Mulholland Drive

Stretching 21 miles along the eastern ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Hollywood Hills, a drive on at least one portion of this iconic street should be a part of any first-time visit to Los Angeles. Built largely in 1924 as the scenic highway it remains today, Mulholland (as it’s locally known) offers unparalleled views of the L.A. Basin, San Fernando Valley, the Hollywood Sign and more.

If you only have time to drive one section of Mulholland, try either one of these routes:

Cahuenga Pass to Laurel Canyon, which winds up above downtown Hollywood and the Hollywood Bowl, past Runyon Canyon and above Universal City, where a significant turnout allows you to linger on views of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains.

Laurel Canyon to Beverly Glen Boulevard, which offers real-estate-heavy views of the Westside on one side (including West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Bel-Air), and the wide, flat, mountain-rimmed San Fernando Valley on the other. There are several turnouts between Laurel Canyon and Coldwater Canyon, and again prior to Beverly Glen.