Mount Lee

Mount Lee is a hill in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains within Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, best known as the site of the Hollywood Sign. The peak sits above the Hollywood neighborhood and is a conspicuous landmark overlooking the city.

Hiking trails across Griffith Park lead to viewpoints for the sign and wide views over Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Basin and the Hollywood bowl area. Access points include routes from Bronson Canyon, the Vermont Canyon area, and trails beneath the sign; the area is popular for short hikes and city photography.

The site gained prominence when the sign was erected in 1923 as an advertisement reading “Hollywoodland”; the sign became an emblem of the film industry and was repaired and shortened to “Hollywood” in later restorations. The summit and surrounding slopes are managed as part of Griffith Park and have long been used for recreation and sightlines to the city.

Mount Lee is inside Griffith Park, a large municipal park within the city of Los Angeles. The peak sits just above the Hollywood district and is easily reached from central Los Angeles by car or public transit to park trailheads.

• Viewing tips: Best panoramic views of the sign and Los Angeles are available from Griffith Observatory and several hiking ridgelines in Griffith Park, with sunrise and late afternoon light often preferred for photography.
• History fact: The letters were originally erected in 1923 and restored in a major campaign in 1978; each letter is about 45 feet tall.

What to See #

• Hollywood Sign: The large roadside sign with nine letters each about 45 feet tall that faces Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, installed originally in 1923 as an advertisement and later restored and maintained as a cultural landmark.