Hollywood Sign/Cahuenga Peak hike

EDITED ON MARCH 10

POSTPONING TO MARCH 29 BECAUSE OF STREET CLOSURES RELATED TO LA MARATHON.

I know this event is quite old. Now that we have a date, please update your RSVP so we have a good idea of how many people will attend.

Having scouted this route, I now feel less unqualified to lead the group. ;) So off we go!

We will hike to the summit of Mt Lee (Hollywood sign overlook) and then to the summit of Cahuenga Peak. From the gate that marks the end of the road (see parking info below), the round trip is 6.4 miles and gains about 1,500 ft of elevation.

The walk to Mt Lee (one way = 2.9 miles, 1,100 ft) is moderately strenuous and mostly shadeless, however it's not technical at all. It's all dirt road and paved road except for about a dozen rocky steps to the summit.

The walk to Cahuenga Peak is pretty short (round trip = 0.6 mile, 323 ft) but it is strenuous, is narrow/singletrack, has precipitous drop-offs, and steep rocky stretches that require sure-footedness. It should take about 25 to 30 minutes round trip depending on scenery-gazing from the top.

Anyone not interested in tackling the Cahuenga Peak section can A) head back to the parking area from Mt Lee or B) wait at the Cahuenga trailhead (which is only a few hundred ft from the Hollywood sign overlook) and head back to the parking area with the rest of the group on our return from Cahuenga Peak.

Please note that on this route, there are no full frontal views of the sign. We approach the sign from the side and finish above it (looking at the letters from the back).

We'll meet at the traffic gate at the end of Canyon Dr. See above for an address to use for navigation. There is a very small parking lot on the left side immediately before the gate. There is also a medium sized dirt parking lot on the right side about 0.2 miles before the gate. There also appears to be street parking all along Canyon Dr, which is good because I think on a weekend, the lots will be full.

You may have to walk 5 or 10 minutes from your car to the gate. Please keep that in mind when planning your travel.

The medium sized lot has a porta-potty. I didn't see any other bathroom or water facilities.

The hike is dog-friendly. Park rules are for dogs to be leashed. However, on my scouting hike today, just about every dog I saw was not on-leash. The Cahuenga Peak spur might be too much for all but the most athletic of dogs. There were horses on the trail today (and their calling cards, ugh).

I am sure many folks will be open to car-pooling. Please use the comment section below to coordinate rides.

As always, let me know of any questions.