On April 18, Beachwood Drive gate to Hollywood sign trail will close
A popular access point that thousands of tourists and hikers use every month to get near the Hollywood sign will close April 18, Los Angeles city officials said Friday.
Pedestrians will no longer be able to travel up Beachwood Canyon to reach the Hollyridge Trail or other paths into Griffith Park. They still will be able to reach trails near the famous sign from other points, such as Canyon Lake Drive to the west, officials said.
The city is closing the gate at the top of north Beachwood Drive to hikers in order to comply with a court order to reduce the number of people on the route.
The Sunset Ranch Hollywood Stables sued the city, saying officials had advertised the route, flooding it with 15,000 people a month. The stables argued that customers were unable to get to the property, situated a few hundred yards beyond the gate, and sometimes were turned away by city guards.
The City Council voted Friday to spend $100,000 to study improving park access, with a goal to provide recommendations on the best ways for the public to view the Hollywood sign while minimizing impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and wildlife.
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