Hollywood Reservoir

My pretty friend Dacia!

It’s the natural born explorer in me that always loves a good adventure…even when you get lost and are driving around for 30 minutes, have no cell/gps reception, and end up asking a stranger on his evening walk where the heck you are (thank you for your help, kind sir). One of my best friends Dacia and I met up for an after work adventure this week and decided to check out the Hollywood Reservoir. Hollywood Reservoir, you ask?! Well, at least I certainly did when I first heard of this spot. I had no idea that a “Lake Hollywood” or “Hollywood Reservoir” existed. It's a beautiful and unusual place to explore, and you definitely don’t feel like you’re in the midst of the typical Hollywood/LA hustle and bustle. It’s a very quiet, tranquil, 3.3 mile walk, on a flat and paved surface (you can bike, skate, walk, dance…however you wanna move) up in the Hollywood hills. You’ll heard birds chirping and wind blowing rather than police sirens, car alarms, and cat fights. What a breath of fresh air! (Literally...not an ounce of smog in sight. Hallelujah.)

In case you're interested, here’s a short cliff-notes-version of the history for you: The Hollywood Reservoir, also known as Lake Hollywood, is a reservoir located in the Hollywood Hills behind the Mulholland Dam. The Mulholland Dam was designed and created in 1924 by the LA Department of Water and Power as part of the city's water storage and supply system. It can hold 2.5 billion gallons on water and the deepest point is 183 feet.  Kinda cool, right?

So that you don’t get lost and can avoid any unnecessary stress, here’s how to get there: Take the 101 North and exit at Barham. Turn right onto Barham and then take a right onto Lake Hollywood Blvd. Lake Hollywood Blvd is going to do a lot of crazy things – like twists and turns – but just stay on it. It will wind up through a hilly residential neighborhood. Once you get to the Wonder View Drive intersection, go down the hill toward the reservoir and park on the street near the gate to the reservoir path (on your right hand side, at the bottom of the hill). You’ll see other cars parked there and a gate with a few signs on it and port-o-potties behind the gate. Enter through the gate and follow the path around the reservoir for about 3.3 miles. In about 1 mile from the start of the hike you will find the most picturesque views of the Hollywood sign! It’s so beautiful and incredibly tranquil. Just make sure you go after 6:30am and before 7:30pm. You wouldn't want to get locked in and have to spend the night with the wolves (yes, apparently there's some wild animals up there). 

This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path thing to see and do in LA. I’m so happy that I stumbled upon it and that I am now able to share it with you. I hope you have an opportunity to see it for yourself. Happy exploring, my friends!