Exploring California: Hollywood Hike in Los Angeles!

We visited Los Angeles over Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve been to LA before, but not with Dustin! Since moving to California, we knew we wanted to hit up many of the national parks (Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, etc). For our trip to Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Park, we knew there were also some things in LA that we wanted to visit – one of them being the Hollywood sign hike!

What is Hollywood sign hike? Where is it?
Most of you probably know about the famous Hollywood sign that sits on a hill. What’s really cool is that there’s a hike that leads you right behind the Hollywood sign. It’s beautiful during sunset. It’s around a 30 min drive from downtown LA (always dependent on traffic), near the Griffith Observatory.

How do you get there?
We had rented a car for the trip. There are plenty of spots for parking around the trail heads. Uber is obviously available as well.

How difficult is the hike?
We did the Brush Canyon Trail. There are a couple other trails as well. It’s a moderate trail – there are clear paths to the sign but it’s a lot of uphill hiking. When the LA sun is blazing on your back, it can get a little tiring. Make sure to bring water!

How long is the hike?
The hike is ~6 miles round trip from the parking lot. It took us around 3-4 hours since we took a lot of photos and videos on the way up and down. We stayed at the top for a while as there was a great sunset the day we went there. We ended up hiking back in the dark (because daylight savings).

What are the best views?
There is a hill right behind the sign at the end of the hike. You will be able to see the Hollywood sign and the city skyline behind it. There are a lot of city skyline views along the way as well and spots where you can see the front of the Hollywood sign.

What to bring on the hike?
Water and snacks! If you’re going in the morning or going to be there later in the day / close to night time, make sure you bring a jacket as it starts to get chilly especially during the Autumn / Winter months.
We wore hiking boots because we had brought them for the national parks we were visiting and it does make it easier to hike, but a good pair of sneakers will do.

Recommended?
Absolutely! A great city hike with a great view. The sunset colors were stunning from the top!