Hollywood High (and Long)

Make 2015 the year you actually hike to the Hollywood Sign, that iconic LA landmark that every Angelino knows so well, yet few actually take the time to visit. There are a couple of routes to get to the sign, including this cardio-length 7-mile (round-trip) option that starts at Bronson Canyon. As you ascend the hillside, keep an eye out for the wishing tree on your right; its thick trunk has a cavernous space that's filled with wishes written out on pieces of paper. After about a mile, take a left at the first junction onto a wide fire road. Views as you go are very good—from the soaring high-rises of downtown to the beaches of Santa Monica. At the next junction, you'll hit the paved Mt. Lee Drive. Take a right. Spiraling up to the peak, check out the views down into the basin as you wrap around the back of Mount Lee. When the majestic white letters of the sign appear, you might be surprised at how large they really are. The road is lined with a chain-link fence, but if you climb to the very top of the hill, you'll have an unobstructed view of the sign and the breathtaking city below it. Return the way you came. Hollywood style.

Take Canyon Dr. up to the parking lot at Bronson Canyon (when the lot fills up, you can park on the street). Continue up Canyon Dr. by foot until you reach the trailhead (the second fire road). Dog-friendly!