The easiest route to the Hollywood sign is now closed to hikers and tourists
Hikers and tourists trying to access the shortest, easiest trail route to the Hollywood sign will find it is closed.
Starting Tuesday, a portion of Griffith Park at the Beachwood Drive gate will be closed to the public due to a recent court order that required the city to allow access to Sunset Ranch Hollywood Stables. Tourists and hikers will need to find another route to get their Hollywood sign selfies.
Rose Watson, parks department spokeswoman, had said the city would redirect pedestrians to Canyon Drive and other access points to the Griffith Park trails, including the popular Hollyridge Trail.
The legal battle over access began when the Griffith Park horseback riding facility complained the city was channeling hikers onto its “exclusive easement road” and had advertised that pedestrians could access the area using a new gate.
In February, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge found the city had blocked access to the ranch and interfered with its use by directing thousands of pedestrians toward the property every month.
The judge also found hikers could not be barred from using the Sunset Ranch easement. She said the city could allow pedestrians to access Hollyridge Trail at the beginning of the easement or another access point that was previously used but is currently blocked.
In March, the city agreed to spend $100,000 to study park access and mobility, including viewing of the Hollywood sign, near the western side of Griffith Park.
“For too long, the city and the community have been bogged down in litigation, shifting problems from one neighborhood to the next,” City Councilman David Ryu, who represents the area, said in a statement. “We need to improve the visitor experience for park users, quality of life for our neighbors, and most importantly, the public safety for all.”
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