day – and watch out for rattlesnakes!

The Basics:

- Distance: 6.5 miles, round trip
- Elevation Gain: 1098 feet
- Time: Under 3 hours, with breaks
- Trail Condition: Good. Most of the trail is on well-maintained and well-traveled fire road, with a bit of distance on paved road, too. However, there is very little signage along the way, and none of the junctions are marked – so make sure you study up before you hit the trail.
- How To get There: From the south side of Griffith Park, head north on Canyon Drive from Franklin Avenue. Once the road enters Griffith Park, it’s stopped by a locked gate at the trailhead. Park in the small lot at the trailhead, along the street, or in the spillover lot just south of the trailhead.

- Map Trailhead

The Notables:

- Local L.A. hike with easy access
- Dog-friendly trail
- Wide dirt path
- Good workout
- Get to see the Batcave AND the Hollywood Sign!

IMPORTANT: This trail will take you very close to the backside of the Hollywood Sign, but actual access to the Sign is fenced off. Hopping this fence – or approaching the sign from any other route – is dangerous and will get you in serious trouble. Assume you’ll get caught – there are tons of cameras watching the Sign from every angle.

More Pictures:

- on Flickr

A heavy writing workload and a really persistant shoulder injury had kept me off the trail for a little while, so when Team WWED invited me along for a short local hike, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity. So we decided on a trail that I, as an Angeleno of 6 years and counting, had never done – a hike to the Hollywood Sign.

At the end of Canyon Drive, north of Franklin, there’s a small parking lot near the gated trailhead, as well as a larger spillover lot just a bit further south. Park here and hike north – but before the gate, hang a sharp right onto a dirt road.

This is not on the route to the Hollywood Sign, but this very short side-trip will take you to another Hollywood landmark – the Bronson Caves – perhaps better known as the BATCAVE.

You can (and should) walk through the cave if you’re not claustrophobic. It’s very short, just be sure to stomp around a bit in case any rattlesnakes are taking a nap in there.

These caves are probably most recognizable from the 60′s Batman series, but they’ve also been used in a lot of movies, too. Here’s a YouTube clip I found that shows some of the angles and shots in films like Army of Darkness and The Searchers (which is a really amazing western if you haven’t seen it yet):

On a clear day, it is also possible to see the Hollywood Sign from the other side of the Caves. While we could make it out, the hiking weather on this particular day was “extra hazy.”

Return back down the dirt road and take a left at the pavement, heading toward this locked gate.

You are now on the dirt-path continuation of Canyon Drive. Here, the trail begins its moderate but relentless climb – about 600 feet in a mile. There’s a bit of shade in these early parts of the trail, but it’s few and far between – so if it’s hot or sunny, be prepared to sweat!

Like I mentioned, this is a popular trail. You’ll be sharing it with joggers, dog-walkers, babies in action-strollers, hiking groups, boot camps, and equestrians. Be sure to give the horses ample room if you’re passing.

About 1.1 miles on the Canyon Drive Trail, you will reach a three way junction with the Mullholland Highway – another wide dirt path. Take a left at this junction and hike west. For the next 0.9 miles, the trail is mercifully level, although you’re still exposed to full sun.

You’ll also start to see the Hollywood Sign from some interesting side angles, too (interesting = difficult to see):

If it’s clear, you’ll actually have better views of the Griffith Park Observatory and Mount Hollywood to the east.

1.7 miles after starting on Canyon Drive, the fire road hits another 3-way junction with Beechwood Drive. Keep to the right to stay on the Mullholland Highway and continue another 0.3 miles to another junction – this time with the paved Mount Lee Drive.

If you just want views of the Hollywood Sign, you might be better off taking a right here and descending a bit – but if you want to top Mount Lee and get behind the sign, take a sharp right onto Mount Lee Drive and start steep incline.

From here, it’s about another 0.9 miles to the summit of Mount Lee. The road wraps around the north side of the peak, so you’ll get a few valley views before the road turns back to the south face. If it were less hazy, you’d be able to see the San Gabriels pretty well from this vantage point, too:

As soon as the road rounds a sharp bend to the south face of the peak, you’ll be able to see the Hollywood Sign behind the scenes – and through a fence.

Even though you can’t get really close to the letters, it’s pretty cool to see them from this angle, and realize how big they actually are.

… and just in case you were thinking of it:

Just to the left of the locked gate at the Mount Lee radio towers, there’s a short path that climbs to the actual summit of the mountain, just next to some USGS seismic monitoring equipment. Soak in the views of L.A. and the Hollywood Reservoir from here, then return back the way you came.

Thanks to Team WWED for the invite and hiking company, and to the City Stream for a much better shot of the Hollywood Sign than I could get on this hazy day.

Tagged as: batcave, Griffith Park, Hiking, hollywood hills, hollywood sign, Los Angeles, Trail Write-Ups