It is a famous landmark located above the Hollywood Hills area near the summit of Mount Lee. The "Hollywood Sign" spells out the name that translates into the image of movies and fame in 45-foot tall white letters.

The Hollywood sign began as a real estate advertisement in 1923. The original sign spelled out "Hollywoodland." I have always wanted to hike up to the sign and see it up close.  It truly is an icon that is known throughout the world.   I wasn't sure if it would be possible to even get close.



I found two small dirt parking areas located at the Hollyridge trailhead. The trailhead was well marked with a sign. It was a warm day and so I packed two bottles of water, put on my best hiking hat and off I went. 



The Hollywood sign has been a frequent target of pranks and graffiti. It has since undergone restoration, including a security system to deter further vandalism.  The trail up to the top of Mount Lee is a pretty easy climb up the hillside. The trail joins a fire road and later joins the paved service road that climbs up to the transmitter equipment at the top of Mount Lee. Below is a photo of the early portion of the trail.



I did not encounter any dangerous animals.




As I rounded the corner climbing up the trail I got my first view of the sign.  The winter rains have kept the hills very green. Above the sign is a large communications complex.  It is located at the summit of Mount Lee.  Just outside the gate of the complex would be my eventual destination.



From the ground, the contours of the hills give the sign its well-known "wavy" appearance. A telephoto from this vantage point gets one real close to the sign! You can see the supporting structures that hold the letters in place.  Note how the letter "D" sits out from the other letters.
 
 

As the trail climbs up and to the left side of the sign, the letters look a bit strange and unreadable.



Sunset Ranch, a very neat looking riding stable, is nestled in a canyon just below the sign. Peacocks live on the grounds. You can hear their mating calls.



looking back to the South directly below is Lake Hollywood and in the distance ( a little hard to make out), are the high rise towers of Century City.



A bit clearer on the vail side. Below is Forest Lawn Cemetery and the City of Burbank.



The telephoto lense makes it seem much closer. The Observatory (Please also see a Points of Interest article on the Griffith Park Observatory) is located directly south of the sign.



Here is the first look back at the Hollywood sign from the service road above.



Here are the other letters of the sign.

 I'm including a link to a story about Hugh Hefner's bedroom by Steve Lopez (L.A. Times).  Interesting in itself but there is a definite link between Mr. Hefner and the Hollywood sign.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopezcolumn-20100508,0,275935.column?track=rss