Things to Do Near the Hollywood Sign Before or After Your Sunset Ranch Ride

Most visitors come to this part of Los Angeles for one thing: the Hollywood Sign. They want to see it, photograph it, and check it off the list.

But the area around the Sign — Beachwood Canyon, Griffith Park, the Hollywood Hills — is one of the best half-day or full-day destinations in the city. There is more to do here than most people realize, and a horseback ride at Sunset Ranch Hollywood is the best possible anchor for building the whole day around.

Here is how to do it right.

1. Start with a Sunset Ranch Trail Ride

Book the ride first. Everything else builds around it.

Sunset Ranch Hollywood has been operating since 1929, making it one of the oldest continuously running horseback riding operations in Los Angeles. Rides go up into the hills above Beachwood Canyon on trails that wind through Griffith Park — the same trails where the Hollywood Sign looms in the background and the city spreads out below.

Day tours run about an hour and a half. Evening tours go out as the sun drops behind the hills and the city lights come on below. Both are worth doing depending on your schedule and what kind of day you want to build.

Tip: Do the ride before midday if possible. The trails are cooler, the light is better for photos, and you will have the rest of the afternoon to explore.

See available rides and book your spot →

2. See the Hollywood Sign from the Trail

Most people try to photograph the Hollywood Sign from a viewpoint on the street. A few hike up near it. Almost nobody sees it from horseback.

On a Sunset Ranch trail ride, the Sign sits directly above you as you climb into the hills. It is one of the best angles you can get — the letters big and close, the canyon below you, nothing but open sky above. No parking. No crowds blocking the shot. Just you, your horse, and the most famous sign in the world.

Bring a camera or make sure your phone is charged. This is the shot.

3. Explore Beachwood Canyon on Foot

After your ride, head down into Beachwood Canyon proper. The neighborhood below the ranch is one of the most photogenic streets in Los Angeles — a winding canyon road lined with bougainvillea, old Spanish-style homes, and mature trees, with the Hollywood Sign perfectly framed at the top of the hill.

Most tourists drive through. Walk it instead. Start near the Beachwood Village shops and follow the road up toward the old Hollywoodland gate. The walk takes about 20 to 30 minutes each way and the views get better the higher you go.

This is also one of the best street photography spots in the city. The combination of the neighborhood architecture and the Sign above gives you shots that look nothing like generic LA tourist photos.

4. Grab Coffee, Food, or Snacks Nearby

The area around Sunset Ranch is not overloaded with restaurants, but the options that exist are genuinely good and very convenient.

Beachwood Cafe is the closest full-service restaurant to the ranch — a few minutes down the canyon. It works for breakfast before the ride or a casual lunch or dinner after. The kind of neighborhood spot that makes you feel like a local.

Beachwood Market is right in the village and perfect for grab-and-go: water, snacks, deli items, picnic supplies. Useful before a long park day.

The Trails Cafe inside Griffith Park near Fern Dell is a great stop if your day continues into the park. Coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, and a shady spot under trees that feels very far from the city even though you are still in it.

For a more complete food guide to this area, see: Where to Eat Before or After Your Griffith Park Horseback Ride.

5. Visit Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is one of the best free attractions in Los Angeles. The building is beautiful. The views from the terrace — downtown LA, the basin, the ocean on a clear day — are unmatched. And the exhibits inside are genuinely interesting even if you are not a science person.

From Beachwood Canyon, the Observatory is a short drive around the east side of Griffith Park. You can also hike up from the Greek Theatre parking area, but most people drive and walk the last stretch.

The Café at the End of the Universe inside the Observatory is a convenient lunch or snack stop once you are up there — solid views, casual food, no need to leave the hill to eat.

Tip: Go in the late afternoon and stay for sunset. The city lights coming on below the terrace is one of those LA moments that stays with you.

6. Walk Fern Dell and Stop at The Trails

Fern Dell is the most underrated part of Griffith Park. It is a shaded stream canyon on the western edge of the park — stone-lined paths, wooden bridges, ferns, and towering trees that block out the city entirely. It does not look like something that exists in Los Angeles.

The walk through Fern Dell takes about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace and connects to the main park trails. The Trails Cafe sits at the entrance, which makes it a natural start or end point for the walk — coffee in, pastry out.

If you have kids, Fern Dell is one of those spots that feels genuinely magical. If you do not have kids, it is still one of the best short walks in the city.

7. Walk the Hollywoodland Stairs

Hidden in plain sight above Beachwood Village, the Hollywoodland stairs are one of the area's best-kept secrets. These are old public stairways built into the hillside — stone and concrete steps that wind up through the canyon neighborhood between houses, gardens, and canyon walls covered in native plants.

They are used daily by local residents as a fitness route. Visitors almost never find them without looking.

The full staircase network climbs several hundred feet and connects different streets in the neighborhood. You get close-up views of the canyon architecture, glimpses of private gardens, and — if you climb high enough — solid views of the Hollywood Sign above you.

For a full guide with maps and photos, see: The Secret Hollywoodland Stairs of Beachwood Canyon.

8. Add Lake Hollywood Park or a Sign Viewpoint

If you want one more stop before wrapping up the day, Lake Hollywood Park and the surrounding reservoir area offer some of the best Hollywood Sign viewpoints in the city — close enough that the letters are large, framed by hills and water, and far less crowded than the Mulholland viewpoint on busy weekends.

The drive from Beachwood Canyon takes about 10 minutes. You can walk around the reservoir path for a longer outing, or just stop at the park, take the photos, and head on.

The Mulholland Highway viewpoint is another classic option — a pull-off on the road with a straight-on view of the Sign that is popular at sunrise and sunset when the light hits it from the right angle.

9. Half-Day vs. Full-Day Itinerary

Half-Day (3–4 hours)

1. Coffee at Beachwood Cafe
2. Sunset Ranch trail ride (1.5 hours)
3. Walk Beachwood Canyon and the Hollywoodland gate
4. Grab food at Beachwood Market or Beachwood Cafe

Full Day (6–8 hours)

1. Morning coffee at Beachwood Cafe
2. Sunset Ranch trail ride (1.5 hours)
3. Walk Beachwood Canyon and the Hollywoodland stairs
4. Lunch at Beachwood Market or The Oaks Gourmet
5. Drive to Griffith Observatory — afternoon and sunset
6. Walk Fern Dell and stop at The Trails
7. Dinner in Los Feliz or Franklin Village

Add-ons if you have time

• Lake Hollywood Park reservoir walk
• Bronson Canyon (where Batman was filmed)
• Greek Theatre grounds walk (when no event is on)
• Mulholland viewpoint at sunset

10. Book the Ride First — Then Build the Day

The one mistake people make with this part of LA is trying to fit everything in without anchoring the day to anything. They end up driving between viewpoints, parking in the wrong spots, and missing what makes this area special.

Start with the ride. It gets you up into the hills in the best possible way, gives you the Hollywood Sign views you came for, and sets the tone for everything that follows.

Everything else — Beachwood Canyon, the Observatory, Fern Dell, the stairs, the food — slots naturally around it.

Ride first. Then build the day.

Book your Sunset Ranch trail ride →