Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills offers luxury homes, stunning city views, and iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
The Hollywood Hills rise along the Santa Monica Mountains from Laurel Canyon to the Los Feliz ridgeline, ten smaller neighborhoods including the Bird Streets and Sunset Plaza. Griffith Park has sixteen hiking and transit-accessible viewpoints of the Sign, from 150 feet behind it on Mount Lee to 2.4 miles out at Hollywood and Highland.
History and Terrain of the Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills span the eastern Santa Monica Mountains between the Sunset Strip and the San Fernando Valley, encompassing neighborhoods such as Beachwood Canyon, Runyon Canyon, Franklin Village, and Whitley Heights. Construction in the area surged during the 1920s, when the Hollywood sign was erected in 1923 as a real estate advertisement and the Mulholland Dam, originally known as the Weid Canyon Dam, was built between 1923 and 1924. The canyon-cut terrain above central Los Angeles offers photographers broad vistas of the city below.
Best Photo Spots
This guide covers 6 photo spots across Hollywood Hills, including parks, an observatory, dams, canyons, and a memorial.
Lake Hollywood Park
Photographs of This Location
Scenic Drive Through Hollywood Hills
A narrow road climbs from West Hollywood into Laurel Canyon, the oldest section of the Hollywood Hills and a 1960s-'70s counterculture hub where Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Jim Morrison once lived. Above the canyon, Mount Hollywood Drive has been closed to car traffic since 1992, giving the surrounding landscape time to recover from graffiti and illegal dumping. Photographers can extend their visit to Cahuenga Peak, which was acquired in 2010 with a $1 million donation from the Tiffany and Co. Foundation and later annexed into Griffith Park.
Common Questions
The Hollywood sign, built in 1923, is one of the best Los Angeles picture spots, and visitors can take an Uber to 3000 Canyon Lake and walk a few steps to photograph it.
Hollywood Hills Neighborhoods and Architecture
The Hollywood Hills rise to 1,260 feet above sea level and contain several neighborhoods including Beachwood Canyon, Laurel Canyon, and Mt. Olympus. Beachwood Canyon sits directly below the Hollywood Sign, where streets dead-end at the park boundary and are lined with Spanish Revival, Craftsman, and mid-century structures. The flats below form the center of LA's entertainment industry with film studios, theaters, and historic intersections worth photographing. The hills retain their Golden Age legacy and continue to attract A-list residents.
Practical Information
3000 Canyon Lake, Los Angeles, CA 90068; approximately thirty minutes; Barham Boulevard from 101 freeway, north 1/3 mile, right onto Lake Hollywood Drive
Street parking in Hollywood Hills is often restricted by preferential parking districts, time limits, and regular street sweeping.; 1841 N. Highland Ave; 3575 Cahuenga Blvd
The Griffith Observatory in Hollywood Hills is open six days a week and closed on Mondays.; all hours; Daylight hours only
Free admission (fee for planetarium shows); Free; $12.5
Session Tips
- Visitors should consider paid lots or garages closer to Hollywood Boulevard, Highland Avenue, or the Cahuenga Pass to avoid climbing steep hills on foot.
- Visitors should not attempt to drive past Lake Hollywood Park, and should instead get dropped off near the Hollywood Reservoir and hike in.
- Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation or arrive early to secure parking in the Hollywood Hills area.
- To reach the End of Mulholland viewpoint, hikers must be very courteous, quiet, and clean up, as it runs through a residential neighborhood with no car access.
- Driving along Mulholland west toward the Getty is one of the better scenic drives in Los Angeles for shooting from the road.
When to Shoot
Best Time to Photograph
1:24 PM - 1:49 PM
1:49 PM - 2:49 PM
12:34 AM - 1:34 AM
1:34 AM - 1:59 AM
Best Season
late June through September
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 06:58 | 17:07 | 10h 8m |
| Feb | 06:37 | 17:37 | 10h 59m |
| Mar | 07:03 | 19:01 | 11h 57m |
| Apr | 06:22 | 19:25 | 13h 2m |
| May | 05:51 | 19:48 | 13h 56m |
| Jun | 05:41 | 20:06 | 14h 25m |
| Jul | 05:53 | 20:05 | 14h 12m |
| Aug | 06:14 | 19:40 | 13h 25m |
| Sep | 06:36 | 18:59 | 12h 22m |
| Oct | 06:58 | 18:18 | 11h 20m |
| Nov | 06:26 | 16:49 | 10h 23m |
| Dec | 06:51 | 16:45 | 9h 53m |
Getting There
Access & Transit
- Wheelchair access
- Hollywood Hills can be steep and challenging for wheelchair users, though some areas offer step-free and accessible features.
- Parking
- Parking in the Hollywood Hills area can be difficult, so visitors are encouraged to use public transportation or arrive early to secure parking.
- Public transit
- DASH Observatory / Griffith Parkline / Metro Red Line at Vermont/Sunset; Metro Red Line at Hollywood/Highland; Uber to 3000 Canyon Lake
- Walking distance
- Most properties in the Hollywood Hills require a car, and the grades are steep, the roads are narrow, and distances to flat commercial areas are short in miles but longer in time.
- Bike friendly
- Mount Hollywood Drive is one of the few paved roads in Los Angeles closed to cars and open to bicycles.