The start of my Los Angeles Lower Peak adventure was to finally climb Cahuenga Peak and see the backside of the Hollywood sign. I left early to try to avoid as much of the traffic as possible. Parking on Lake Hollywood Boulevard, I gathered my gear and set off. I turned onto Wonderview Drive, passing some lovely homes. I slipped around the gate (which I later learned only looks locked), but I retrieved a lost water bottle from the hillside, so I figured I had done a good deed to go off-trail slightly. Once past the water tank, I spied the actual trail to my first destination, the Wisdom Tree atop Burbank Peak. A plaque gave some history about this portion of Griffith Park. The trail climbed quickly to the summit. The Wisdom Tree was the sole surviving tree from the Burnham Fire and has garnered celebrity status. I took in the views, under the May Grey, and continued along the ridge trail toward Cahuenga Peak, my actual goal, as it is the one on the Lower Peaks Committee list. The trail had some ups and downs; I am sure a bit more challenging for non-hikers, but I kept hiking along.
Atop Cahuenga Peak, I enjoyed the view of Lake Hollywood below me and Mt. Lee to the east.
The trail connected to the Mt. Lee service road and, in a short distance, the backside of the Hollywood sign. I walked up the small hill to see the entire sign. After snapping a few photos, I headed back. While the overcast skies kept the day cool, I certainly wasn’t going to have an iconic photo of the LA skyline today.
I retraced my route and was soon back at the car. Next up was Temescal Peak, out near Encino. My stats for this hike were x.x miles, in x:xx with xx feet of gain.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!
In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).
I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.