Mount Hollywood Trail

The Mount Hollywood Trail is the most popular summit hike in Griffith Park, the large municipal park in the Los Feliz and Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California. The standard route starts at the Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, and climbs about 600 feet (180 m) to the 1,625-foot summit over roughly 2.7 miles (4.3 km) round trip, with most hikers finishing in 1.5 to 2 hours. Access is by car or rideshare to the observatory, where parking is limited and often full on weekends, or by the DASH Observatory bus, which connects with the Vermont/Sunset Metro B Line station on weekends and holidays. No permit is needed and the trail is free. The surface is a mix of wide, packed dirt fire road and narrower dirt single track, with some loose gravel on steeper pitches. Difficulty is easy to moderate: the grade is steady rather than technical, and the route is well signed and heavily used. Shade is scarce, particularly on the upper switchbacks, so exposure to sun is the main hazard in warm months. From the observatory lawn the path rises along the hillside with views of the Hollywood Sign to the northwest, then reaches a junction near the summit, where a short spur leads to the top and a trail marker. The summit gives a 360-degree panorama of downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Fernando Valley and, on clear days, the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. Hikers who want a shorter outing can turn around at the saddle below the summit; those wanting more distance can continue along the ridge toward the Hollywood Sign overlook or loop back via the Charlie Turner Trail. There is no natural water along the route, so hikers carry their own, although the observatory has drinking fountains at the start and finish. There are no huts or shelters, only a few benches and picnic tables. Park rangers patrol Griffith Park, and cell coverage is generally good because the trail sits close to dense neighborhoods.