Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive is a 55-mile scenic parkway offering panoramic city, mountain and ocean views from multiple scenic overlooks.
Mulholland Drive runs from the 101 Freeway westward along the Hollywood Hills to the Pacific Coast Highway, a 55-mile parkway opened in 1924 that separates the San Fernando Valley from the Los Angeles basin. Canyon roads from the 405 reach the route, where seven MRCA-maintained overlooks offer sweeping panoramas and nighttime city views.
History of Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive stretches 24 miles east-west along the crest of the Hollywood Hills, separating Hollywood from the San Fernando Valley between Cahuenga Pass and Sepulveda Pass. The road opened in 1924 under its original name, Mulholland Highway, and was conceived by Water Bureau Chief and City Engineer William D. Mulholland as a scenic route to the mountains and beaches. One accessible vantage point is the Universal City Overlook, financed by Universal Studios in 1984.
Best Photo Spots
Mulholland Drive offers six scenic overlooks, each providing a unique vantage point for landscape photography.
Hollywood Bowl Overlook
Photographs of This Location
Hollywood Landmarks and Address Myths
The Snow White cottages in Silver Lake were built in the 1930s to put up Disney staff working on the film Snow White at adjacent studios, and singer-songwriter Elliott Smith later reportedly rented one and composed several well-known songs in the attic. The address 6980 Mulholland Drive does not correspond to a real mapped location, with the authentic address for that stretch being 3760 Eureka Drive in Studio City. David Lynch made his home near Mulholland Drive and characterized the road as conveying the history of Hollywood.
Common Questions
The MRCA maintains seven scenic overlooks on Mulholland Scenic Parkway.
Driving the full length is difficult because a long stretch of Mulholland Drive from I-405 to Calabasas is a mountain dirt road, so most travelers stick to the 20-mile classic route.
Mulholland Drive runs about 21 miles as a winding, mostly two-lane route through the Santa Monica Mountains.
The easiest access roads are Highland Avenue to Cahuenga Blvd West from Hollywood; 101 Freeway to Barham to Cahuenga Blvd West from Downtown LA; Crescent Heights to Laurel Canyon from Hollywood, The Grove, Miracle Mile, Beverly Center; Beverly Drive to Coldwater Canyon from Beverly Hills; Beverly Glen from Westwood, Century City, or Beverly Hills; and the 405 freeway or Sepulveda Blvd from West LA, the Getty area, LAX, and Santa Monica.
Driving West to East (405 freeway to 101 freeway) is the recommended direction because it makes it easier to stop at the Hollywood Bowl overlook, which is on the south side of the road near the 101 freeway.
Practical Information
5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood; Calabasas to Leo Carrillo State Beach; Eight miles of the Scenic Parkway from the 405 Freeway west to Woodland Hills remain unpaved and are subject to closure.
Leaving the Mulholland Drive Scenic Overlook requires backing out directly onto the road from a small parking lot on a curve, with traffic in both directions.; 40-car parking lot; The Jerome C. Daniel Overlook has a small parking lot, Universal City Overlook has a few parking spaces, and the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook has an on-site parking lot.
The overlook is accessible at night, when oncoming car headlights are visible reflecting off the metal road barrier around the curve.
The MRCA has a dedicated Film & Photography page with permit information for Mulholland Scenic Parkway.; Obtaining a filming permit at LAX has become the biggest change to that location since production.
Session Tips
- Traveling West to East (405 to 101 freeway) is the recommended direction because it makes it easier to stop at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook.
- If you miss the narrow Universal City overlook turnout while driving east, you must drive about a half mile to make a U-turn to return to it.
- You can hike down into the canyon from Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook on the Betty Dearing Trail.
- Visiting the Mulholland Drive overlook at night is safer for spotting oncoming traffic because headlights reflect off the metal road barrier from around the curve.
- At Pink's, visitors often have to queue for 30 minutes to get food, and the chili dogs are considered worth the wait.
What to Expect During Your Session
On clear days, Mulholland Drive overlooks reward photographers with views stretching to the ocean, Catalina Island, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, though the most famous viewpoint's parking area sits on a tight curve with limited space where night visits offer the practical advantage of seeing oncoming headlights reflected off the metal road barrier. The Hollywood Bowl Overlook lies 3.3 miles east of Laurel Canyon Boulevard on the south side of the road, while the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook appears roughly three-quarters of a mile west of Laurel Canyon on the right and connects to the Betty Dearing Trail descending into the canyon.
A typical auto tour starts on Hollywood Boulevard, goes west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard, then north up the hill to Mulholland Drive, turning left (west).
The Hollywood Bowl Overlook is 3.3 miles east of Laurel Canyon Boulevard on the south side of the road.
About 3/4 mile after turning onto Mulholland Drive heading west from Laurel Canyon, the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook appears on the right side of the road.
After leaving the Hollywood Bowl Overlook, turn right onto Mulholland Drive going downhill, then about 0.7 miles later turn right onto Woodrow Wilson Drive and then right onto Cahuenga Boulevard, which becomes Highland Avenue back to Hollywood Boulevard.
Getting There
Access & Transit
- Wheelchair access
- Stone Canyon Overlook has a short ADA-accessible trail.
- Parking
- The Hollywood Bowl Overlook has a small parking lot, and if it is full you can drive about 200 feet further to park in a large dirt turnout.
- Public transit
- The area is not accessible by public transportation, so visitors need a car or a guided tour.; 101 / Cahuenga Boulevard; Mulholland Drive starts west of the 101 Freeway in Hollywood and the corridor also passes the 405 Freeway.