Los Angeles is surrounded on three sides by mountains reaching up to and over 10,000 feet. On Mount Lee, sits the American cultural icon that is the Hollywood Sign. One afternoon I decided to call an Uber to the Griffith Observatory and spent the rest of the evening exploring the Hollywood Hills, eventually making my way to the viewpoint behind those famous letters.

If you don't feel like walking uphill for over an hour, the view from Griffith Observatory itself is also beautiful. I arrived just as the sun was starting to set, which transformed the hills into endless layers of gold!

You can also choose to walk a little under halfway to see the famous view of the Griffith Observatory with Downtown LA in the background. A rewarding view that requires a little less effort!

This time around though, even though the light was starting to fade, I decided to keep walking on to the Hollywood Sign!

It wasn't busy at all. At least compared to what I found at the Griffith Observatory, which was packed inside and out. As with most of my stories, the crowds were all the motivation I needed to walk a little further and for a little longer to find a more secluded and peaceful view of the city.

The hike is uphill, but it's not too steep. You walk along the roadside for the entire journey which makes it easier to navigate and make your way there and back safely. Do pick up a free map from the Observatory and make sure to take the right trail though!

Walking at Golden Hour made for an extra special experience. The whole landscape was glowing in the evening light, with the sun breaking through the gaps in the trees.

Can you spot the Hollywood Sign in the photo below?

I was aiming to get to the Sign just before sunset but ended up arriving a few minutes late. A common problem of mine when I take my camera anywhere! I still had a little light leftover though and it created a stunning atmosphere as the city lights started turning on and twinkling in the distance.

The Hollywood Sign

"HOLLYWOOD" is spelled out in 44-foot white capital letters and is 352 feet long. Basically, it's too big to get in one picture! Below, is the best I could do, shooting without a tripod. It's a panoramic of 3 photos stitched together in Lightroom and then edited in photoshop. Next time, I will definitely have a wider angle lens with me to try and capture the whole thing! Still, one of those photos that I've always wanted to tick off of my bucket list.

Fun Fact: The sign was originally created in 1923 as an advertisement for a local real estate development, but due to increasing recognition and symbolism, the sign was left up.