The Forgotten Hollywood Relic Hidden in Runyon Canyon

You're hiking along a dusty trail in Runyon Canyon, the sun high overhead, when something unusual catches your eye—rusted metal, partially buried in the dirt. Most people wouldn’t think twice about it, but you pause.

Turns out, these broken, rusted remnants are all that's left of a giant, glowing Hollywood relic: the Outpost Sign.

A Forgotten Hollywood Landmark

Picture this—it's the late 1920s. Hollywood is booming. Silent films are making way for "talkies," and the town is exploding with stars, directors, and ambitious real estate developers. One of those guys, Charles E. Toberman, had a vision: a luxury neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills called Outpost Estates. And what better way to advertise than with a massive neon sign?

This wasn’t just any sign. It was 30 feet tall, glowing red, and stretched across the mountainside—big enough to rival the famous Hollywoodland sign (which would later become the Hollywood Sign we know today). At night, the letters blazed in neon, announcing the grandeur of the neighborhood to all of Los Angeles.

The Lights Go Out

The Outpost Sign lit up the hills for years, but then came World War II. The city enforced blackout regulations to prevent potential enemy bombers from spotting Los Angeles at night. The Outpost sign? Switched off. And just like that, the biggest neon sign in America at the time went dark.

It never came back on.

Over time, it was dismantled, piece by piece. Nature took over, and the sign was forgotten—except for a few rusted remains, scattered like a lost artifact from Hollywood’s golden era.

The Hidden Remains

Fast forward to today. Hikers in Runyon Canyon have stumbled upon chunks of old metal, tangled in the brush, half-buried in the dirt. You wouldn’t know it unless you were looking, but these are the last surviving pieces of that legendary Outpost sign.

They’re beaten up. Rusted. Almost ghostly. But they’re still here—silent witnesses to Hollywood’s past.

So, next time you’re huffing up Runyon, sweating under the California sun, keep your eyes peeled. You might just find a piece of forgotten Hollywood history rusting away under your feet.