Feb 14, 20192 min
Updated: Apr 29, 2023
#1 and my personal favorite - Hike up behind the Hollywood sign
-I would suggest doing this hike at sunset, so when you reach the top of Mt Lee, you can watch the sunset over LA and see the lights of the city turn on. It's truly breathtaking. It takes about an
hour to hike up to the sign, but it's worth every minute. It's not super hard, definitely doable for the whole family. You can usually find parking near the trailhead on one of the side streets/neighborhoods. Trust me, if you're going to LA, this hike, and view at the top, is a must. If you don't want to do this hike alone, check out Airbnb experiences- they have a bunch of toured hikes that take you right up to the sign.
#2 - Griffith Observatory
-Not only is Griffith Observatory an awesome planetarium, museum, and building in general, it also has a great view of the city. Located in Griffith Park up on a hill, the deck that circles the observatory makes it a great spot for looking at the skyline. Also... planetariums are fucking dope, so go check that shit out while you're here too. Parking kind of sucks here and it's closed on Mondays, but it's a definite must see while you're in LA. Also, it's very kid friendly... so it loses points there for me, but maybe you'll like that about it?
#3 - Oue Skyspace LA
-So this is #3 on my list because it costs money, but it really is a great view of LA, and there's also a bar at the top so it gets extra points there. It's in downtown LA in the U.S. Bank Tower and you get to go all the way up to the 70th floor. There's also a fun little slide that you can buy tickets for an extra 8 USD. The slide only goes 40ft down, but it actually is pretty neat. The view is great, but the one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was how touristy they made it, with a gift shop and they make you pose for photos in front of a green screen and try and make you buy them when you leave. I do think this would be a hella cute spot for a date night though (there's lots of nice seats and some food and you can get champagne). It's 24 USD without the skyslide, and you can purchase a bunch of other stuff to go along with it if you want. Also, fyi, you have to go through metal detectors and such before going up, so leave your guns and flamethrowers at home.
So there you have it. These are my top 3 favorite views of LA. I kind of have a weird obsession with skylines, so if you know of any other great views of LA, or any other city for that matter, please hit me up.