UpToWhereWhat can you see from Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee)?
It was meant to last 18 months as a real-estate ad, not a century.
From Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee), the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 188 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 188 km to the east-southeast (bearing 111°), at 2,650 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 1,970,448 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the east-southeast, where sightlines run 127 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the north-northeast, at 20.0 km.
| N | 25.6 km | |
| NNE | 20.0 km | |
| NE | 21.6 km | |
| ENE | 37.5 km | |
| E | 109 km | |
| ESE | 127 km | |
| SE | 94.4 km | |
| SSE | 86.7 km | |
| S | 69.3 km | |
| SSW | 84.5 km | |
| SW | 94.0 km | |
| WSW | 48.8 km | |
| W | 37.3 km | |
| WNW | 20.3 km | |
| NW | 62.5 km | |
| NNW | 26.0 km |
Farthest named landmarks in view
159 named peaks, hills and headlands stand inside this viewshed. These are the farthest ones you could pick out on a clear day:
| Landmark | Visible distance | Direction | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toro Peak | 188 km | ESE · 111° | 2,650 m |
| Santa Rosa Mountain | 184 km | ESE · 111° | 2,449 m |
| Devils Rockpile | 172 km | ESE · 108° | 1,870 m |
| Pine Mountain | 172 km | ESE · 108° | 2,147 m |
| Lion Peak | 171 km | ESE · 108° | 2,089 m |
| Butterfly Peak | 171 km | ESE · 109° | 1,895 m |
About Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee)
A real estate developer erected this sign in 1923 to advertise a hillside housing subdivision called Hollywoodland, spelling out the name in 50-foot letters meant to stand for barely a year and a half. The last four letters came down in 1949 once the sign had outgrown its original purpose, and by the 1970s the remaining letters were collapsing, prompting a full rebuild in 1978 funded by celebrity donors including Hugh Hefner and Alice Cooper, each paying for one new steel letter.
Did you know?
- Each of the nine replacement letters installed in 1978 cost roughly $27,700, paid for individually by different celebrity donors.
- The sign sits on Mount Lee, fenced off and watched around the clock by motion sensors and cameras since a 2000 security overhaul.
- The original sign read "HOLLYWOODLAND," advertising a housing development; the last four letters were removed in 1949.
- Hikers can reach viewpoints and trails right behind Mount Lee's summit, but no legal path leads up to the letters themselves.
- From the ridge behind the sign, the Griffith Observatory dome, downtown Los Angeles, and on clear days the Pacific coastline all come into view.
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee)?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 188 km from Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee). The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 60.4 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee)?
The farthest terrain visible from Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee) lies 188 km to the east-southeast, at an elevation of 2,650 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee)?
The observation point at Hollywood Sign (Mount Lee) sits at 525 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
Want to know what you can see from your house, a summit you're planning to climb, or a plot of land? UpToWhere computes the same 360° viewshed for any point on Earth in seconds — free.
Try the viewshed calculator
