The Los Angeles River: East San Fernando Valley (Excerpt)

Greeting fellow Canine Angelenos!


In honor of the San Fernando Valley's first ever CicLAVia event, I've taken an excerpt from my previous blog about the LA River as it runs through the East Valley along the route of Sunday's festivities.

To see all of my LA River stories visit my blog or my website.

I can't wait to walk down the middle of Lankershim and Ventura!





* Coldwater Canyon Bl. to Whitsett Ave.

There is no official access to this section of the river, but in 2016 this will be known as the Zev Yaroslavsky L.A. River Greenway Trail. Also, negotiations are under way with developers of the Whitsett Golf Course to possibly create the L.A. River Natural Park. The all volunteer organization Save L.A. River Open Space is working hard to preserve this area; The Valley's last 16 acres of unprotected open space along the river.

There is unofficial access on the North side from Alcove Ave. (south of Woodbridge St.) to the golf course on Bellaire Ave.

There is also unofficial access on the South side stretching from the parking lot Behind Jerry's Deli to Whitsett Ave.



* Whitsett Ave. to Laurel Canyon Bl.

On the South side, the L.A. River Greenway Park is accessible from the Whitsett Ave. bridge. 

A paved walkway runs behind some businesses and a parking lot that face Ventura Bl. About half way to Laurel Canyon, a footbridge crosses the river on Laurel Grove Ave. and provides additional access. This area has very little in the way of amenities but does provide some natural relief from the hustle and bustle of Ventura Bl. 

I need my sunglasses - this is L.A. after all.

There is unofficial access to the North side.


* Laurel Canyon Bl. to Colfax Ave.

At the intersection of Laurel Canyon and S. Valleyheart you will find The Great Toad Gate, which is the entrance to the Valleyheart Greenway Path. This short path only goes as far East as Radford Ave. but provides a nice extension to your walk in the L.A. River Greenway Park; just be very careful crossing Laurel Canyon.

We need a Great Dog Gate somewhere along the river too...

Although the path is short, the landscaping, which includes a hummingbird and butterfly garden, makes it a pleasant trek. You also can visit the Rattlesnake Wall, a giant rattlesnake sculpture that makes me very glad they really aren't that big.

His tail is around the corner!

The path ends at Radford Ave. as the river enters the CBS Television back lot. For a quick side trip, walk north on Radford and enjoy the Radford Art Walk. It's about 1/4 mile long and full of unique sculptures made by local artist.

There is only unofficial access to the North side of the river.




* Colfax Ave. to Tujunga Bl.

There are two ways to access this section from the West. You can descend the stairs on the Southeast corner of the Colfax Bridge or you can enter from the end of Dilling St., which can be reached by going North on Colfax then turning right onto Chiquita St., right onto Troost Ave., then right again onto Dilling.

From the Colfax Bridge - The Tujunga Wash merges with the river on the CBS TV lot.

A footbridge crossing the river is at the trailhead which gives you the option of walking on either side of the river. From Whitsett to the Tujunga Ave. bridge (which you'll need to cross) makes for a pleasant 1.1 loop hike. 

The South side is easier on the paws but I love a loop hike.

Also at the trailhead is a poop bag dispenser and access to another trail that heads North along the Tujunga Wash.



* Tujunga Bl. to Vineland Ave.

There is no access to the river anywhere along this stretch.



* Vineland Ave. to Cahuenga Bl.

There is no real access to the river here but that doesn't mean there's nothing fun to do.

The Central Branch of the Tujunga Wash, which gets it start near Valley Plaza in North Hollywood, joins the river here and splits Weddington Park into North and South sections.

South Weddington Park, which is only accessible by turning onto Valleyheart from Lankershim Bl., has plenty of things for a dog to do including running through plush grass, chilling under some shady trees, and digging at the gopher mounds that are everywhere in this park.

If you like digging for gophers (and who doesn't?), this is the place for you.

The park is divided into two sections by a couple of nice little league fields. The East side has a path that goes almost 1/2 mile around the park. The West side has become an unofficial off-leash area and gives you a good view of where the wash and the river merge. There are plenty of water fountains and trash cans around but no poop bag dispensers (the apartment complex across the street has some). There are public restrooms too.

The 'secret' off-leash park.

North Weddington Park is much more developed than the South and includes a Community Center, two gorgeous little league fields, a vegetable garden for teaching children about growing food, hand ball courts, picnic benches, a nice playground, and a 1/2 mile walking path that goes most of the way around the park. There are plenty of water fountains and trash cans but no poop bag dispensers. There are public restrooms here as well.

I think they should build a footbridge connecting these two parks.

This park is also only accessible from Lankershim Bl. Go North on Lankershim and take a left onto Acama St. which is about 1/4 mile up the road from Valleyheart.

The kids have their playground...and I have mine.

From here the river heads East behind the Universal City studio lot and makes its way toward Burbank - which is where we'll continue our journey in a future blog.




I hope this blog makes you realize that the L.A. River, even in the most developed areas, can be a fun place to take your pack.

See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno

The Los Angeles River #8 - A Tale of Five Cities

Before we get started, I would like to thank the late, great Sam Simon for all the wonderful things he's done for so many Canine Angelenos. The Sam Simon Foundation was his passion and his love of dogs knew no bounds. If there really is a 'Rainbow Bridge', many dogs are waiting there to greet him with wagging tails and sloppy kisses. Rest in peace Sam. People like you are the reason we want to be man's best friend.



Greetings fellow Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 8 of my dog-centric look at our unique river.

After exploring most of the Downtown L.A. stretch of the river from the car in Part 7, I look forward to getting up close and personal with the South County LA River Bike Path; which begins on the southwest corner of the Atlantic Ave. bridge.

The Atlantic Ave. bridge and Downtown L.A.

Park on District Bl., just south of Atlantic Bl., and join the path through an opening in the fence about 50 yards downstream from the bridge. There is plenty of free parking and it's much safer than dodging the heavy traffic on Atlantic.

Walk down into the river channel and dip your paws before heading south on the graffiti stained path. A chain link fence blocks us from the river for the next half mile but tall grasses give it the illusion of being almost natural (OK, I admit being under 2 feet tall helps).

So happy to put 'paws on the ground' again!

About 1/4 mile south of Atlantic is the unmarked border separating the cities of Vernon and Bell. For some reason (Pack Leader says "politics"), Bell's border is only as wide as the river for close to a mile, separating the so called 'riverside cities' of Maywood and Commerce from the river.

The chain link fence disappears as we approach the Slauson Ave. bridge. Here you can access the path from the bridge itself or via a gateway off of District Bl. 

The Slauson Ave. bridge.

Walk under the bridge and right away you'll see the gated entrance to Maywood Riverfront Park on your right.

The river may be in Bell, but the park is in the city of Maywood.

Opened in 2006, the location of this park was once so polluted by factories that it was declared a Superfund site. Today, it's a 7-acre refuge in the most densely populated city west of the Mississippi. There is a decent amount of plush grass and dozens of shady trees surrounding picnic benches, playgrounds, basketball courts, handball courts, a restroom and a water fountain...but no poop bags.

The park more than doubled Maywood's green spaces!

When you're done rolling in the grass, head back to the bike path and turn right. Here the river bends due south and makes a beeline toward the Pacific ocean. Over the next mile we'll pass Bell's westernmost neighborhoods and a few river access points when we go under the Randolph St. railroad bridge, the Gage Ave. bridge, and the Florence Ave. bridge.

The Gage Ave. and Randolph St. bridges.

Soon after passing Florence Ave., we'll enter Cudahy, the second smallest city in L.A. County. Continue on the bike path (you'll pass an access point at Live Oak St.) until we get to the Clara St. bridge, about 2 miles south of the path's starting point on Atlantic.

Take the stairs on the south side of the Clara St. bridge down to River Rd. and you'll find the entrance to Cudahy River Park. This mini-park, opened in 2009, was another former Superfund site that now serves the city as a storm water capture and cleaning facility, as well as a nice place to relax on a bench under a shady tree.

Just like "the dog in the fight", size doesn't matter.

Walk the short path through the park which takes us back onto River Rd. Take a right onto the sidewalk and in a moment we'll pass the Park Ave. Elementary school, then another river access point just before we find the west entrance to Cudahy City Park.

This park not only has nice facilities such as well-lit basketball courts, a baseball field, multiple playgrounds, restrooms and water fountains, it's also the home of Cudahy City Hall and the Cudahy Library. You can do it all here (except find poop bags), including cooking out because most of the picnic benches come with small barbecue grills.

It's pronounced Cue-Dah-Hee.

Return to River Rd. and cross the street to access a ramp that takes us back onto the bike path. Head south, and in a minute we'll walk beneath the Patata St. railroad bridge; which marks the border between Cudahy and the city of South Gate.

This approximately 2-mile section of the path through South Gate passes an interesting mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial facilities. Access to the path can be found off the Firestone Bl. bridge, and via gateways at the western ends of Southern Ave. and Tweedy St.

Looking south from the Southern Ave. entrance.

Just beyond Tweedy St., the 710 freeway crosses the river. A ramp provides access to the river channel for the Caltrans crews responsible for maintaining the bridge.

Standing beneath the freeway.

Walk under the freeway and to your right you'll see the future home of Parque Dos Rios. This 7.6 acre plot between the 710 and the river will someday be a wildlife habitat with trails and direct access to the bike path. About a half-dozen different organizations are involved in the project, yet 7 years after it was purchased in 2008 we're still waiting for something to get done.

I see lots of potential; what's taking so long?

Look across the river and you'll see the confluence of the L.A. River and the Rio Hondo. The Rio Hondo is a 16+ mile tributary that flows here from Irwindale. The Emerald Necklace trail runs along much of the river - but that's an adventure for another day.

Concrete, concrete,  everywhere - nor any drop to drink...

A few hundred yards past the 710 is the Imperial Highway bridge and just beyond that is the end of the South County Bike Path.

The end of the line...for now.

The L.A. River master plan will someday create a continuous path along the west side of the river. But for now, to continue south, we must backtrack and cross the bridge over to the east side where we'll find the LARIO Bike Path.

Now that's what I call a U-Turn!

In Part 9, I'll resume our journey and explore the southern section of the LARIO Bike Path. Along the way we'll visit some cool parks and see if there really is any drama in the LBC. Until then...


...see you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno




Some of the information I've shared in this blog came from the following sources:

LA Mountains

KCET

North East Trees 



All photographs were taken by my pack leader, Jim Gross 

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose. 




For info about the places I've visited upstream from Vernon, click on the links below:

Part 1 - Western San Fernando Valley

Part 2 - Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area

Part 3 - Eastern San Fernando Valley

Part 4 - Burbank and Glendale

Part 5 - Glendale Narrows East

Part 6 - Glendale Narrows West

Part 7 - Downtown Los Angeles and Vernon