My Honest Review of Lum Hotel Los Angeles: Close to SoFi Stadium

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

My wife and I found ourselves returning to Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles for the opening night of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour. We were there six months prior for Green Day’s Saviors tour and learned our lesson of NOT staying at a hotel within walking distance of Sofi Stadium.

Much like any popular event at big stadiums, parking (pre event) and ride sharing (post event) is commonly - shall we say - a shit show. While Sofi does decently with the former, it fails spectacularly with the latter.

With that in mind, I began hunting for hotels after securing our tickets and came across Lum Hotel. It had mixed reviews online but due to its amazing location, I decided to pull the trigger and book a two night stay.

Lum had a few stand outs, but almost as many drawbacks. In this review of Lum Hotel, I’m going to discuss and rate topics such as cleanness, our room, the property’s amenities, parking situation, proximity to the various stadiums and more.

QUICK STATS…

• Location: Los Angeles (Inglewood), California

• Rewards: Hilton Honors

• Check In: 4pm

• Check Out: 11am

• Early Check In/Late Check Out: Yes (additional fees)

• Rates: $150 - $400 per night

• Resort Fee: None

• WiFi: Yes (complimentary and decent speed)

• Adjoining Rooms: Yes

• Multi-Room Suites: No

• Bathtubs in Room: No (stand-up shower only)

• Mini Fridge: Yes

• Microwave: No

• Parking: On-site, valet service only

• Parking Fee: $55 - $60 per night

• Pet Friendly: Yes (additional fees)

• Pool: Yes

• Hot Tub: Yes

• Fitness Center: Yes

• Laundry Service: No

• Dining Options: On-site restaurant

Lum Hotel Los Angeles Location - 9/10

Location is Lum Hotel’s biggest perk and is where it receives top marks from me. It’s on the 3900 block of Century Blvd, directly adjacent to the main entrance of Intuit Dome and across the street from the Hollywood Park complex (where Sofi Stadium is located).

When I say adjacent to Intuit Dome, I mean it. It’s literally right on the other side of the divider wall in the parking lot. I took the below photo near Intuit’s entrance. Beyond the hands sculpture, you can visibly see the hotel’s on-site restaurant, Cork & Batter.

The hotel is also within walking distance of Sofi Stadium and Kia Forum, making it an ideal location for games and events at either of the three venues. Proximity to other destinations of note include:

• Hollywood Park: Across the street

• Sofi Stadium: 0.7 mile (20-min) walk

• Kia Forum: 1 mile (25-min) walk

• Crypto Arena/LA Live: 14 miles

• Cosm: 0.5 mile (15 min) walk

• La Brea Tar Pits: 11 miles

• Hollywood Walk of Fame: 14 miles

• Griffith Observatory: 21 miles

• LAX: 3 miles

• Long Beach Airport: 21 miles

• Burbank Airport: 29 miles

The only negative aspect of its location is a direct result of the same reasons that make it ideal - the crowds. Often, there are events taking place at Intuit and Sofi concurrently, sometimes even the Forum as well.

This creates a perfect storm of pure chaos. Congestion on the sidewalks, especially as the venues empty out, is often shoulder to shoulder. And the traffic? There are no words to properly describe it.

If you’ll be driving or ride-sharing in, be sure to research Intuit‘s event schedule on the day of your arrival and time it prior to their end times. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with having to navigate the mess you see in the photo above.

As stated, that’s the only negative thing I can say about its location. Otherwise, it’s in a great spot for those who are attending an event at either of the three venues. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that’s where most of the positivity in this review ends.

Lum Hotel Parking - 2/10

Unfortunately, parking is where this review starts its downward turn. I’ll preface by stating that egregious parking fees in Los Angeles aren’t unique to Lum Hotel, but I criticize all hotels that I feel nickel and dime their guests.

Lum Hotel uses a third party valet service to handle parking. You have no other choice as it’s required by the property. There’s a tiny parking lot in front of the hotel, but most vehicles are kept in the adjacent ally.

The rates fluctuate based on which website you’re looking at, but I paid $55 on my visit. For comparison, Sofi charges $60 for parking (one time). Here, however, you’re having to pay that high parking rate for every night on your reservation.

That’s where my main criticism comes from. The entire point of staying within walking distance of any event venue is to avoid traffic and insane parking fees.

You certainly avoid the latter, but the former (in this case) is worse because you’re paying even more than you would if you stayed further away (for a cheaper nightly rate) and just drove to Sofi and parked there, but I digress.

On arrival, you’ll immediately be greeted by the valet staff. My experience with them was mostly positive. They treated my vehicle with respect and were helpful with getting my luggage together.

Amazingly, the property has only one luggage cart for the entire hotel, which was in use when I arrived. Our valet kept my vehicle parked by the door so I could make multiple trips to get my wife and I’s luggage to our room.

I understand that parking is limited and these fees are another revenue source for hoteliers. However, I feel registered guests should get a break on parking fees. A discounted rate, at the very least.

Check-In Experience - 8/10

My check-in experience at Lum Hotel was good, honestly. The reason it’s 8/10 instead of a 10/10 is because of the lack of luggage carts and me having to make multiple trips to retrieve my luggage as a result.

Aside from that, it went great. Despite booking my stay through Expedia, there were no hiccups with their system. It was right around standard check-in time (4pm) so it was busy, but the staff at the desk did a great job taking care of everyone.

Quick tip, don’t use the elevator directly across from the front desk. It’s, shall we say, compact. It’ll maybe fit three adults with luggage. As a result, lines form quickly, especially around check-in time.

Instead of waiting for that one, simply walk down the proceeding hallway and take the elevator at the very end of it. It’s much larger and during my stay, there was hardly anybody using it so my wife and I never waited.

The Room - 6.5/10

I booked a king room for our two-night stay. The room was on the small size with faux-hardwood throughout (except for the bathroom, which was a patterned vinyl flooring). Despite its size, I feel it’s just right for two people. Any more than that would be pushing it, though.

To compensate for that, they do offer rooms with two queens and adult sized, hostel-style bunkbed set ups if you’re coming with a larger group. Most rooms also include a mini-fridge, safe with keypad, iron, flat screen TV and balcony.

Just about all of the amenities mentioned above are stored on/in the workstation (pictured below), which also doubles as your storage rack. You can keep your luggage in the space above, as well as hang jackets or hoodies.

There’s a work desk with ample space and wall plugs nearby. Next to the work station is a space where your mini-fridge and safe are placed, followed by a smaller area for shoe storage. The k-cup style coffee maker is also located here.

The safe was large enough for my Apple Macbook Pro (13-inch) to fit snugly. However, I would advise against keeping anything powered by lithium batteries in it. The safe sits on top of the fridge, which does a great job at heating the safe.

Lithium batteries are somewhat sensitive to prolonged heat exposure and thus, this set up creates a potential fire hazard or at the very least, damage to or outright ruining the device.

The bathroom is a decent size and features a doorless, stand-up style shower. Going by photos of the other rooms, it doesn’t appear as though bathtubs are included anywhere, which is often a deal breaker for families with small children.

There are full-size bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner stationed on the wall. In my room, the body wash was missing. It wasn’t a big deal to me as I bring my own toiletries with me when I travel.

The water pressure in the shower was decent, but there was barely a trickle coming out of the sink faucet (which made it challenging to properly clean my razor). Additionally, there’s no space in the shower to place your soap, shampoo, etc (aside from the floor, that is).

My wife theorized that the bathroom was likely designed by a man, as it is fairly basic and lacks common conveniences other properties at this price-point offer and I can’t say I disagree. It isn’t necessarily bad, as it’s fine for what it is.

Finally, the king sized mattress is comfortable, but shockingly short. I’m 5’9 and my feet were flirting with the edge of the bed. If you’re any taller than that, yours are likely going to dangle off the side.

The pillows were decent, though were softer than I’m used to. I prefer mine on the firmer, so I had to stack two of them together in order to get comfortable. The great news, though, is both the bedding and room as a whole were impeccably clean.

My room was street facing and thus, I could hear traffic noise and the like. The sliding-glass door did a great job blocking out most of that noise, though. Additionally, I sleep with a travel-sized white noise machine that blocked out the rest.

The biggest negative (by a wide margin) to the room was the pencil-thin walls. I could hear full conversations, word-for-word, in the room next to us without even trying to listen. Thankfully, our neighbors kept it quiet at night. Otherwise, that would’ve been difficult to overcome.

Hotel Dining - 1/10

Lum Hotel’s on-site restaurant, Cork & Batter, is attached to the hotel and can be accessed via the first floor interior or outside from the parking lot. The menu consists of specialty cocktails and common fare such as burgers, tacos, seafood and more.

I wish I could give you a proper review, but I wasn’t given the opportunity to. My wife and I attempted to dine here for lunch but after we sat down, we were never greeted or approached by any member of wait staff.

We sat there for a solid twenty minutes and despite the tables around us getting served, we were never even offered water. We ended up just leaving and ordering lunch to our room from DoorDash.

The overall vibe of the restaurant was great and there were many menu items I wanted to try, but it just wasn’t in the cards. As an alternative, I recommend crossing the street to Hollywood Park and giving The Meeting Spot your business. Excellent service, great food, and tasty cocktails over there.

Hotel Amenities - 10/10

Lum Hotel has limited, but solid amenities for guests. For starters, there’s a nice lounge area near the check-in desk. Across from that is a table with complimentary fruit-infused water, coffee, and other drink options.

The lap-style pool is located outside in the center of the property, between the two hotel buildings. There’s a decently sized jacuzzi adjacent to the pool, in addition to an abundance of lounge chairs (with accompanying umbrellas) dotting the pool’s edges.

My wife and I didn’t partake in the pool, but it did look inviting (especially at night). Since the hotel is located near LAX, approaching planes constantly fly low overhead, adding an exciting element. The pool and jacuzzi hours are:

• 11am - 9pm (Sunday)

• 11am - 10pm (Mon - Thur)

• 11am - 11pm (Fri - Sat)

Adjacent to the pool is additional seating under a canopy. During the day, I saw guests using this area to work on their laptops and at night, it transformed into a social gathering space of sorts.

Behind this area is where you’ll find Lum Hotel’s fitness center. It’s probably the most spacious hotel fitness center I’ve seen to date. There are two levels, with the strength training equipment on the bottom and the cardio machines on the second floor.

You’ll need your room key to access it, but it’s open 24 hours. To find either the pool or fitness center, simply walk through the double doors to the right of the check-in desk. These doors are always open, but the glass wall surrounding the pool is locked at night.

For a boutique hotel, the amenities at Lum Los Angeles are solid. You’re given 24 hour access to the fitness center (when many other hotels have set hours) and a decent amount of time throughout the day at the pool.

Is Lum Hotel Family or Pet Friendly?

Medium size dogs under 75 pounds are permitted to stay in certain guest rooms at Lum Hotel Los Angeles. You’ll need to ensure their vaccinations are up to date and pay a non-refundable fee of $75 per pet (NOT per night).

While they do allow dogs, I would advise against bringing them to this hotel. I searched the property and could not locate any designated space for dogs to do their business. There’s only a sliver of space in the parking lot near the busy street.

It reminded me of my experience at Hotel Indigo in Anaheim. While they are (technically speaking) “pet friendly”, since there’s no space to do their business it makes it awkward for the dog, especially if yours has anxiety like mine does.

As far as being family-friendly goes, I’m also going to say no. It isn’t necessarily for anything bad, it’s just this property appears to mostly attract a younger/kid-free couples crowd who’re here for events at the various venues.

The rooms (while good) aren’t spacious and don’t offer bathtubs (just stand-up showers) and that typically isn’t conducive to what families search for. Additionally, the paper-thin walls could prevent small children from sleeping, especially if you have a particularly noisy neighbor.

Final Thoughts

Do I recommend staying at Lum Hotel Los Angeles? That entirely depends on your plans and why you’re in Los Angeles. When it comes to hotels within walking distance to Sofi Stadium or Intuit Dome, it’s hard to beat. Though their parking fees put a damper on things.

If you’re flying in and are only staying a night or two for an event at either venue, then my recommendation is a definite yes. By flying, you’ll avoid parking fees all together. Combine this with no resort fees and you’re set for an affordable stay without unnecessary fees.

If you’re planning to stick around for additional nights and explore more parts of Los Angeles, I recommend staying at Lum for the first one or two, and then move hotels for the remaining nights of your trip.

I say this because of the traffic issues this area almost always sees because of the event schedules of the three venues. Additionally, Lum Hotel isn’t exactly close to LA’s classic attractions, such as La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory, and the Hollywood Sign hike.

Conversely, if you’re driving in and staying any longer than a night or two, I would advise against it. The egregious parking fees charged here simply outweigh the advantages of staying close to the venues.

Driving in and paying to park for one night, maybe even two, may be advantageous. Parking at Lum costs a bit less than it does at Sofi ($60) and much less than at Intuit Dome ($70) so that, combined with being within walking distance, may be worth the additional expense.

Finally, if you’re traveling to Los Angeles to sightsee and not to for an event at one of the venues then definitely choose another hotel closer to major attractions, such as Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles.

Lum Hotel isn’t close to most attractions people come to LA to see and you’ll be dealing with near constant vehicle and foot traffic congestion and difficulty getting parked again at the hotel. Even if you’re flying in for that purpose, the same problems apply to ride share drivers.

Right now, Lum Hotel Los Angeles is a great option for some who’re here for an event at Sofi or Intuit…but for how long? In Spring 2026, the new Kali Hotel is expected to open. When it does, it’ll be the only hotel within the Hollywood Park complex and a literal stone’s throw away from Sofi Stadium.

Kali Hotel will undoubtedly be an expensive stay, so Lum will likely remain a solid budget option even when Kali opens. However, for the sheer convenience alone, I believe Kali will take the throne as the best hotel for those attending events at Sofi Stadium.

When it comes to events at Intuit Dome, though, it’ll always be hard to top Lum Hotel, despite the fact that an Arya Hotel will begin construction nearby. If you’re staying at Lum and going to a concert at Intuit, you could leave ten minutes before start time and still make it.

If you’ve stayed at Lum Hotel before, be sure to tell me about your experience in the comments below.

The Ultimate Guide to La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum has long been one of the quintessential best things to do in Los Angeles. It’s an active paleontological research site surrounded by the urban hustle and bustle of downtown LA.

There are numerous tar pits to see, in addition to the museum which houses hundreds of ice age-era animal fossils that were all found in the tar pits. The pits themselves are believed to be upwards of 40,000 years old!

In this post, I’m going to cover multiple topics about the tar pits and museum. Things such as parking, costs, what to expect, nearby attractions, and more will be discussed in the post below. Let’s get into it!

La Brea Tar Pits Location

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is located in the La Brea neighborhood district of Los Angeles. The main entrance into the park can be found on the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and South Curson Ave.

However, there are multiple entrances into Hancock Park, which is where the tar pits and museum are located. Additional entrances can be found north of the museum off 6th Street or by the adjacent Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

La Brea Tar Pits Parking

There’s a rather large lot for the La Brea Tar Pits located behind the museum. To get to it, you’ll drive onto South Curson Ave and pull into it from there. When you arrive, get a ticket out of the digital booth and place it on your dashboard.

Unfortunately, parking is not free at La Brea Tar Pits. Parking fees as of spring 2025 at $18 per vehicle. You’ll pay this at the conclusion of your visit and only debit/credit cards are accepted.

There is metered street parking available as well along 6th Street, Curson Ave., and Wilshire. However, tour buses generally take up most available parking on Curson. If you decide to park on Wilshire, keep in mind:

• If you’re here Monday - Friday, do not park along Wilshire between 7am and 9am or 4pm to 7pm

• If you do, you’ll be cited and towed (even if you’re on metered parking)

You can avoid parking fees all together by utilizing LA’s Metro Line. If you do and show your TAP card to museum staff, you’ll receive a $2 discount on your entrance fee. You can research nearby stations here.

La Brea Tar Pits Tickets

Tickets are only required if you’re planning to visit the museum, which I encourage you to do. In my opinion, it would be an incomplete visit without it. However, if all you want to do is check out the tar pits, parking is all you’ll need to pay.

Ticket prices to the museum are:

• $18 - adults

• $14 - seniors 62+ and students 13 - 17 (with student ID)

• $7 - children 3 - 12

• $0 - children 2 and under

Additionally, LA County residents receive free admission Monday through Friday between the hours of 3pm and 5pm. You can purchase tickets on-site or in advance through their website here.

Hancock Park and the Tar Pits

The tar pits and museum begin and end at Hancock Park, a sprawling and ever evolving complex. It was named after George Allen Hancock, a local philanthropist and developer who subdivided the land back in the 1920’s.

I didn’t count them, but there are many pits of varying sizes and you can discover all of them via the paved walking path. Remember that the park, tar pits, and observatory pit (Pit 91) are all free to access.

The main pit (or - “Lake Pit”), the most recognizable of the bunch, is right in front of the museum and is immediately accessible from the Wilshire entrance. You’ve undoubtably seen this pit in movies, TV shows, ads, and more.

Lake Pit is the largest and is a remnant of asphalt mining operations in the late 1800’s. Over time, the pit collected rain and ground water, leaving us with the “lake” we see today. The lake’s sheen, stink, and bubbling comes from a deep underground oil field.

From Lake Pit, you can make your way along the walking path that traverses the park. Along the way, you’ll discover many more tar pits (though none are as large as Lake Pit). Each pit has informational boards posted, detailing their history and what was discovered there.

You’ll also see random areas that are fenced or coned off. These are newly formed tar pits and this is done to protect fossils and other discoveries that could potentially be there.

Are The La Brea Tar Pits Still Active? - Pit 91 and Project 23

One of the most interesting pits is Pit 91. It’s located at the far end of the park and is an active fossil dig with visible fossils in the ground. They first dug into Pit 91 in 1915 and have since found numerous animal fossils here. These include:

• 73 Saber-Toothed Tigers

• 56 Dire Wolves

• 16 Coyotes

• 12 Ancient Bison

• 13 Western Horses

• 6 Ground Sloths

• 6 Giant Jaguars

• 4 Short-Faced Bears

• 2 Yesterday’s Camels

• 1 American Mastodon

As you can see, the number of predators discovered far outnumber the others. This was common at the tar pits, as animals like Ancient Bison and Western Horses went to the pits for water, not knowing the danger.

As they drank, they would become entrapped in the tar, unable to free themselves and would ultimately perish. Predators then saw what they thought would be an easy meal and ended up stuck in the tar themselves, meeting the same fate.

Shortly after leaving Pit 91, the next special exhibit is Project 23. The “23” is representative of the 23 crates containing the most recent fossils found nearby during construction at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) complex.

Construction crews worked closely with paleontologists, often digging just a foot at a time in order to preserve as many fossils as possible. So far, everything from mammoth tusks to mouse toe fossils have been discovered.

Each day, staff scientists and volunteers work on excavating each of the 23 crates. I didn’t see any new discoveries on my visit, but you might get lucky and see a new mammoth tusk unearthed. Since 2006, millions of new fossils have been discovered from these crates.

Adjacent to the Project 23 display is another tar pit, named Pit 9. It doesn’t look like much now, but this pit stands out as the site where 27 individual Columbian mammoths were discovered, in addition to 10,000 other fossils.

It’s truly amazing to be present in the same space where all of these massive, ancient animals once roamed and ruled. Without this, we would likely never know they were here, judging by the surrounding urban jungle we know today.

La Brea Tar Pits Museum

When you’re finished exploring the tar pits, it’s time to head inside the museum. If you’ve purchased your tickets ahead of time, have them ready on your phone for museum staff to scan.

The museum begins to the left of the ticket booth. As you enter the first exhibition hall, you’re immediately greeted by a large collection of complete and partial animal fossils and skeletons. The first of which you’ll see is a giant sloth and the skull/tusks of a mastodon.

Rounding the corner you’ll come into an open room with many more fossils. There’s also an interactive display giving you the opportunity to find out how difficult it is to escape when you’re stuck in tar.

Simply grab the handle and pull up. The bottom of the handle is submerged in tar. You’ll definitely feel the resistance as you pull as it gives you a good idea of how so many of these animals became stuck.

In this space, you’ll find several examples of mastodons and mammoths, both large and (comparatively) small. Remember Pit 9 where they found 27 of them? Many of them are on display right here.

This includes “Zed”, located near the end of this hall. Zed is the most complete Columbian mammoth skeleton ever discovered at La Brea Tar Pits. It’s about 80% complete, including its skull and both 10-foot long tusks!

Throughout the rest of the museum, you’ll see many more fossil exhibits, interactive displays, and even a working laboratory where you can observe staff scientists and paleontologists cleaning and conserving newly discovered fossils.

One of my favorite exhibits (aside from Zed, of course) is the wall display of the 404 dire wolf skulls. Because they hunted in large packs, dire wolves are the most discovered animal at La Brea Tar Pits, with over 1600 being discovered!

Near the dire wolves skull display, there’s an exhibit on ice age-era bird fossils, as well as complete skeletons of an American lion and saber-toothed cat. You’ll also see examples of large fossils still encased in mud and dried tar.

Beyond the fossil displays and interactive elements, there is a 3D theatre featuring the film Titans of the Ice Age. This is an additional cost of $8 per person. I passed on it, but it’s located at the end of the museum loop if you’re interested.

Additionally, there’s a nice green space in the center on the museum you can walk through. There are multiple entry and exit doors, so just choose one. We waited until the end of the museum tour to check it out.

The Future of La Brea Tar Pits

While the past is on full display at La Brea Tar Pits, they’re also looking towards the future. Depending when you visit, La Brea Tar Pits and Hancock Park could look very different than what you see in the photos above.

The Transformation is a project currently ongoing at the property to not only elevate and modernize what’s already here, but to add to it as well. New outdoor displays, upgraded pedestrian pathway, modernized museum, and more, are coming.

Construction is ongoing, as it was during my visit. Parts of the walking path around the tar pits were blocked off and there was a large structure (pictured below) being worked on. I believe that structure is going to be the new museum.

So when you visit, prepare yourself for the construction. It didn’t damper my experience at all. I’m looking forward to visiting again when this project is complete. You can read further details on it here.

From here, I encourage you to visit the adjacent Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) complex. Particularly the free, outdoor art exhibits, such as Urban Lights and Levitating Mass. Both have appeared in numerous Hollywood movies.

There’s also the LACMA museum proper, in addition to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. If you’re hungry, there’s almost always food trucks present in the area as well. All told, there’s enough in this one city block to keep you busy for a full day.

If you’re interested, read about this classic Los Angeles hike up to the backside of the Hollywood Sign and the summit of Mount Lee. Why view the sign from afar when you can get up close and personal to it?!

PROVERBS 16:9

Hollywood Sign and Mount Lee Summit Hike: The Best and Easiest Way (2025)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

The hike up to the Mount Lee summit and behind the infamous Hollywood Sign is one of the best hikes in Los Angeles. On a clear day, the views from the summit are unparalleled and you get a unique perspective of the sign that most don’t.

Before starting this hike, there are a few things you need to know. This trail has been involved in controversy over the years as parts of it (and former trailheads/parking areas) intersect with neighborhoods in the Hollywood Hills.

To avoid catching trespassing charges and fines, and to keep this trail accessible to everyone, you’ll need to know where to park, where to begin the trail, areas to avoid, gate access, and more.

In the post below, I will give you a step-by-step guide on the best, easiest, and most straightforward path to Mount Lee and the Hollywood Sign (including a plethora of photo references). Be sure to bookmark this post to your device so you can refer back to it later on.

Trail Stats

• Location: Los Angeles/Hollywood, California

• Fee: None

• Open: Sunrise to sunset

• Family Friendly: Possibly, if your kids have hiking experience

• Cell Service: Good, but spotty in some areas of the trail

• Restroom: None

• Parking: At Lake Hollywood Park along the street

• EV Stations: None

• Difficulty: Moderate to hard (depending on your fitness level)

• Popularity: High

• Mileage: 4.6 miles (from Lake Hollywood Park, to the summit, and back)

• Elevation: 1,708 feet

• Time: 2-3 hours, round trip

• Condition: Mostly flat and easy to follow

• Features: Behind Hollywood Sign view and expansive views of Los Angeles (on a clear day)

• Best Viewed: Any time of year

• Pets: Allowed

• Drones: Prohibited

• Hazards: Sheer drop offs, heat exposure, and rattlesnakes

• My Visit(s): April 2025

Where to Park - Lake Hollywood Park

For this particular hike, the only safe place to park is at Lake Hollywood Park. This park has become a hot spot for tourists wanting to capture an epic selfie with the Hollywood Sign and hills serving as the backdrop.

Due to this, you’ll want to start early. I got here at around 8am and was one of only three cars. By the time my wife and I got back to the car a few hours later, we were one of dozens and parking was getting tight (see photos below).

(8:15am)

(11:30am)

To avoid getting fined and potentially towed, be sure to park on the side of the street closest to the park as you’ll have unlimited parking between 6am and 8pm. On the other side, parking is limited to just fifteen minutes (there’s no fee to park on either side as of May 2025).

Other posts advise you to start your way uphill and walk along Mulholland Drive to start the hike. I advise against this, as this stretch of road is narrow with many blind spots and is often heavily trafficked. It’s simply too dangerous.

Instead of walking uphill, walk downhill on the sidewalk towards the residential area (pictured above). You’ll eventually come to the corner of Innsdale and Canyon Lake Drive. Once there, you’ll see a gate on your right (pictured below).

When I got here, there were vehicles parked in the area around the gate and in the neighborhood. While I didn’t see anything stating you couldn’t, I have read online that you’re subject to fines and being towed if you do.

I did see a parking enforcement vehicle in the area when we got back, but didn’t see the officer ticketing anybody. I still advise you to play it safe and park along Lake Hollywood Park, but the risk is yours to take (if you’re being dropped off, this is the spot).

The Innsdale Trail to the Hollywood Sign and Mount Lee

Now you’re officially on the trail to the Hollywood Sign and Mount Lee Summit. At that gate, you’ll see many signs stating “restricted access” and warnings of trespassing. This has to do with vehicles, NOT being on foot. It’s perfectly legal to walk through.

The trail is wide and mostly compact dirt. You’ll have a clear view of the Hollywood Sign on your left as well as views of the hills and downtown LA on your right. If the marine layer is present, your views will be obstructed.

After a relatively short period, you’ll eventually come to chain attached to two poles stretching across the trail (pictured below). You’ll also see houses on both sides of you with another trespass warning posted.

Simply ignore the signs and go around the pole on the right to continue. That trespass warning pertains to that home owners actual property behind their fence. It does NOT pertain to the trail. You’re still ok.

When you come out of the ally, you’ll walk onto a street and see the house (pictured below) in front of you. Go left here and keep as far left as you possibly can. This short section is the one and only time you’ll need to traverse along a street.

After a short time, you’ll come to another junction. There’s a side street leading to more houses on your right (Ledgewood Drive) and another street to the left (Mulholland) that’s blocked with cones. You’ll want to walk up Mulholland, keeping the Hollywood Sign in sight.

Again, you’ll see more restrictive access signs but just ignore them. Those pertain to vehicle access. Continue walking up the road, passing multiple houses on your left. Eventually, you’ll see a mural of the Hollywood Sign pointing the way up the trail (as well as more cones).

Additionally, you’ll pass a small field of California Poppies (if you’re here in spring/early summer) and a random art exhibit on your left. There’s also the one-and-only water bottle refill station here. The trail will then horseshoe, passing through yet another chained gate.

The trail remains exposed for a bit, passing several impressive homes on the right side before entering a grove of palm trees and another Hollywood Hills neighborhood. You’ll then come to the final oddball portion of the trail.

You’ll eventually arrive to what appears to be a locked gate. Go towards the left of the gate and go through the opening. Stay to the left and continue up the paved path, staying between the white walls.

Be sure to remain on that narrow path. On the other side of that white wall is private property. Please don’t give the homeowners any reason to report you. Every time that happens, this trail becomes that much closer to being closed off to the public.

Soon after the green gate, you’ll come to a fence and a door with a key-code pad (pictured above). Between sunrise and sunset, this door is unlocked, so simply open the door and go through it.

When you get to the other side of the fence, you’ll face another junction with a palm tree at the split. To continue to the summit of Mount Lee, go right at the junction. As a side quest, you can go left for a great photo opportunity and view of the sign.

From here, you’ll be hiking on Mount Lee Road. Long ago, it was possible to drive up to the Hollywood Sign. These days, it’s simply a service road for utility workers to reach the satellite and utility towers at the top.

Before long, you’ll reach the final junction of the trail. Going right will take you on the Mulholland Trail. Keep to the left to continue on to Mount Lee. From here, there are no specific instructions needed. Simply follow the road. You’re now just 0.9-miles from the top.

This portion of the trail is a winding, unrelenting uphill slog the rest of the way. While I wouldn’t classify it as “difficult”, I will say that depending on your fitness level, your milage will vary. What’s moderate for me may be hard to others, and vice-versa.

You’ll know you’re almost to the top when you reach the monument plaque in the photo below. The plaque is a dedication to those who donated to help keep public access to Cahuenga Peak and make it part of Griffith Park.

Near the plaque, you’ll see a side trail spurring off the paved road. If you want to side-quest to Cahuenga Peak, that’s the direction you’d go. There’s also a nice side view of parts of the Hollywood Sign from that trail as well.

Mount Lee Summit and Behind the Hollywood Sign

Staying on the paved road, you’ll see it make a sharp left around a rocky outcrop. You’ll also notice a chainlink fence on the right side. Head that way and shortly after making that left, you’ll get your first glimpse of the sign on your right.

You may see the sign now, but you’re not finished. To get to the actual summit of Mount Lee, you’ll need to go just a little bit further. Ahead of you, you’ll notice utility and satellite towers. To the left you’ll see a dirt path. Take that and then head up the short hill to the summit.

Once you’re up that hill, you’re officially on the summit of Mount Lee. From here, on a clear day, you’ll have expansive views of Los Angeles and the unique perspective of the backside of the Hollywood Sign.

During our visit, the marine layer was still hovering over the city, so our view was dampened a bit. Either way, the hike up to Mount Lee and the Hollywood Sign is still one of the best hikes in Los Angeles and worth doing, no matter the view.

From here, simply head back in the same direction you came. If you still have energy, there are many other cool things in the area to check out. You can explore the old Los Angeles Zoo or gaze at the sky from the Griffith Observatory. To replenish those calories, I recommend a double smash burger at nearby For the Win restaurant.

EXODUS 13:21

Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers in Los Angeles

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional restaurant critic, nor has this restaurant offered me any incentive to write this post. My opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience only.

Los Angeles is home to millions of people and is a mega-popular travel destination. Each year, millions of people flock to LA to eat delicious food, hang out at the beach, tour celebrity homes, see the filming locations of their favorite movies, and more.

In fact, if you look at Google, many of those visitors (and newly minted locals) often search for the best burgers in LA. When you do, there are many restaurants that come up but there’s one that tends to get thrown around quite often, and that’s Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers.

My wife and I, plus a couple of our closest friends, recently made the drive out to Tommy’s original-original location, while in town for the Green Day Saviors Tour, to try it out for ourselves and in a nutshell, we were not disappointed. Below, I’ll discuss how to get there, the parking situation, show photos of the food, and more.

Quick Stats

• Location: Los Angeles, California

• Address: 2575 Beverley Blvd.

• Hours: 24/7, 365

• Type of Food: Burgers, fries, hot dogs, chili, tamales, and a variety of breakfast sandwiches

• Cost: $5 - $15 per person, depending what you order

• Seating: None. It’s all outdoors and standing/counter-style eating areas only

• Alcohol: Not served

• Website/Full Menu: www.originaltommys.com

• My Visit(s): September 2024

Original Tommy’s Parking and Locations

Original Tommy’s may have had humbled beginnings, but it has since spawned into a burger empire with, at the time of this post’s publishing, nearly thirty locations throughout Southern California and three in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area. You can view the full list of locations here.

While they do a great job at maintaining quality throughout the chain, if you’re anything like me, you agree that it’s always best to visit the original location of any popular eatery, as they have historical significance behind them and the food is generally that much better.

In order to visit Tommy’s original-original location, you’ll need to make your way to the corner of Rampart and Beverley Blvd’s in Los Angeles, which opened back in 1948. There’s technically two restaurants in one here, with the small hut placed right on the corner, and another order station across the parking lot.

Speaking of parking, you have two options at this location. First, there is a small lot between the two service areas. It can maybe handle a dozen vehicles or so and due to the popularity of Tommy’s, it tends to fill quickly. However, I did notice that spots opened up quite frequently, so you could always circle around if needed.

Your second option for parking is their back up lot across Rampart Blvd. This one is larger, capable of holding about twice the amount of vehicles as the on-site option. You can’t miss it, as there’s an “Original Tommy’s” sign and an old statue of a man riding a dolphin next to its entrance. I tried to find the backstory of the statue, but haven’t had much luck.

Original Tommy’s Los Angeles Food, Menu and Prices

You can order your food at either of the two counters, as each one has the exact same menu. If they don’t have what you’re ordering, there’s a chance that they’ll instruct you to take your receipt to the other side to collect your oder there. This happened to me when I ordered a soft serve cone.

Tommy’s is known for their delicious cheeseburgers, but they’re famous for their chili, which often gets topped onto the burgers, fries, hot dogs, and even tamales. Despite this, I didn’t get chili on my burger, as I’m a ‘plain and dry’ cheeseburger type of guy.

However, I did have a change of heart and went back to order a side of their chili-cheese fries and man, I’m glad I did. All four of us agreed that their chili is top notch. The next time I’m at Tommy’s (and there will be another visit), I’ll likely pull the trigger and get chili on my burger.

Initially, I ordered a ‘plain and dry’ double-classic cheeseburger with a side of regular fries (no drink). The burger cost me $7.25 and the side of fries was an additional $4.50. As stated above, I later went back and ordered a side of their chili-cheese fries as well ($7.05).

The burger patties are seasoned well and are smash-style, with a generous amount of cheese included. The buns are also thrown on the griddle, giving them a slight, satisfying crunch. Each bite felt like the burger was melting in my mouth. The patties were cooked perfectly, seemingly to a medium to medium-well doneness.

The fries (normal) were about as basic as they come, but were salted well and had a nice crisp to them. However, the chili-cheese version of the fries is the clear winner of the two. You would think the fries would be soggy being buried underneath all that chili, but they managed to maintain their crisp well.

As far as seating goes, in short, there isn’t any. There are no indoor areas open to diners either, it’s just the outdoor area and there are no tables or chairs. However they do have plenty of stand-up counter space where you can enjoy your burger. Tommy’s Beverley location is truly an old school burger joint in every sense.

If you’re asking me who serves the best burger in Los Angeles, I’d be hard-pressed to send you anywhere but the original locations of “Original Tommy’s”. The burgers are flavorful and generous in size, and their chili is truly something to experience. You won’t regret it.

PSALM 91