Melhorn Overlook

Melhorn Overlook. Mulholland Scenic Parkway. , Charles and Lotte Melhorn , More than fifty-year residents of the Santa Monica Mountains, Charles and Lotte Mel horn fought for the recognition of the natural areas and viewshed along Mulholland Drive as a precious public resource. Both dedicated countless hours to assure maximum preservation of the Mulholland Scenic Corridor. Charles was one of the early leaders in the 1970's to have Mulholland Scenic Parkway recognized by the City of Los Angeles. This resulted in the adoption of the City of Los Angeles Mulholland Specific Plan almost twenty years later. An advocate for landscaping with plants native to the area, Lotte was the first "volunteer of the year" of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority's volunteer naturalist program in nearby Franklin Canyon. Both Charles and Lotte were steadfast in their support of the scenic overlooks "for everyone to enjoy" in the face of much skepticism. "All those problems we have today are transitory," Charles said. "What will be remembered is what we did to improve the Mulholland Parkway for future generations." , Mulholland Scenic Corridor , Constructed in 1924, twenty four-mile Mulholland Drive in the City of Los Angeles was envisioned by the famous Water Bureau Chief and City Engineer, William D. Mulholland, as a scenic road that would transport city dwellers to the mountains and the beaches. The world-famous road winds through the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains and links city, county, State, and federal parks within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. From parkway vista points you can see panoramas of the city, mountains, and beaches, or hike trails into packets of wilderness hidden in the canyons. Eight miles of the Scenic Parkway from the 405 Freeway west to Woodland Hills remain unpaved, and are subject to closure. Mulholland Highway starts in the City of Calabasas and twists through the Santa Monica Mountains for thirty miles-to Leo Carrillo State Beach.