Photographing the elusive, hard to reach Hollywood sign in Los Angeles is not easy.
Neighbors in the hillside district of Beachwood Canyon don’t want tourists traipsing up here, so city officials have done everything to keep people away.
That out of the way, here are your best options for getting to the Sign:
2800 Observatory Road, Los Angeles
It’s really, really hard to park here too, unless you come up on Mondays, when the Observatory is closed. It has the easiest spot to park yourself in front and have the Sign behind you. But you can get closer.
Parking is available down the street, in the Greek Theater lot, and there are a handful of spaces further up, closer to the Observatory. The city recommends using public transportation, like Uber and Lyft, and the DASH bus.
Get your Hollywood Sign Selfie by the James Dean statue in Griffith Park
Once here, you can pose by the statue of James Dean (who filmed Rebel without a Cause up here) or walk up the hill for the Charlie Turner Trailhead, which leads eventually to just below the ridgeline at the 1,708-foot summit of Mt. Lee.
The trailheads to the Hollywood Sign
If so inspired, from up here, you can climb up .9 tenths of a mile, uphill at the hall, to land behind the Sign’s 45-foot-tall aluminum letters, with one killer view of the city lights. This is best done at sunset, and you will need a flashlight to get back down safely.
Signs abound with different hike possibilities within the park.
3160 Canyon Lake Drive, Los Angeles
Go up Lake Hollywood Drive in Los Angeles and it will take you directly to the Lake Hollywood Park to see the Sign.
The signs up here will tell you you’re not wanted, but this is a park run by the City of Los Angeles, with limited but available parking. There are generally more spots available here earlier in the day than the Observatory but be on the lookout for the active person from the City of Los Angeles looking to give out parking tickets.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce invites you to view the sign from the Ovation Hollywood and Highland Mall, off the Hollywood Walk of Fame, from a fourth story overlook in-between some restaurants. If you’re in the area, by all means, go take a look, but take it from us–you can do better.
The Sign is really far away, and on your smartphone, the Sign will look like a spec.
The Hollywood and Highland Mall has an observation deck for Hollywood Sign Selfies, but good look seeing the Sign in your photos.