Errand Hiking: Mt. Lee and the Wisdom Tree

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Sun Mar 27, 2022 8:24 am

I had to run an errand last week in Studio City so figured I'd try to parlay that into a local hike. With gas between $6-$7/gallon, I figured I'd try to squeeze as much out of my driving as possible. There's not a whole lot of great hiking options near Studio City. But the trail to the Wisdom Tree was nearby and I hadn't been there so I figured I'd check that box. It ended up being pretty much what you'd expect from LA hiking, both good and bad - crowds, graffiti, braided paths, great views, and proximity to post-hike drunken noodles in Thai Town.

The trail starts at the end of Wonder View Drive above Lake Hollywood. I parked along Lake Hollywood Drive with the zillion other Angelenos and started upon paved Wonder View Drive to a gate (ala the Pinecrest gate at Eaton Canyon) where the road turns to dirt. Past the gate, there is a big clearing adjacent to a tower where the trail proper begins. A commemorate plaque marks the spot (note the cairns atop it for the "Cairns" thread). Here the climbing begins up a steep, rocky, and well-worn trail. It's short but stout little climb that affords nice views into Lake Hollywood and DTLA.

You eventually pop out onto the ridgeline that connects to Cahuenga Peak and Mt. Lee. I took a hard left here so that I could go get some wisdom from the Wisdom Tree that sits atop Mt. Burbank (?) about 0.10 mile away. The views from the top are good in all directions on a clear day. There was a bunch of folks milling about and snapping selfies. And there's a benchmark on the summit the reads "Burbank." But the "Wisdom Tree" itself is just an ordinary, yet lonely tree. Whoop di do. So I received no wisdom from visiting it much to my disappointment.
After striking out on enlightenment, I continued east along the ridge toward Cahuenga Peak and ultimately Mt. Lee. I guess this part of the trail is called the Aileen Getty Trail as another plaque near Mt. Lee communicates. The path here is rough and rocky in places and involves some minor scrambling. If you like geeking out on benchmarks, then Cahuenga Peak is the place for you. There are three (3) benchmark atop this one peak: one direclty on top, one just west of the summit, and another just east of the summit. I don't think I've ever seen that many benchmarks all together in one place. Something is up.

I ultimately made my way to Mt. Lee that sits immediately above the Hollywood sign. The views from here are good as well, but not materially different from what you get at the Tree of Knowledge. When I arrived, there were 7-8 folks hanging around. Then they suddenly all left and I had summit to myself for like 8 minutes before others groups arrived.

From Mt. Lee, I suspect that you could extend your wanderings deeper into Griffith Park, but I turned tail and retraced my steps back to where I began. It was late afternoon, but the trail was still busy as I descended. Back at the car, I further leveraged my errand by making my way into east Hollywood to get something spicy from one of the bazillion Thai eateries. You could spend your entire life trying to sample every Thai joint in L.A. and never finish the task. I find that strangely comforting.

Anyhoo, that's what I got for y'all at the moment. Enjoy.

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Mon Mar 28, 2022 10:45 pm

AWESOME! Thats a cool hike and a good workout! But guess what? There are actually four benchmarks on Cahuenga Peak. The second time I hiked that route I found the fourth one hidden in some bushes. I will see If I can find my old pics.

Post by **dima** » Tue Mar 29, 2022 6:16 pm

That's a cool area. It's completely overrun now, but only maybe ~5 years ago it was semi-obscure and nice. There's a much less travelled approach from the North. And you can make a cool public-transit loop out of it: Red line to Universal city, hike up to Cahuenga from the North, then out to Griffith park and the Sunset/Vermont stop on the Red Line.