Entry No. 31 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: outdoor-weird
The Wisdom Tree, Cahuenga Peak
A single solitary pine clings to the spine of Cahuenga Peak, the lone tree in the area that survived the 2007 Hollywood Hills fire. Hikers leave notes, trinkets, and offerings in an ammo box and a mailbox at its base, an evolving shrine to a tree that someone reportedly planted with saplings bought at a local Vons. The rugged out-and-back climbs to a ridgeline with the Hollywood Sign visible on the next summit over.
The story
In 2007, a wildfire tore through this dry corner of the Hollywood Hills, scorching Cahuenga Peak down to bare dirt and ash. When the smoke cleared, a single, solitary pine tree was still standing on the ridge line. Local story goes that someone planted it years earlier using saplings purchased from a neighborhood Vons. Whether that's neighborhood gospel or literal fact, its survival turned an isolated evergreen into an accidental pilgrimage spot.
What sits at the top today isn't just a resilient pine with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; it's a living, crowd-sourced shrine. Weathered metal ammo boxes and a mailbox anchor the base of the tree, packed tight with water-warped notebooks, loose slips of paper, trinkets, and pens. Hikers haul themselves up the ridge specifically to leave written confessions, grief, secrets, or notes to strangers, creating a weirdly intimate paper trail right above the city.
What it's like
Prepare for a short, unforgiving climb with zero shade. The Wonder View Trail wastes no time, taking you straight up loose rock and dusty dirt along an exposed ridge. Golden hour offers the best lighting over Lake Hollywood, but timing is strict—rangers close the Griffith Park gates right at sunset, and you do not want to negotiate the steep rock scramble back down in the pitch black. Once at the tree, thumb through the notes in the ammo box, leave a slip of your own, and if you have the stamina, follow the spine of the ridge east toward Cahuenga Peak to look down at the backside of the Hollywood Sign.
The move: Hike the steep trail up at golden hour and leave a written note for each other in the box at the Wisdom Tree before the views open up over the whole basin.
📍 Before you go Steep, rugged, exposed trail with little shade; Griffith Park gates close at sunset. Bring water and start early or late to avoid heat.
- 📍 Hollywood Hills / Griffith Park
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Burbank Peak Trail (Wonder View Trail), Lake Hollywood Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Bronson Caves (the Batcave) — Trade high-ridge views for a quick detour through a former quarry tunnel best known as the 1960s TV Batcave.
- Outpost Sign Ruins — After seeing the Hollywood Sign from above, hike over to find the rusted steel wreckage of its forgotten 1920s rival sign.
- Bearded Lady's Mystic Museum — Swap an outdoor ridge shrine for curio cabinets crammed with vintage taxidermy and dark art down in Burbank.
- Griffith Observatory Public Star Party — Pair a sun-exposed daytime summit hike with an evening spent gazing through amateur telescopes on the Observatory lawn.
Good to know
What is inside the boxes at the base of the tree?
You'll find an ammo box and a mailbox filled with paper notebooks, pens, photos, and small objects left behind by visitors to write and read notes.
Is the trail to the Wisdom Tree difficult?
It is short but steep, rocky, and completely exposed to the sun. Good footwear and water are essential.
Can you reach the Hollywood Sign from the Wisdom Tree?
Yes, continuing along the ridgeline trail past Cahuenga Peak leads directly to Mount Lee and the back of the Hollywood Sign.
What are the hours for hiking Cahuenga Peak?
The trail is accessible during park hours, but access gates close strictly at sunset.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: modernhiker.com · laist.com · welikela.com · alltrails.com · hikeology-la.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23