Hiking To The Hollywood Sign – Everything You Need To Know

I finally did it! I hiked to the Hollywood sign or should I say got up close and personal because the closest you can possibly get to the Hollywood sign is behind it, which is right where I was. Have you ever considered hiking the Hollywood sign trail? Here’s what you need to know…

As an LA girl, who’s lived most of her life in Los Angeles since I was a kid, I never did this before. It was always one of those bucket list items on my list but for some reason never really got to it. One of the reasons is because its basically in my backyard, it always seemed so attainable yet on the other hand, who even knows how to get up there?

I remember a while back there was a video that went viral on Facebook about the confusion of actually getting up to the sign. The video stated that there are no actual signs that say something like “Hollywood Sign” with an arrow and that neighbors were frustrated with the amount of traffic of tourist trying to get up there that they actually put up fake signs to confuse tourist and make them give up and go home.

I also always heard that there are so many ways of getting up there, that you could get lost, that parking is complicated and well it’s kind of a serious hike, so I just saved it for a “one day” kind of a thing. That’s until one random day, my girl, Brooke from World of Wanderlust was visiting LA and asked if I wanted to join her on a hiking tour with Elite Adventure Tours. There was no way I was gonna say no to this. I had a personal guide and knew if it wasn’t now, who knows when the next time will be. Plus, I was in better shape now than I’ve ever been in life, so I said LET’S DO IT and I got it all on video for you guys.

Fun Facts You Should Know

• The hike itself is a 6-mile hike.
• It takes about 2-3 hours depending on how fast you are and how many stops you make.
•  We started the hike from Bronson Canyon (3200 Canyon Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90068) and the hike itself I would say is somewhere in the middle, not insane hard but not easy.
• Parking is limited. Park anywhere next to the small park after entering the main gate.
• Another option for a trail is from N. Beachwood Dr. (Sunset Ranch) which is easier but you won’t get as close.
• There are many ways of getting to the Hollywood Sign, the longest way is from Griffith Park so don’t do that unless you really want a serious hike.
• Definitely bring with you at least 2 water bottles.
• There are different tour companies in Los Angeles that can take you there but I highly recommend going with Elite Adventure Tours.Tony the owner of the company was super fun and informative. I loved it!
• No, you can’t actually touch the sign like in the movies. The closest you can get to it is from where I was standing.
• It’s over 1,000 feet in elevation.

The rest of the fun facts about the history of the Hollywood sign plus some more fun facts are in my video below! Tony takes us through a timeline of the history of the Hollywood Sign back when it used to say “Hollywoodland” and was made of wood. You can also find out why the Hollywood sign was originally created and more.

Is it worth it to hike to the Hollywood Sign? 

Yes ma’am! It is! I seriously had a an amazing time. If you haven’t done it, you have to! It’s a classic! How many people can say that they hiked to one of the world’s most iconic places! It’s been in a million movies and seeing it up front and personal like that is surreal and amazing!

I say do it!

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