From many vantage points of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign and the neighborhood around it seems like a gigantic, glowing presence in our city. And it is, of course. But when you travel into Beachwood Canyon and Hollywoodland it’s almost shocking to discover the small town neighborhood feel of the place. Discovering Hollywoodland and admiring the hillside homes (many of which are incredible) is best done by secret stairwell. Not only is it the best way to explore the neighborhood, it’s also an excellent way to shed a few calories after a Sunday brunch. But what is Hollywoodland and where exactly are the secret stairs of Beachwood Canyon?
In 1923, the Crescent Sign Company erected the Hollywoodland sign to advertise its new Hollywoodland housing community in the hills above Hollywood. It was intended as a gated community—hence those stone arches—with tennis courts, swimming pools, and riding stables for its well-heeled residents. (These would include, over time, Busby Berkeley, Humphrey Bogart, Bela Lugosi, Bugsy Siegel, and many others.) So, Hollywoodland itself is a neighborhood of homes designed for the silent film stars of the day in the Storybook style. Perhaps the most exuberant European revival style of all, the main factor in the architectural look and feel of the homes may be a sense of playfulness and whimsy. You can read more about the Storybook style and the history of Hollywoodland here.
But these stairs? Concerned about walkability in the steep hillside community, the developers used granite from the nearby Bronson Quarry (now known as the Bat Cave, which is another great hike for another time), which was used to build much of the neighborhood (including the famed entrance gates), to construct staircases to make the community more accessible by foot.
Parking pro tip: Park on or near Beachwood Drive below the Two Stone Gates. It’s worth it to save you time looking for parking, plus it’ll add a few steps to your staircase stroll. And now onto the hike!
On this trek, you will see panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign, the Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood, a castle or two, and a mosaic of perfectly designed homes. This is a moderately difficult, roughly 1 hour, 2.6 mile, 6 staircase hike through Hollywood history.
1. Start walking up Beachwood Drive. Be sure to stop at the Beachwood Market if you need to grab a bottle of water or snacks. Continue North on Beachwood Drive until you reach the house just after 2800. You’ll see the staircase going up, seemingly way up, but trust me, you can do this. After a sharp 143 steps, congrats, you’ve made it to Westshire Drive. Take a right, climb a bit more, then turn right, and follow Westshire as it loops downhill.
2. After 2748 Westshire on the left, you’ll find the next set of stairs going up. These are steeper but have a beautiful set of wrought iron handrails and rise 149 steps. Feel free to take a breather at any point and turn around to admire the hillside homes below. That’s the best part of this hike. You’ll eventually land at Hollyridge Drive. Make a left. Notice the faux Hollywood Castle up ahead. Following Hollyridge along the ridge, there is a hidden elevator inside the tower at 2922. Further along, another crenellated wall up to the right announces yet another fake castle— the hills are full of them.
3. Just after 3057 Hollyridge, find the more recently constructed staircase to the left. This is a rapid drop of 178 steps, through shaded backyards, very narrow but with double handrails, that lands you at 3020 N. Beachwood Dr. Take a left, and head downhill. Admire the very odd Prince Valiant mural on the front of 2925—complete with archer’s bow and falcon.
4. At the corner of N. Beachwood and Woodshire Drive, locate the next set of stairs. This is the set of Beachwood stairs that is the most well known, a towering double set separated by a stone wall that used to contain a running stream. Now it holds planter boxes and, further up, provides useful benches for resting. At the bottom is a plaque, declaring the staircase Historic-Cultural Monument No. 535 and giving its date of construction as 1928. Mull that over as you march up 148 very steep steps, perhaps pausing to enjoy one of the benches as you go. Turn left at the top and follow Belden Drive around a couple of bends.
5. Then find the walkway on the right, just before the house at 2917, marked by a pair of white wooden posts. Between the houses is the bottom of the next staircase—another set of granite steps charging up 118 individual steps to the top. Land at 2954 Durand Drive, and take a left. Walk down and around, enjoying views of the Hollywood sign behind you, the Griffith Observatory to your left, and downtown Hollywood straight ahead. As Durand drops and passes the left hand turning for Flagmoor Place, take a little detour and continue up the other side of Durand. On your right is the granite wall, reminiscent of the parapets at Le Mont-Saint-Michel, of Wolf’s Lair—a three-acre Norman-style chateau, complete with heart-shaped swimming pool and a guesthouse designed by famed Silvertop architect John Lautner. At the hairpin corner, which is the intersection of Durand and the unpaved fire road section of Mulholland Drive, enjoy a fine view of Lake Hollywood. You can extend your walk by taking Mulholland down and around to the reservoir itself. But if you want to save that for another day, walk back down Durand, turn right on Flagmoor, and turn left again onto Belden.
6. Just after the house at 2872, find your final staircase, another granite set with wrought iron rails, dropping 125 steps down to Woodshire. Enjoy the Antonio Gaudi/Simon Rodia-style bottle-walls on your left as you go. To the left is a pair of topiary rabbits. Straight across is a totem-pole garage door design. Turn right, down Woodshire, and follow it until it meets Belden. Turn left and walk to Beachwood, and ta dah! You’ve completed your journey through Hollywoodland.
How did it go? Below I’ve included a map courtesy of Secret Stairs LA to help you, you know, not get lost. You may have a few of Hollywoodland residents walking downhill on your way up. These stairs are a real thing the residents do. You’ll definitely see them at the market or at Beachwood Cafe afterward. Definitely pop in and refuel with a green smoothie or enjoy a sandwich. You’ve earned it!
If you have a favorite hike in the Hollywood Hills, Runyon Canyon, or Griffith Park, let me know! I’m always on the hunt for new hikes for me, my husband Sam, and our dog, Pepperoni.
