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New Day, New Time, NEW LEADER!
Time: 6:30 p.m. SHARP
Location: Obviously Nav is your best bet [see address above]. There are 3 ways in, off Barham via Lake Hollywood Dr., off Cahuenga Bl E via Lakeridge and Wonderview and off Franklin which you can do off of Beachwood or many other streets from Argyle/Vine to Bronson/Canyon but you'd REALLY better know your way around the Hwd Hills to use the last one! Fun to explore on the way home perhaps, not to get lost on trying to get there on time!
RSVP: Please RSVP to – Hollywood Sign Hike
Event Cost: FREE – there is no charge for this event.
Parking: There is free parking on the street right there and nearby, but do be sure and READ THE SIGNS. If nobody else is parked there, there's probably a reason for that! CMG strongly encourages carpooling and public transportation whenever possible but it isn't possible to take Transit for this, so Uber!
A Hike to the Hollywood Sign
The first two choices [of the 3 ways in] take you over a ridge and then you DROP down to Lake Hollywood, a reservoir that is now an emergency water supply for LA. After you wind around the lake [there's only one way you can go in a car], you come back into houses [Tahoe Dr and Canyon Lake Dr], ending up at Innisdale [see specific directions below].
The first half of this hike is basically FLAT. We go into and out of Griffith Park, coming back to Mulholland Dr [the man who bought water to LA and who the dam that creates Lake Hollywood is named for]. and then re-enter the park at Deronda [note: there is NO parking near this entrance!]. This is about 1/2 way and we start to CLIMB. But it is doable and we aren't going to go running up the mountain! This entire section is paved while much of the first section is dirt but seldom muddy.
The Hollywood Hills are beautiful at night. Even during the Santa Anas! Or a heat wave! And the views from the top are spectacular! On a clear NIGHT, you can see forever. No seriously. It's a carpet of lights in every direction, Downtown LA, the entire LA basin & Baldwin Hills, Century City and all the way to Santa Monica! And to the north? Well, the San Fernando Valley, all the way to the edge of Pasadena & Mt Wilson, Burbank and Burbank Airport and a lovely view of Forest Lawn from "overhead" [not someplace you can usually see without dying....or hiking!].
Please note: there is no physical access TO the Hollywood sign. We'll be ABOVE the sign. The is a great deal of security [fences, cameras, loud speakers and available helicopters with LAPD officers inside] to "encourage" anyone trying to get right up to the sign to, er hem, skedaddle. The mountainside is also extremely steep making skedaddling very, very risky. Falling off that side of the mountain will not put you directly into Forest Lawn. That's on the other side of the mountain. Please make good choices!
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Host/Trail Guide: CMG’er Gary Cleff will be our dynamic, educated and beaming trail guide. He has occasionally led this hike and the "Moonlight" hikes for over twenty years, so he knows these trails well! You can click here to contact him for questions.
What to Bring: Comfortable walking/hiking shoes, water, and [perhaps] a jacket… it will be very cool at the top and perhaps all the way depending on clouds/wind. High temp for the DAY is only 59 degrees!!
Questions? Just reply to this email to ask your devious, evanescent bandleader.
Specific Directions for the Nav Challenged
From Cahuenga EAST: [one way northbound], turn R on Lakeridge Dr which is just after you have passed under the Mulholland Bridge over the freeway [you can get here from Cahuenga WEST which is a two way street, both N & S]. Nearly immediately L on Wonder View Dr. This is twisty and turny and climby. After you get to the top of the ridge, Wonder View will eventually dead end into Lake Hollywood Dr. Turn Right and continue with the Barham directions below [this is a rather spectacular drive. The name of the road doesn't oversell it! Perhaps a bit more excellent going DOWN but UP is nice too!]
From Barham Bl: at the high point of the hill between the 101 freeway and Warner Brothers/Forest Lawn Drive, turn SOUTH [there's a light and it's the only way you can turn]. Drive up the hill amongst houses. There's a STOP sign at Wonder View. Continue on a short block and the road curves sharp right [a continuation of Wonder View goes gaily forward] and DROPS down to the lake. At the bottom the road will dog leg left [the road around the lake is closed on the W side to cars, peds ok] and there's no other place to go forward so go that way. After several curves, Tahoe is a veer L and the straight ahead is closed off [E side of the Lake walking trail]. .Tahoe ends at Lake Canyon and you turn L. Then Lake Canyon sort of T's at Innisdale. L is a suburban street [w/ parking] and R is a stub of a street with a few spots and the trailhead. Park. [nota bene: there is ANOTHER Lake Hollywood Dr that T's off of Lake Canyon! I know! Couldn't they think of another name? Not so important coming IN but it dead ends and doesn't connect to the way out that you came in on. Take it if you're "house shopping".]
From Franklin. Vine to Canyon routes: Seriously, you are ON YOUR OWN! Lolz. It is lovely to wander in the hills just not when you're trying to get somewhere. It is really easy to get lost or get to a place that you have to turn around. Only do this on Nav and then pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that Nav knows what they are doing! But, perhaps, you will give this a try on your way HOME! To do that, continue downhill on Lake Canyon passing Tahoe and Lake Hollywood Park. The road will turn into Mulholland Highway all by itself and then you are off on your adventure! Hint: "Downhill will eventually get you to Franklin, most of the time!"
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