No‑Car Ways to Reach Beachwood Canyon and Get Around Once You’re There

Headed up to that quiet pocket under the Hollywood Sign and trying to avoid driving? You can. The simplest chain is rail to Hollywood, a short neighborhood bus up Beachwood Drive, or a walk that’s uphill but manageable if you pack light. Below is the playbook locals use, with prices, hours, and where to stand so you are not wandering around at sunset.

B Line to Hollywood/Vine, then DASH Beachwood Canyon

Ride Metro’s B Line subway to Hollywood/Vine. A regular Metro fare is $1.75 per ride with free transfers for two hours when you tap in, and you never pay more than $5 in a day or $18 in seven days thanks to fare capping. You can tap a TAP card, Apple Wallet or Google Pay at the validators. If you need a TAP card, the station’s vending machines sell one for $2 before you load value.

Come upstairs to street level at Hollywood and Vine and walk one block east to Argyle Avenue. On the southeast corner, at Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle, you will see the stop for DASH Beachwood Canyon labeled “Hollywood & Argyle.” That stop is in the route timetable as Stop C. The bus runs daily, connecting Hollywood/Vine with Beachwood Drive stops at Franklin Avenue (Stop B) and up to Westshire Drive (Stop A) near the Beachwood Village shops.

Fares on DASH are low. Paying cash on board is 50¢ for adults and 25¢ for seniors and riders with disabilities. If you use TAP stored value, the DASH fare is 35¢ for adults and 15¢ for seniors and riders with disabilities. There is also a DASH 31‑Day Pass for $18 and a 7‑Day DASH Pass for $5 if you will be making many neighborhood trips.

Service starts early. Weekday trips from the top of Beachwood at Westshire depart as early as 6:30 am toward Hollywood/Vine, with all‑day loops between the station, Franklin and the canyon. Saturday starts around 7:20 am in the canyon, and Sunday around 9:00 am. DASH Beachwood Canyon operates every day except six holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you want real‑time arrivals, text “ladot” plus the stop number to 41411. For example, “ladot 2700” returns live times for the Hollywood & Argyle stop, and “ladot 2418” does the same for Beachwood & Franklin.

Where to get off depends on your destination. For lower canyon addresses near Franklin, use Beachwood & Franklin (Stop B). For the village area around Beachwood Café and the market, stay on to Beachwood & Westshire (Stop A). The ride from Hollywood/Vine to Franklin is typically a few minutes, then another short climb to Westshire.

If you’d rather walk the last stretch

Some visitors skip the bus for the uphill walk. From Hollywood/Vine to the corner of Franklin Avenue & Beachwood Drive is about a 9–10 minute walk at an easy pace. From there, the walk up Beachwood Drive to the village around Westshire Drive takes most people 25–30 minutes, depending on pace and luggage. The grade is steady and sidewalks are present but narrower above Franklin, so keep to the right and use marked crossings at Franklin and at village corners where cars turn frequently.

The payoff for walking is simple logistics. You are not waiting on a clock, you can stop for coffee, and you can dip into the side streets if a photo opp catches your eye. The tradeoff is the hill. If the sun is high, a two‑dollar Metro fare plus a 35‑cent DASH ride is often worth saving your legs for exploring the canyon itself.

Practical detail that helps timing: the DASH stop at Hollywood & Argyle is one block east of the station, while the walk route toward Franklin uses Argyle northbound before turning left. If you arrive to the corner just as a bus is pulling up, it is usually faster to ride than to wait for the next frequency window.

From LAX or Union Station: do it end‑to‑end without a car

Flying in and heading straight to Beachwood without renting a car is routine. From Los Angeles International Airport, board the FlyAway Union Station coach. The one‑way fare is $12.75, payable with contactless credit or debit as you board or via the FlyAway app. The bus runs daily and is designed to connect you directly to rail at Union Station.

At Union Station, go down to the Metro B Line platform and ride toward North Hollywood. The one‑seat ride from Union Station to Hollywood/Vine is typically about 20 minutes. Tap your card or phone again when you enter the rail system; because Metro uses fare capping, this ride still counts toward the $5 daily or $18 weekly cap if you have already tapped today.

Finish the trip with DASH Beachwood Canyon from Hollywood & Argyle as described above. If you prefer not to wait, a short walk up Argyle to Franklin and then three blocks west to Beachwood still gets you to the canyon in under half an hour from Hollywood/Vine. Either way, the entire airport‑to‑canyon itinerary stays on transit with published fares and regular headways.

Bike share, scooters, and a short rideshare for the “last mile”

If you like to pedal, Metro Bike Share operates in Hollywood, including docks near Hollywood/Vine. The walk‑up riding fare is $1.75 for each 30 minutes on a classic pedal bike. Electric Metro Bikes add $1 to unlock. Stations operate 24/7 and display real‑time bike and dock availability at the kiosks and in the app. The ride from Hollywood/Vine to Franklin and up toward the village is short on distance but includes a steady hill; dock uphill, not on a sidewalk or curb cut.

Shared e‑scooters are permitted on city streets in Hollywood, but there are rules. City regulations cap scooter speed at 15 mph, and sidewalk riding is not allowed. The climb on Beachwood is steep enough that scooters may crawl uphill under load, and end‑of‑ride parking must respect no‑parking zones. If you find no devices staged near Hollywood/Vine, it is faster to use DASH.

For travelers with luggage or kids, that final mile from the station is a perfect use case for a rideshare or taxi. Hollywood/Vine has signed pickup areas on the boulevard, and off‑peak the 1.3‑mile hop to the village usually takes 5–10 minutes by car. If Beachwood looks backed up, ask to be dropped at Franklin & Beachwood and walk the last 10 minutes to avoid sitting in the queue of turning cars.

Seeing the Sign and nearby green spaces the right way

Beachwood Canyon is a neighborhood, and there is no public trailhead from Beachwood Drive into Griffith Park. Hikers aiming for the Hollywood Sign or Mount Lee use official trailheads such as the Brush Canyon Trailhead at 3200 Canyon Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068. The Bronson/Brush Canyon park gate at that address lists general park hours of 5:00 am to 10:30 pm, and hiking trails in Griffith Park close at sunset. Plan your finish accordingly if you came up by bus.

For an easy loop with Sign views, the Lake Hollywood Reservoir path opens its gates at 6:30 am daily and typically closes between late afternoon and early evening depending on season, roughly 5:00–7:30 pm. It is a paved, family‑friendly loop and pairs well with a village visit. Adjacent Lake Hollywood Park is a city park that generally opens early morning and closes at night; arrive on foot or by DASH and expect posted parking restrictions on nearby residential blocks.

If your goal is a hillside picnic rather than a summit, consider timing your DASH ride to step off at Beachwood & Westshire for a coffee, then continue on foot to the reservoir gate. The DASH next‑bus text tool (for example “ladot 2418” for Beachwood & Franklin or “ladot 2700” for Hollywood & Argyle) makes it easy to time your return ride so you are not guessing when evening service tails off.

Key things to know at a glance

• Tap to ride on Metro. A regular fare is $1.75 with free transfers for two hours and daily and weekly caps of $5 and $18. TAP cards cost $2 at station machines if you need one.
• DASH Beachwood Canyon is the only bus that goes up Beachwood Drive. The TAP fare is 35¢, cash is 50¢, and it runs daily except on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
• Text “ladot 2700” for arrivals at Hollywood & Argyle or “ladot 2418” for Beachwood & Franklin. You will get the next three departures back in seconds.
• From LAX without a car: FlyAway to Union Station is $12.75, then one ride on the B Line to Hollywood/Vine and the short DASH hop up the canyon.
• For hikes, use official trailheads like 3200 Canyon Dr. Griffith Park trails close at sunset even though park gates show later closing; the Lake Hollywood Reservoir gates open at 6:30 am and close in early evening.
• Micromobility rules in the neighborhood are strict: scooters have a 15 mph cap and no sidewalk riding. Expect steep grades as you climb Beachwood.

Reader Q&A

Is there a bus that actually goes up Beachwood Drive, or do I have to walk from Franklin?

Yes. LADOT’s DASH Beachwood Canyon runs from Hollywood/Vine up Beachwood with stops at Franklin and at Westshire by the village. The TAP fare is 35¢ and cash is 50¢. Service runs daily except six major holidays, with first trips around 6:30 am on weekdays.

I’m landing at LAX and staying near Beachwood & Westshire. What’s the simplest no‑car route?

Take the FlyAway coach to Union Station for $12.75. Ride Metro’s B Line to Hollywood/Vine ($1.75, counting toward the $5 daily cap), then board DASH Beachwood Canyon at Hollywood & Argyle to Beachwood & Westshire for 35¢ with TAP.

Can I start a Hollywood Sign hike from Beachwood Canyon?

No. There is no public trailhead from Beachwood Drive into Griffith Park. Use official entries like the Brush Canyon Trailhead at 3200 Canyon Dr. Trails close at sunset even though some park facilities list later closing times, and the Lake Hollywood Reservoir loop opens at 6:30 am.

How long is the walk from Hollywood/Vine to Beachwood Village if I skip the bus?

Plan on about 25–30 minutes from the station to the village around Westshire, with a 9–10 minute first leg to Franklin & Beachwood. It is a steady uphill on narrow sidewalks above Franklin, so it is comfortable with a backpack but not ideal with rolling luggage.

Published: September 9, 2026