Behind the HOLLYWOOD Sign

The 45-foot-tall aluminum letters that make the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign are located at the top of Mt. Lee, in Griffith Park. A public hiking trail (50-65min) leads to a lookout landing, directly behind a protection fence. To access the trail I always take, park your vehicle at the top of N. Beachwood Drive. Obey the street parking signs, but there should be available spots within a short walk from the dead-end and main black gate that takes you to the trail. Once you're inside the gated area, walk uphill on N. Beachwood Drive towards Sunset Ranch Hollywood for 5min and then hang a tight right onto the steep Hollyridge Trail. Make your first left and follow Hollyridge Trail uphill for 10 minutes until you hit a fork, which is Mulholland Trail. You want to hang a tight left (towards the sign), instead of continuing straight. Continue on Mulholland Trail for another 10 minutes and turn right when you reach Mt. Lee Drive, a paved road that will lead you all of the way to the viewpoint. After 25 minutes of walking on the north side of Mt. Lee with views of Burbank, you will eventually wrap around to find the fence that protects the public from the Hollywood Sign. Walk up to the dirt area for the best view. Be aware of intense surveillance of this area. **ALTERNATIVE ROUTE** Drive to the corner of Deronda Dr & Rockcliff Dr (google map coordinates 34.129142,-118.319997), park and walk the rest of the way up Mt Lee Dr. Parking rules are strictly enforced.

All months are suitable to photograph from behind the HOLLYWOOD sign, but I think the best sunsets happen during the winter, when lots of clouds are in the weather system. Check for promising conditions if you're looking for a cloudy sunset like in my photo. April is probably best for temperature and scenery, since the flowers and plants are in full bloom by then.

Sunset is best from this location, as the sun is setting to the west and away from Downtown Los Angeles. Sunrise is tough, because you'll be shooting towards the sun.

Do not go past the sign - security will catch you immediately! Respect the laws.

Be prepared to hike about an hour to get to this spot.

A wide angle-lens (16mm) is your only bet to get the entire sign in one photo. Shooting landscape is your best bet and you can crop later.

You can aim towards downtown like in my composition or you could aim towards the right and capture Lake Hollywood with the Pacific ocean in the far distance.

I recommend holding your camera as high up as you can to get the best vantage point of the sign beyond the fence.

Try to catch some golden light on the hills or over the city before the sun drops too low.

There are lots of hiking trails nearby. You can access the Wisdom Tree and even Griffith Observatory from trails that connect from this viewpoint.

Sunset Ranch is a small horse farm that offers horsehides around Griffith Park, if you're up for an adventure like that!