"Hollywood! What's your dream?" That line from a well known early 90's movie has always stuck with me and since I'm in LA for the weekend (to see Iron Maiden's final US show on their current tour), I figured I would take a little time to hike up to the famous Hollywood Sign overlooking Los Angeles. Even though it's only April, it's already hot here in southern California and so I decide to get a fairly early start. As this is my first time in the "City of Angels", I wasn't really sure about the traffic, but it lives up to its reputation. Traffic and the road systems more generally are pretty terrible here.
Following the GPS on my phone to the first of a couple potential trail heads I had researched beforehand, I follow narrow, winding roads up the sloping hills. Homes and parked cars limit the width to just over a single car, but these are not one-way roads, which of course causes issues at times. When I finally reach the trail head, signs indicate there is no access to the sign from here. Well crap!
I head back the way I came and make for my second option, which turns out to offer access to the tops of Cahuenga Peak and Mount Lee, and then finally to an area above and behind the famous sign. The trail starts by passing through a residential area. Gigantic cacti cover the hillsides and the 'yards' of the homes here. Finally, leaving the pavement, I start up a steep single-track dirt trail. The trail is obvious, but with a lot of buried rocks and boulders, and the intense grade, it makes for some good exercise. A few others are braving a similar trail and one group that I speak with tells me that the sign is, in fact, not accessible from there. I decide to try my luck anyway and continue on. It feels good. The trail is rugged and very steep, but I'm in good shape at the moment and make quick work of the short mile and half up to the top.
Once I reach the top of the ridge, the trail forks. Left leads out to the 'Tree of Life', which is a lone tree on top of a small peak surveying the entirety of Los Angeles below. While the right fork leads to the actual peak of Cahuenga Peak and to the Hollywood Sign beyond. The trail in either direction is much less steep here and I opt to head right to my intended destination. As the sun beats down, its getting very hot up here. I would really hate to be up here during the summer, but I push on. Between Cahuenga and Lee, a rugged saddle requires some climbing and rock scrambling to navigate, but eventually, I reach the area above the sign. Apparently, there is a paved foot trail coming up the backside of the mountain to this same area, as I am joined by a large crowd. I'm glad I took the road less traveled though, as it always seems to be more rewarding.
After taking in the view and snapping a few shots of the back of the sign through the fence (the sign itself is not directly accessible due to issues with vandalism in the past), I head back the way I came. While I can't touch the sign itself, I am still just a few yards from the giant H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D letters. Total distance covered was a mere 3.2 miles, but having visited such a landmark makes it totally worthwhile.
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