Starting from the East end of Mulholland at Cahuenga Boulevard and traveling West your first hiking and rest opportunity is on the south side of the road .7 miles. overlooking the Hollywood Bowl.
THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL OVERLOOK
From Cahuega Boulevard which is our starting point (1.6 miles) is Runyon Canyon Park; a favorite path hiking, jogging, mountain biking, and dog walking park for locals. There is ample Parking on dirt or off the shoulder.
RUNYON CANYON PARK
2.9 miles from our starting point we find the Universal City Overlook on the West side of the road, where there is paved parking, a drinking fountain and handicap access. You will even find spectacular views and an urban hiking path.
UNIVERSAL CITY OVERLOOK
4.2 Miles into our trip we cross Laural Canyon and at 4.7 miles we get to Laural Canyon Park, (Mainly an off-leash dog park) with fenced off, off leash dog runs with seperated area for smaller and more timid dogs. The Park is rather bleek yet has a childrens playground, 2 clean porta-potties, and ample free parking. This park is down a paved 1/4 mile incline.
LAURAL CANYON (DOG-PARK) PARK
Laurel Canyon Blvd AT Mulholland Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90046
INTERACTIVE MAP ORIGINATING @ LAURAL CYN. & MULHOLLAND DRIVE
At 5.1 miles into our journey we come across the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook above Fryman Canyon on the North side of the road. This stretch of Mulholland (between Laural Canyon & Coldwater Canyon are reffered to as the Mulholland Scenic Parkway). This area is where many young couples would got to watch the submarine races, neck, and make-out. The views from these parks and turn-outs breath taking at night.
NACNY HOOVER POHL OVERLOOK
At 6.3 miles we reach the Charles and Lotte Melhorn Scenic Overlook also on the North side. You'll find good paved parking, benches and a drinking fountain. There is also a hiking trail
CHARLES and LOTTE MELHORN SCENIC OVERLOOK
At 7.1 mile from our starting point, (running east to west) you will come to the Stone Canyon Resivoir Overlook, with the finest 1/4 mile of paved ADA trail along Mulholland.
STONE CANYON OVERLOOK
Pass by the University of Judism and over the 405 freeway and you'll find amazing hiking trails that you can take all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway and the Pacific Ocean which is the Westridge-Canyon Back Wilderness Park run by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. These pictures were taken at the begining of Summer, so they do not serve justice to the splender and beauty of how I first came accross this area in late winter. This area is found on the south side of Mulholland about a half mile past where Mulholland turns into a well maintained dirt road which is also about 8.1 miles into the trip.
WESTRIDGE-CANYON BACK WILDERNESS PARK
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About 8.4 miles into the trip and where the road ends at this time, is an old abandoned "Nike" missle system base; claimed to be an early warning radar detection and relay station, (and I'm sure it was) there are many missing components from the site that I remembered from my teen years when we would go up there to drink beer and snuggle with our girl friends.
This installation has been turned into a sort of state park, cold war theme park. It sits at San Vincente Mountain and hes been refurbished in part with modern restrooms and placks placed here and there explaining what every out-building was used for.
The surrounding area is beautiful, and looking to towards the San Fernando Valley to the north (right hand) side you can see the Encino Resevervoir (first picture) and Big Sky Gateway Park; both are part of the State Park.
