The 45-foot tall letters spelling HOLLYWOOD on Mount Lee, erected in 1923 as an advertisement for a real estate development. Visible across LA, hikeable to viewpoints nearby, iconic in the way that only accidental monuments can be.
Location
Hollywood, Los Angeles
Map
Insider Intel
You cannot hike to the sign itself — it is fenced and monitored. The best hiking approach is from the Griffith Observatory side via the Mount Hollywood trail (moderate, 6 miles round trip) which gets you to a viewpoint above and behind the sign. For a closer view without the hike, drive up to the Lake Hollywood Park area and walk the reservoir loop — you will get within a few hundred yards. The best distant views are from Griffith Observatory or the Hollywood & Highland complex.
Early morning for hiking (the trails get hot) and for clear air. Winter and spring have the best visibility. Avoid weekends on the trails if you want solitude. The sign is lit at night for special occasions but is not illuminated regularly.
Built in 1923 as HOLLYWOODLAND to advertise a housing development in the hills. The last four letters were removed in 1949. The sign has deteriorated and been rebuilt multiple times, most recently in 1978 funded by celebrity donors including Hugh Hefner. It is 45 feet tall and 350 feet long. The sign is technically not in Hollywood but in the Hollywood Hills above the neighborhood. Protected as a historic landmark and monitored by cameras and rangers. The sign is both more and less impressive in person — more monumental, less magical. The hike is worth it for the views of LA, the sign is secondary.