To access this route, head to Wonder View Drive via Barham Boulevard to Lake Hollywood Drive and Park at the street of Lake Hollywood drive. Head east up Wonder View Drive past the gate to the trailhead.
Continue up the dirt road, looking toward a powerline tower. Around this time, look for the Wonder View Trail and branch off to the right side of the road. This climb has some intermediate parts, but the section up to the Wisdom Tree is very manageable.
Head up this singletrack into the hills. This stretch of trail is hot and dry, like much of the running in this area, but it's worth preparing with sufficient water, sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. From the turn onto the singletrack, this climb is ~0.5 miles to the Wisdom Tree, which marks the end of the steepest climb and provides a great spot to take a break, eat a snack, and snap some shots of the gorgeous view.
From the Wisdom Tree, continue northeast/east along the
Aileen Getty Ridge Trail toward
Cahuenga Peak and the
Hollywood Sign. This is a beautiful, remote-seeming stretch of trail that feels out of place so close to downtown. After a few hundred yards, you'll come to the high point of this run at
Cahuenga Peak.
After the summit, the trail begins to dive down toward Mt. Lee. Some sections can be loose, so take your time and be sure of your footing. Along this final stretch, there is a clearing with a couple plaques commemorating the private donors who helped conserve this land as part of Griffith Park.
Push on for the last couple hundred yards connecting to
Mt. Lee Drive and the view from behind the
Hollywood Sign to take in the well-earned views. Now you've finished the hardest part of the run.
After taking pictures and another snack, continue going down
Mt. Lee Drive. Before you reach Mulholland Hwy, take advantage of another nice
Hollywood Sign Photo-Spot. Continue right of the gate onto Mulholland Hwy - There is a Sign "Trail" pointing to the right, otherwise you are entering a private driveway, so check twice. Follow the street until you can turn right onto a dirtroad, the
Innsdale Trail. Here you'll have another nice view of the hollywood sign.. Continue until you reach Canyon Lake Drive. Follow the street, turn right onto Tahoe Drive and right again onto Lake Hollywood Drive. Follow the road until you reach the starting point.
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