Hollywoodland Stairs

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

Granite from the nearby Bronson Quarry went into the staircases built in 1923 to make the steep Hollywoodland hillside walkable, and the route now climbs several of them past Storybook-style homes — among them a three-acre chateau with a heart-shaped pool known as Wolf's Lair. From the higher stretches of Durand Drive, the stairs open onto views of the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood and the downtown skyline.