Distance (round-trip)
3 mi
Time
2 hrs
Elevation Gain
872 ft
Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Weather
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3 mi
2 hrs
872 ft
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
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One of our 16 Ways to See the Hollywood Sign
The hike to the Wisdom Tree via Cahuenga and Burbank Peaks is a rugged three mile out-and-back in one of the newest additions to Griffith Park. This trail features relentless ascents and tremendous views of Griffith Park, heading to a unique lone tree and geocaching area. The trail then traverses a ridge east toward recently-saved Cahuenga Peak with an even more rugged option to continue to Mount Lee and the Hollywood Sign. One of the most fun trails in Griffith Park.
Griffith Park is one of my favorite things in L.A. It’s full of history, great hikes, and is way more rugged than most other major city parks in the country. Unfortunately, because it’s so awesome, the well-known trails can get a little too crowded for my tastes. And unless you’re in the mood to go hike up ridgeline use-trails, most of the hikes are on fire roads.
Enter the Aileen Getty Ridge Trail. This route traverses Cahuenga Peak from the upper Beachwood Canyon neighborhood right to the back of the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee – and it’s surprising for most people to learn that this terrain was only recently preserved as parkland. The entire region was privately held land since the 1940s and in 2008 a developer announced plans to construct five luxury estates on the land.
An effort led by neighborhood groups and the Trust for Public Land raised enough money to buy back the land from the developer in 2010, with big last-minute donations from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, Aileen Getty, and Hugh Hefner and now the land is part of Griffith Park.
Park along Lake Hollywood Drive and begin your hike heading east on Wonder View Drive. The pavement ends at a gate and you’ll have a short distance on a dirt road. Look for a high tension power line tower straight ahead. You’ll see the dirt Wonder View Drive continues and a single-track trail splits off to the right. That’s your destination!
You’ll see a prominent, newly-placed plaque commemorating the land’s protection and listing off some of the donors who chipped in to save it. The trail begins here … and really doesn’t waste any time in starting its climb.
Since this post was originally published, someone has removed this plaque. This is why we can’t have nice things, LA.
I’ll admit, I was pretty surprised with just how rugged this trail is. In a lot of ways, it’s very similar to the ridgeline use-trails in other parts of the park – it’s very steep, kind of crumbly, and really fun to hike!
You’ll ascend almost the entire gain of the trail before you even hit the first mile mark – it’s about 743 feet of gain in 0.78 miles. But while you’re huffing and puffing (and sweating if it’s sunny out – this trail is almost entirely shade-less), you’ll have amazing views of Griffith Park. If it’s clear, you’ll also be able to see downtown Los Angeles and the Griffith Park Observatory sneaking out from behind the front range.
On the last part of this stretch, be sure to watch your footing. Parts of the trail here are a bit eroded and there are some steep drops.
As you approach the 0.8 mile mark the trail makes a sharp turn to the east on a ridge – but be sure to look to your west where you’ll see the lone tree overlooking the city. There’s a short spur trail that will take you to the ledge, where you’ll find shade, amazing views, and a fun geocaching box / summit register.
Over the years, this location’s popularity has become a bit of a problem. While it remains a wonderful place to visit and one of the quintessentially L.A. trails for local hikers, the Tree itself is in danger of being Loved to Death. Please, if you visit, only leave your name in the register – don’t tie things to the tree, don’t build rock cairns, and don’t leave trash on the summit. The bins that are there are hauled out by volunteers, so if you really want to be in touch with the spirit of the tree, why not haul some extra trash out on your way back to the trailhead?
When you’re done enjoying the scenery or adding contacts to your Linked In account, head east on the ridge trail. You’ll see your two destinations clearly ahead – Cahuenga Peak and Mount Lee.
Yeah, does YOUR city have a plaque commemorating a porn impresario? Point, Los Angeles.
Also, if you look closely, you may see a third, smaller monument:
NOTE: While it’s technically possible to hike to the Hollywood Sign, it’s very, very illegal. There are cameras everywhere and usually rangers or police officers are close by enough to catch you. So don’t do it.
When you’re done, return back the way you came – making sure to take your time on some of those steep descents on the way back to the trailhead!
Good. The trail is easy to follow but very rugged and steep. The trail between Cahuenga Peak and Mount Lee is even tougher than the initial climb. Many visitors underestimate this trail -- don't be one of them!
The easiest way to get to the trailhead and avoid the maze of Hollywood Hills roads is to take Lake Hollywood Drive from Barham Blvd. Follow this road through the hills until you see Wonder View Drive heading east. You can't park on Wonder View unless you're a rich person with a driveway, but there's plenty of free parking on Lake Hollywood. No passes or permits needed (although there's no parking between 9PM and 6AM every night).
54 Comments
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Griffith Park trails are open. Masks are required on-trail!
Griffith Park is closed during Stay at Home orders as of 4/24/20.
I plan to go here with my boyfriend to see sunrise, but don’t know if the trail is open or not, especially now during the pandamic time. And is there any restriction to the parking that I should have known before going there? Thank you,
Hey Zachary,
You can park on Lake Hollywood Drive, but the parking is limited and tends to fill up quickly. I'd recommend an early start, especially if you're looking to hike on the weekend. Also note that the Observatory is in a different part of the park than this trailhead!
Hey Casey, I wanna do this hike during my stay in LA. I’m thinking May 12th I was gonna get a rental car and see the observatory and do this hike. So is parking mainly on Lake Hollywood Dr? I wanna make sure I’m not upsetting law enforcement or the locals.
Well, you need to remember that it's a public park, not a private dinner table -- and it's a very popular spot for sunsets ... so I'd say bringing in like a picnic or something like that would be fine, but you might want to be willing to do it not on the actual summit. Cahuenga Peak is just a bit to the east and sees less traffic that Burbank Peak / Wisdom Tree. Alcohol is prohibited within Griffith Park boundaries.
Been to the top twice now. Both time left me speechless. The view was amazing. In a few months, my wife and I will be celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary. We are from Indiana, and I want her to hike up here with me. I want to do a romantic sunset dinner up there but wasn’t sure if it’s allowed. Also, can we take wine with us?
With recent wildfire damage and ongoing waves of COVID-19 infections and restrictions, National Forest, National Park, and other public land closures, restrictions, or social distancing guidelines may be in-effect.
If infection rates are on the rise, please do your best to remain local for your hikes. If you do travel, please be mindful of small gateway communities and avoid as much interaction as you can. Also remember to be extra prepared with supplies so you don't have to stop somewhere outside your local community for gas, food, or anything else.
Please be sure to contact the local land management agency BEFORE you head out, as these conditions are likely to change without enough notice for us to fully stay on top of them. Thanks, and stay safe!
Click here to read the current CDC guidelines for traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.