Mount Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Lee |
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Southeastern face of Mount Lee with the Hollywood Sign, 2006.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,708 ft (521 m) NAVD 88 |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Don Lee |
| Geography | |
 Mount Lee
Location in California
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| Parent range | Santa Monica Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Burbank |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Mount Lee is a mountain peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. It is located inside Griffith Park in Los Angeles, USA. The famous Hollywood Sign stands on its southern side.
Mount Lee is a popular spot for hikers. It offers amazing views of Los Angeles.
Contents
The Story of Mount Lee
How Mount Lee Got Its Name
Mount Lee was once just one of "three sisters" peaks. The other two were Cahuenga and Burbank peaks. The mountain is named after Don Lee. He was an early car dealer and owned a radio station in Los Angeles.
Don Lee bought his radio station, KHJ, in 1927. He later started experimenting with television in the 1930s. His television station, W6XAO, moved its transmitter to the top of Mount Lee. This made Mount Lee the highest television location in the world at that time.
The Hollywood Sign's Home
The flat top of Mount Lee is not natural. It was flattened because a silent movie pioneer named Mack Sennett wanted to build a big home there. His plans never happened.
To promote a new housing area called Beachwood Canyon, developers built a huge wooden sign on the mountain. This sign is what we now know as the Hollywood Sign.
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Early Television and Mount Lee
Don Lee was one of the first people to experiment with television in Los Angeles. His station, W6XAO, was a pioneer. Other early TV stations also started in the area.
Later, Don Lee's son, Thomas S. Lee, took over the station. It was eventually bought by CBS in 1950. It became KNXT, which is now KCBS-TV.
Howard Hughes and the Mountain
Part of Mount Lee was sold to Howard Hughes. He was a famous businessman and movie producer. Hughes planned to build a mansion for Ginger Rogers, an actress he was dating. However, their relationship ended, and the mansion was never built.
After World War II, television stations needed a better location. They found a taller mountain called Mount Wilson. Most Los Angeles TV stations moved there. Television broadcasts from Mount Lee stopped in 1951.
Protecting Mount Lee's Land
For many years, the land on Mount Lee remained undeveloped. In 2002, some of the land was sold. This raised concerns that houses might be built next to the Hollywood Sign.
Many people in Los Angeles worked together to protect the land. In 2010, enough money was raised to buy the land. It was then added to Griffith Park, keeping it safe from development.
Today, the large tower on Mount Lee is owned by the City of Los Angeles. It is used for various non-commercial radio activities.
Hiking Mount Lee
Trails to the Summit
You can hike up Mount Lee, but the area right around the Hollywood Sign is closed to the public. This is because it has important communication towers for the city.
There are several official ways to reach the trails leading to the Hollywood Sign. You can start from the Griffith Observatory parking lot. Another option is near the Greek Theater on Vermont Canyon Road.
You can also find trailheads near the Griffith Park Visitors Center. Free maps are available there. A popular starting point from Beachwood Drive was closed in 2017.
Staying Safe on the Trails
Mount Lee's hiking trails are part of the large Griffith Park. It's easy to get lost or take a wrong turn. It's a good idea to study maps of the trails before you go hiking for the first time. This will help you stay on track and enjoy your adventure safely.
Images for kids
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View from the balcony at Griffith Observatory on the Hollywood Sign and Mount Lee at 2 PM 05/09/2022
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See also
In Spanish: Monte Lee para niños
