Mulholland Drive

The road honors William Mulholland, the pioneering civil engineer responsible for the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the infrastructure that allowed the city to thrive in a desert. When the main portion opened in 1924, it wasn't a civic necessity but a project by a consortium of developers. They bet that a road winding through the Hollywood Hills would attract wealthy buyers to the rugged terrain.

Construction engineer DeWitt Reaburn predicted the route would become one of the most famous scenic drives in America. Originally dubbed "Mulholland Highway," the eastern portion eventually became the "Drive" we know today, while the western rural sections retained the "Highway" moniker.

Mulholland Drive follows the crest of the eastern Santa Monica Mountains and the Hollywood Hills for 21 miles. This unique positioning makes it a literal border between two different worlds: the urban density of the Los Angeles Basin and the sprawling suburban grid of the San Fernando Valley.

While driving the mostly two-lane arterial, travelers can see iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and Downtown Los Angeles on one side, and the Verdugo and Santa Susana Mountains on the other. Because it traces the very top of the geography, it connects major canyon passes—including Laurel, Coldwater, and Beverly Glen—serving as a high-altitude shortcut between the city’s disparate neighborhoods.

Not all of Mulholland Drive is accessible by car. A significant portion west of the 405 Freeway, known as "Dirt Mulholland," was saved from pavement in the early 1970s by 5,000 local activists. They fought to keep the mountain ridge from being further urbanized, resulting in a permanent closure to motor vehicles that persists today.

This unpaved stretch has become a sanctuary for hikers, mountain bikers, and nature lovers. It also houses a literal relic of the "hot" Cold War: a decommissioned Project Nike missile command post, which has since been converted into a memorial park. This section preserves the "natural beauty and wilderness" that developers once used as a selling point.

Mulholland Drive is more than a thoroughfare; it is a character in the narrative of Los Angeles. Director David Lynch, who named a surrealist masterpiece after the street, noted that the road contains the "history of Hollywood." It represents a paradoxical mix of extreme wealth—housing some of the world's most expensive real estate and long-term residents like Jack Nicholson—and haunting, isolated curves.

This duality—glamour paired with a sense of danger—is reinforced by the road’s physical instability. Despite its status, the route is frequently battered by the elements; mudslides and storm damage, including a major closure in 2024, serve as a constant reminder that the "exclusive" hills are built on fragile, shifting terrain.