Hollywood Reservoir & Sign
DETAILS:
Location:
Hollywood Reservoir: The reservoir is located in the hills west of Griffith Park below Cahuenga Peak and Mount Lee. The most convenient access point is though Burbank.
Directions: Take Barham Boulevard from the 101 freeway and drive north for 1/3 of a mile. Turn right at the light onto Lake Hollywood Drive. Then just take this winding road for about a mile as it takes you up through the hills before descending to the right on the other side. The Hollywood Reservoir will appear on your righthand side as you continue to drive.
Lake Hollywood Park: 3160 Canyon Lake Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Hollywood Sign lookout point: Approximately 1/4 mile further up Canyon Lake Drive from Lake Hollywood Park.
Hours of Operation:
Hollywood Reservoir:
January & February: Daily; 6:30AM to 5PM
March: Daily; 6:30AM to 6PM
April: Daily; 6:30AM to 6:30PM
May thru August: Daily; 6:30AM to 7:30PM
September: Daily; 6:30AM to 6:30PM
October thru December: Daily; 6:30AM to 6PM
Lake Hollywood Park & Hollywood Sign lookout point: Daily; Sunrise to Sunset
Parking: Free street parking, but please observe any posted street signs.
Cost: Free!
Time Commitment: Depending on your pace, the Hollywood Reservoir Trail will take approximately 2 hours to complete the full loop. Add additional time (1 hour should be enough) if you want to make a stop at Lake Hollywood Park and/or the Hollywood Sign lookout point.
Miscellaneous:
The Hollywood Reservoir Trail full loop is just under 3.5 miles.
If you plan to do the full loop, please note that approximately 3/4 of the trail will follow a path outside the reservoir and along Lake Hollywood Drive.
You can enter the trail from 3 gates:
North Gate: This access point will be the first gate you see on your righthand side when you descend Lake Hollywood Drive from the top of the hill, approximately 1/4 mile after the intersection with Wonder View Drive. This gate will take you counter-clockwise around the reservoir.
Tahoe Gate: Approximately 3/4 mile passed the North Gate on Lake Hollywood Drive where it curves into Tahoe Drive. You’ll see the distinctive “Hollywood” guardrail at the entrance. This gate will take you clockwise around the reservoir.
Weidlake Gate: 6398 Weidlake Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068. This gate opens right at the Mulholland Damn. From there, you can take the trail in either direction.
Hollywood Reservoir Trail: Strangely for Los Angeles, no pets allowed on trail.
Maybe worse than having to pickup first time visitors at LAX is having to oblige their eventual request to see the Hollywood Sign. And while you can’t blame them since we’ve all taken our picture in front of this landmark at some point, I can absolutely think of better things to occupy my time. Doing taxes or waiting at the DMV, for instance. So when faced with this burden, might I recommend a more pleasant alternative than taking them to the same old tired streets of Beachwood Canyon where the sign is always half-obscured by trees and power lines, and never quite does itself justice in the resulting photographs?
If so, I present you with the Hollywood Reservoir (also commonly referred to as Lake Hollywood). Created after the installation of Mulholland Damn in 1924, I was well into my life in this city before I discovered that this massive body of water (almost 3 million gallons worth) ever existed. In fact, I’m willing to bet the same holds true for the thousands of drivers who pass it daily on the 101 freeway thanks to its hidden location in the hills between Burbank and Hollywood. And when you finally see it for the first time, you’ll be a little dumbfounded that this waterfront view of the Hollywood Sign could escape your detection for so long. The reservoir is peacefully looped by a paved walking trail that is just over three miles long. Since this is technically a water source for the city, you won’t have any direct lake access and much of the trail is fenced off in order to protect against this. But the trail will open up to completely unobstructed views once you reach Mulholland Damn. From here, you’ll see the reservoir in its full beauty which would almost have you believing you’re somewhere out in Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead if it weren’t sitting underneath the watchful eye of the Hollywood Sign.
But the views don’t stop at the Reservoir. Just a couple minutes away is Lake Hollywood Park which again offers a completely different perspective to this cliched icon, and it just might be one of the most scenic parks in town as it sits at the foot of these giants letters. So why not make it the prefect trifecta because no photo op in this area would be complete if you didn’t make the short walk (barely a city block in length) up the hill from Lake Hollywood Park to the Hollywood Sign lookout point. Outside of the trails around Sunset Ranch in Griffith Park, this lookout point is one of the closest places you can get in front of the Hollywood Sign, legally. Between the Hollywood Reservoir, Lake Hollywood park, and the Hollywood Sign lookout point, I hope you saved enough space on your memory card because you’ll definitely be snapping away on your camera.
