Trail Review: The Greek Theatre to Mount Hollywood
Parking: free parking in the Greek Theatre parking lot (unless there is an event) or free street parking where indicated on N. Vermont Canyon Road.
Distance: 3.2 miles out & back.
This is actually one of my favorite hikes in Griffith Park and one that I've done numerous times over the years. I used to hike this trail all the time to build my endurance before trying out bigger, more remote trails in the area. It also offers some of the best views of Los Angeles, Downtown, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign, AND Burbank/Glendale, all in one hike.
The trail starts down by the Greek Theatre. If you are there during the morning hours, the parking lot for the Greek should be open and free to park in. If it's not available (or it's just full), there is street parking further down the hill by the golf course. From the parking lot, you'll need to get on the east side of the road and head north up the hill until you get to a small picnic area with a bathroom building. This is also where the Griffith Park Bird Sanctuary is, which is a quiet, little loop trail around an area that in theory has a lot of birds (can't say I saw that many birds there...)
The path you want to take is just to the left of the fenced in bird sanctuary. It has some sand bags at the opening for runoff when it rains, and a "dogs on leash" sign.
From this point until you get up above the observatory, it is a very consistent incline. It will certainly get your heart pumping and your cardio going. This first part follows the fencing of the bird sanctuary but the path will soon make a sharp turn to the left. The turn itself is steep but it's only steep for about 20 to 30 feet:
From here, the path narrows significantly. You'll need to be aware of people coming in the other direction because there are definitely spots where only one person can go at a time. I've also had runners on this trail who come barreling down the path quickly and I've had to wedge myself into some brush to get out of their way.
Not too long after the sharp left turn, you'll emerge from the canyon enough to get some nice first views of the city below. You'll be able to see where you started down by the Greek, as well as a bit of downtown LA peaking up over the hills. There are a couple good viewpoints on this part of the trail which are also good resting points to rehydrate. When I recently did this trail, it had rained a few days before so there was some nice wildflower growth along much of the trail. Spring in Griffith Park is always lovely.
You'll eventually come upon a four-way intersection that overlooks the observatory. The path you want to take is NOT the right most trail which is a super steep path (although it will get you to the same place) nor do you want to take the left most trail which would bring you down to the observatory. The path you want is the middle trail that continues a steady incline up. NOTE: many of these trails in Griffith Park are connected so if you wanted to change it up and take one of those other paths, you certainly can. Just consult a map.
As you follow this next part of the trail, the Hollywood sign will come into view to the west.
The path gets really steep one more time right before you come upon a SIX-way intersection. The right-most path takes you out to a really nice overlook for the observatory. It's super short so I'd recommend checking it out if you have a few minutes.
The path second from the right is the one to take (although, again, many of these trails connect. It's kind of like a choose your own adventure hike). This is where you'll get a short reprieve from the constant uphill journey you've been on. The path widens substantially and flattens out for a bit.
This part of the hike features "Dante's View" which is a little garden to the right of the trail. You'll see a big, wooden sign when you pass it. It's got benches and shade so it's a nice place to rest.
After Dante's View, the path brings you up and over to the other side of the mountains and this is where you'll get your first views of Burbank and Glendale. There will be a sign pointing you to the left for the Mt Hollywood summit. And shortly after that, another four-way intersection! At this intersection, you need to take the left-most path to get to the summit and there will be another sign to help. Only 0.2 miles to go from this point!
This last leg has two very wide branches of the trail that reconnect at the top so take whichever one you so desire. I usually take one going up and the other going down. Also, you may run into horse droppings in these parts. The summit is horse-friendly so riders come up from time to time.
At the peak, you'll find a small fenced in area with some picnic tables and a great 360 degree view of the surrounding area! It's a pretty popular destination in the park so chances are there will be a lot of people around, especially on a weekend. But there are also a few benches outside the wooden fence if you want to keep your distance.
Once you've got your fill of the views at Mt Hollywood, just head back the way you came (or even take a different route back if you so choose. Just make sure to check a map!).
Bottom Line: A great hike in Griffith Park that gets you views of many landmarks in L.A. It is also a good workout because of the pretty consistent incline throughout.
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