New Overlook Offers Sweeping Panorama

A recently completed overlook on Mulholland Drive above Studio City will offer hikers, bikers and motorists a new vantage point to view the Valley and surrounding mountains.

The overlook is the eighth to be constructed along the Mulholland Scenic Parkway by the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. It includes a viewing area, landscaping and five parking spaces, including a handicapped space.

“This location probably has the best view of the mountains and an interesting view of the canyon,” said project manager Paul Edelman. “Each overlook offers its own slice of the mountains and this one is very nice.”

The view spot, named Summit Overlook, is located about three-quarters of a mile east of Coldwater Canyon Drive. The overlook faces north and offers a broad panorama encompassing parts of the Santa Monica, Santa Susana, San Gabriel and Verdugo mountains and is currently open to the public.

It was built directly above state-owned Fryman Canyon Park, an area once frequented by hippies and local teenagers who used it as a party spot and referred to it as the “rain forest.”