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Ferndell Trail to the Mount Hollywood Summit
Hiking Trail
Moderate
5.3 mi
1,105 ft
A beautiful but non-technical hike to the summit of Mount Hollywood.
The flanks of Mount Hollywood are riddled with trails and old road grades, providing innumerable options for reaching the summit. The route shown here is one of the easiest and most direct paths to the top of the mountain.
This route begins on the Ferndell Trail, itself an out-of-the-ordinary trail in the Los Angeles area. Ferndell "[borders] a stream that nourishes tropical plants under the shade of sycamores," according to []( "Even when other parts of Griffith Park dry out and turn brown, Ferndell stays lush and green, thanks to the recycled water it receives from Griffith Observatory," they continue.
While Ferndell is over quickly, this provides a fantastic start and end to this beautiful hike! From the end of Ferndell, you'll begin climbing in earnest on the W Trail—a wide road grade that's smooth and provides easy walking, even if it does climb consistently up the mountainside. Singletrack options do exist to bypass the road grade, but this route follows the road to maintain an "Easy" FATMAP difficulty rating.
Higher up, you'll reach the named Mount Hollywood trail—again, another old dirt road. At the top, the route shown here includes a small loop for variety, or you can simply hike an out-and-back. Once on top of the mountain, you'll enjoy spectacular views of Hollywood directly below you, Los Angeles beyond that, Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean, and the San Gabriel mountains.
Once finished on the summit, the easiest option is to retrace your steps back to your car. However, as noted above, many other trails run up and down the mountainside, allowing you to create a loop if you so desire.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
The flanks of Mount Hollywood are riddled with trails and old road grades, providing innumerable options for reaching the summit. The route shown here is one of the easiest and most direct paths to the top of the mountain.
This route begins on the Ferndell Trail, itself an out-of-the-ordinary trail in the Los Angeles area. Ferndell "[borders] a stream that nourishes tropical plants under the shade of sycamores," according to []( "Even when other parts of Griffith Park dry out and turn brown, Ferndell stays lush and green, thanks to the recycled water it receives from Griffith Observatory," they continue.
While Ferndell is over quickly, this provides a fantastic start and end to this beautiful hike! From the end of Ferndell, you'll begin climbing in earnest on the W Trail—a wide road grade that's smooth and provides easy walking, even if it does climb consistently up the mountainside. Singletrack options do exist to bypass the road grade, but this route follows the road to maintain an "Easy" FATMAP difficulty rating.
Higher up, you'll reach the named Mount Hollywood trail—again, another old dirt road. At the top, the route shown here includes a small loop for variety, or you can simply hike an out-and-back. Once on top of the mountain, you'll enjoy spectacular views of Hollywood directly below you, Los Angeles beyond that, Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean, and the San Gabriel mountains.
Once finished on the summit, the easiest option is to retrace your steps back to your car. However, as noted above, many other trails run up and down the mountainside, allowing you to create a loop if you so desire.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Rd Climb | 0.68 mi | 246 ft | 6.8% |
| Observatory Rd to Sign at Tunnel Bridge | 0.17 mi | 141 ft | 15.6% |
| Fire Road Climb | 0.48 mi | 197 ft | 7.7% |
| Mt. Hollywood to Vermont Cyn | 0.92 mi | -384 ft | -7.9% |