Mulholland's Most Majestic

Visit the Overlooks Along Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles

04.19.2023

You don’t have to hike up a mountain to see peak views. You can do it the L.A. way … by filling up your gas tank and taking a leisurely drive along Mulholland Drive. Aside from celebrity homes, this famed road that ribbons through the Santa Monica Mountains hasn’t changed much since it was built in 1924–and that’s the appeal. To navigate Mulholland’s twists and turns is to discover beautiful urban scenery and unexpected wild beauty, right in the middle of the city. 

Twelve overlooks dot the famous drive. Here are our favorites: 

Jerome C. Daniel Overlook above the Hollywood Bowl (7036 Mulholland Drive) is the most popular for good reason. Walk up a flight of 67 steps to a stone-wall rotunda to get a downright romantic panorama that includes the downtown skyline, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Hollywood Sign.

Drop by the Universal City Overlook (7701 Mulholland Drive) to catch a glimpse of movie-making magic at work. This northern perspective gives a bird’s-eye view of Universal and Warner Bros. Studios amid the San Fernando Valley and the Verdugo Hills. 

Stop at the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook (8401 Mulholland Drive) for lush valley views and access to the 5-mile Betty B. Dearing Mountain Trail if you’re looking to explore the area by foot (pack a snack and plenty of water if you do this).

At the Barbara A. Fine Overlook at the Summit (11801 Mulholland Drive), walking along a short and secluded nature trail offers a lovely vantage of Fryman Canyon, the Simi Hills, and the San Gabriel Mountains. Tip: Cross Mulholland from the overlook parking lot, and you might just see all the way to the ocean.

To get to Mulholland Dr., take the 101N to exit 11A toward Barham Blvd. Merge onto Cahuenga Blvd., turn right on Lakeridge Place and make another right onto Mulholland. Some overlooks offer small free parking lots while others have designated street parking. Noted overlooks are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the Jerome C. Daniel Overlook above the Hollywood Bowl is only open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Story and photos by Yvonne Pasquini, @yvonne_pasquini

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View

  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View

  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View

  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View