I’ve always been fascinated by the Hollywood sign. And even more important to me—I’ve always wanted to see it up-close.
This Saturday, I got pretty close. I went into the Hollywood Hills going north on Beachwood Drive, until it ends. There’s a very small dirt parking lot where I parked and followed a sign reading “Hollyridge Trail.”
Unsure if I was in the right place, I just got out of the car and started walking the trail. Within a few minutes, I realized I was and my vision was getting closer and closer.
Although time and weather prevented me from actually touching the sign, as you can see from the photo above, I nearly reached the Mountain’s peak and although I didn’t literally touch the Hollywood sign, this was as good as it gets!
The Hollywood Sign’s Early History
It was originally built in 1921 as a huge advertisement for a local real estate development company. The 50-foot high letters cost $21,000. Plus, the first sign read HOLLYWOODLAND, not Hollywood. Over the years, the sign has seen its share of history, from being used as part of a struggling actress’s suicide to almost falling down.
The Hollywood Sign’s Renaissance
By the early to mid 1970’s the sign was in shambles and in fact, it was literally falling down; however in 1978, Hugh Hefner, stepped in and organized and hosted a party at the Playboy Mansion in order to raise funds to revamp the sign. Using an “Adopt-a-Letter” campaign, the sign’s letters were “sold” for $28,000 each. Celebrities such as Gene Autry (who bought an ‘L’) and Alice Cooper (who bought an ‘O’), donated generously and the Hollywood sign was brought back to life.
The Hollywood sign now stands–literally and figuratively–as part of the history of Los Angeles, movies, and an iconic image known the world over.
What surprised me even more than seeing the Hollywood sign up close, were the stunning panoramic views of the city from the trail’s many perches, ledges, and vantage points.
From this vantage point downtown Los Angeles is a tad shy of being 8 miles away. Because today was such a clear day, it presented these majestic views.
Looking at the map below, you’ll see the little green hikers. That’s approximately where I shot this picture:
View Travelin’ Local Post Map in a larger map
If you thought hiking and Los Angeles don’t go together you’d be wrong.
With over 500 miles of hiking within the County of Los Angeles, I have a lot of trails to choose from while Travelin’ Local.
And everybody thinks Los Angeles is mostly concrete, and freeways— as people read more Travelin’ Local news, stories, and adventures, I’m positive that you’ll be amazed at the depth and breadth of the sheer physical beauty of Los Angeles, Southern California, and everything in between.
When you have the chance, be sure to visit, as the natives are friendly and local hiking is a year-round activity.
June 11th, 2009 → 6:07 am
[...] If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! LisaNewton 11 June 2009 Feature Story hiking, Hollyridge Trail, Hollywood sign, Los Angeles, plants Hiking to the Hollywood Sign [...]
July 2nd, 2009 → 6:17 am
[...] as with the rehabilitation of the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame started as a way of promoting redevelopment in Hollywood. Although its history [...]
August 11th, 2009 → 5:13 am
[...] this map as your guide, follow Beachwood Drive until it ends. Following the Hollyridge Trail, you can get as close to the Hollywood Sign as the trail will take you. I haven’t touched the [...]
October 31st, 2009 → 5:49 am
[...] the way up to the Hollywood Sign. What’s different about this hike than my previous treks to the Hollywood Sign is that I’m starting and ending up at two completely different points toward the Hollywood sign. [...]
November 1st, 2009 → 10:47 pm
[...] resource and guide to find the best locations to see the Hollywood Sign. Included are routes via Beechwood Drive or Griffith [...]