Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles - Location, Directions, Best View

The Hollywood Sign is one of the most recognisable structures in the world. It’s an icon of ‘tinsel-town’ and below you’ll find directions of how to get close to it. First, a little bit of its history. It was first erected in 1923 and the story of how it came about is fascinating. The sign is in a residential area, so please respect those who live there when following instructions in this guide. Be sure to obey the parking restrictions as they are regularly enforced. The sign can also be seen in a number of other nearby locations including the Griffith Park Observatory.

You still can’t get to the sign itself unless you’re prepared to hike over private land. This is what we did to get as close as we could in a car though. You’ll need to find Canyon Lake Drive which is near the Hollywood Reservoir. Follow Barnham Boulevard from the 101 to Lake Hollywood Drive. Turn right and follow the road as it goes around the reservoir. Turn left at Tahoe and then right on to Canyon Lake Drive where there are lovely views of the reservior. You’ll see a Dog Park so you’ll know you’re in the right place.

If you don’t want to drive to the sign yourself, there are a number of options for seeing it on organised tours like the Hollywood Sign Tour and you can get up close with the Hollywood Sign Hike. Use the map below to see the sign’s location better: