Some family visited us in Los Angeles as part of their spring break trip. Besides Kardashian-sighting, eating great sushi, and taking beach trips, there was another special item on their To-Do list: get a picture with the Hollywood sign.
Where’s the Best Place to See the Hollywood Sign?
This depends on what your goal is. If you want to see the Hollywood sign but have no interest in really making that a special experience, that’s easy. You can see the Hollywood sign from various points in the Hollywood Hills and Los Angeles basin. It’s even visible from the T3 Delta Sky Club at LAX.
There are some good spots at the Ovation Hollywood and Highland shoping center — which is where you can see the Dolby Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, El Capitan, and other Hollywood-y sights.
The Jerome C. Daniel Overlook above the Hollywood Bowl provides views of the Hollywood sign, Hollywood Bowl, and downtown Los Angeles.
Various hikes take you within spitting distance of the actual sign. If you need to get super close to the iconic letters, that’s probably your best bet.
But if you’d rather just see the Hollywood sign with a great view and enjoy some relative solidarity away from the Los Angeles hustle and bustle, the best public place is Lake Hollywood Park. You’ll find it at 3160 Canyon Lake Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068. The turnoff is at Lake Hollywood Dr. and Barham Blvd.
The roads leading here go through residential neighborhoods, so remember to be respectful of residents.
Don’t worry about needed professional photo gear. I took the above picture with my iPhone 15 Pro — not some fancy camera with a lens that costs as much as my car.
Want to get your picture taken with the ivory sign behind you? There are usually a bunch of other people there who will gladly take a picture of you—provided you do the same for them. (That’s a pretty good trade!)
Below the park is a reservoir with walking-running trail that’s about 3.3 miles. If you enjoy walking, the trek along Lake Hollywood is very well worth it.
Bonus Sites
If you’re in town and want to see other touristy stuff, you’re in a pretty good location! Off the top of my head:
- Warner Bros. Studios is about a 5-10 minute drive from the Lake Hollywood turn off. I’ve heard great things about their studio tour.
- Universal Studios Hollywood (the theme park and studio lot) is also about five minutes away from the Lake Hollywood and Barham Blvd. intersection.
- There’s an In-N-Out Burger on Cahuenga and Lankershim Blvds near Universal, so you can experience that while you’re in the neighborhood.
- As I mentioned above, Hollywood and Highland is where you’ll find the Chinese Theatre (the hand- and footprint courtyard featuring stars from 100 years ago through more recent times), Disney’s El Capitan Theatre, the Ovation shopping center, Madame Tussaud’s, and a few other places.
- Trejo’s Tacos is a great Mexican restaurant. (Their barbacoa burrito is for real.) That’s about 20 mintues from the sign
Final Approach
The best place to see the Hollywood sign and take some pictures is Lake Hollywood Park, located at 3160 Canyon Lake Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068. The turnoff is at Lake Hollywood Dr. and Barham Blvd — pretty much between Hollywood and Burbank, two other places that might interest you.
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The Brady Bunch house is literally a couple exits North on 101 after passing the Hollywood sign. Get off at Vineland and you’re only a few blocks away. Google Maps will get you there.
Oh, right! Good reminder, James, thanks!