The Los Angeles River #5: Glendale Narrows East

Greetings Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to the 5th installment of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River.

In Part 1, I covered the Western San Fernando Valley - from the Headwaters to the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park.

In Part 2, I took a thorough sniff of the entire Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.

In Part 3, I explored the Eastern San Fernando Valley - from Sepulveda Bl. in Sherman Oaks to Universal City.

In Part 4, I made my way through Burbank and parts of Glendale, completing our exploration of the river's West to East section.

Today we start heading South. 

The river makes a sharp turn to the South in between the Glendale Water & Power Utility Operations Center to the East and Griffith Park's Ferraro Soccer Fields to the West. 

The area we're about to enter is known as the Glendale Narrows and is the most popular and widely developed section of the river. There has been a lot done to improve this part of the river for recreation in recent years and now we have the Army Corps of Engineers $1 billion facelift coming - I can't wait too see what new things are on their way!

I am going to divide my coverage of the Glendale Narrows into two posts. The first part will cover the East side of the river from the Glendale Narrows River Walk, down to Confluence Park where the river is joined by the Arroyo Seco near the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge.

The second part, which I'll post soon, will cover the West side of the river from the Griffith Park Dog Park to just past Egret Park, where the bike path currently ends near the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge.

So let's get started!



* Glendale Narrows Riverwalk to Los Feliz Bl. Bridge

Just West of the Flower St. entrance to the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk (where Part 4 ends), is a short paved walkway that ends at a locked gate just as the river makes its turn to the South. There isn't anything to do here, but it does provide our first view of the river looking South and makes for a nice photo opportunity.

Our journey Southward begins just before the 134 Freeway.

From this point, drive West on Flower St. then take a right onto San Fernando Road. You'll be driving through West Glendale, a busy industrial area with no access to the river. Drive South for just over 2 miles then take a right onto Chevy Chase Drive. When you reach the end of Chevy Chase, you'll be at the entrance to North Atwater Park. Park in the lot to your left.

Hurry up with the photo, all the fun stuff is over there...

At the end of the parking lot is a small area full of native plants. A short pathway winds past them with the occasional informational signage telling you about the plants themselves and the park. Just West of this area is a baseball field, basketball court, volleyball court, playground, rest room and a nice grassy area to roll in. There are a couple of water fountains too...but no poop bag dispeners. 

This park is a bit of a mutt, a little of this and a little of that...just like me!

Just East of the pathway are more informational signs about the river and the river itself. At the riverbank, you'll be on a paved walkway but you can easily access the water and walk along the sloped embankment if you prefer (I always choose the wettest option). Head North (upstream) and splash in the bird filled river with excellent views of the mountains. 

Standing on the bank of the river with the 5 Freeway in the background.

After about 1/2 mile of walking, you'll come to the Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant Greenway, a small pathway with native plants, informational signs, benches, and a view of the pool where the reclamation of our water takes place. Take a minute to educate yourself and enjoy the view.

The water reclamation plant is actually the source of most of the water in the river around here.

Another 1/4 mile North is the Colorado St. bridge. You'll need to pass under it to continue as there is no access to Colorado from here. Another 1/2 mile of walking past the bridge takes you just South of the 134 Freeway and the end of the line because the embankment becomes too steep to continue. Turn around and head back to North Atwater Park.

Making my way North toward the Colorado St. Bridge

When you get back to North Atwater Park, continue South (downstream). You'll soon pass an equestrian loving neighborhood whose properties provide them access to the river, and the Los Feliz Golf Club, a rough looking par-3 course. Just before you reach the Los Feliz Bl. bridge, you'll come upon a small park with decorative benches, stonework, and the 'Guardians of the River' gate which were put here by the non-profit North East Trees organization - a group responsible for many nice mini-parks along the river.

Heading South with Downtown L.A. looking like Oz in the distance.

* Los Feliz Bl. Bridge to Glendale-Hyperion Bridge

To reach the East side of the river near Los Feliz Bl. you have a couple of options:

Park in the Los Feliz Golf Course parking lot then cross Los Feliz on Glenfeliz St. before cutting through a small grassy area next to the bridge OR park at the West end of Dover St. and go through the main entrance of Atwater River Park.

The Los Feliz Bl. bridge from Atwater River Park

This small park has a poop bag dispenser, benches, native plants and the Yoga Trail - a winding pathway with about 5 'stations' along it's route that have signs providing Yoga pose instructions and motivational quotes - a unique version of the popular workout routes found in many of LA's parks.

You guys can work on your poses...I'm going to see what these ducks are up to.

The park ends about 1/3 mile South of Los Feliz Bl. at the Sunnynook Dr. footbridge. There is access to the river from Sunnynook Dr. and the footbridge itself crosses the river, providing a route to the bike path on the West side.

The Sunnynook 'paw' bridge is the safest way to cross; but we're staying on the East side today.

Head South for approximately another 1/3 mile and you'll come to the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge.

The bridges from here to Downtown are so cool looking...

* Glendale-Hyperion Bridge to Glendale Fwy. Overpass

Walk under the bridge and you'll immediately enter the Red Car River Park which isn't really a park but a spot in the river where bridge pylons used by the Red Car, LA's storied streetcars, still stand. There's a mural painted on the pylons and a couple of concrete "benches" to sit on but calling it a park is definitely a stretch. However, it is a very nice open spot in the river that's lots of fun to splash in. You can access the park from the corner of Glendale Bl. and Ferncroft Rd.

Red Cars were part of the largest trolley system in the world in the early 20th century.

Continue walking and splashing South. You'll soon pass another river access point at Acresite St. then, about 4/5 mile from the Hyperion bridge, you'll come to the Fletcher Ave. Bridge. 

All those cars passing overhead have no idea how much fun I'm having down here...

There is access to the river from the bridge where a small park, built by those great people at North East Trees, features native plants, benches, and the very cool Water With Rocks Gate. Pack Leader and I stopped here for lunch and forgot to take pictures (oops) but you can check out the LA River Annex website for pics of the gate and other pieces of public art along the river.

Another few minutes of walking brings you to the Glendale Freeway overpass where you have to make a big decision. You can continue walking South on the bottom of the riverbank but there is no access to the streets (or out of the river) to the East. If you continue this way you're committed for quite a distance and I don't recommend it. 


* Glendale Fwy. Overpass to Riverside-Figueroa Bridge

As I mentioned, South of the Glendale Freeway there is no access to the river from the East. The abandoned Taylor Train Yard takes up most of this area through Glassell Park and Cypress Park and its off-limits to the public.

But don't despair, there are plenty of fun things to do just off the river...

Just South of the Freeway, near the intersection of Casitas Ave. and Perlita Ave. is one of the strangest sites along the river. Created by a local artist, "The Unfinished" is a to scale replica of the famous “Unfinished Obelisk” in Egypt that has been 'excavated' in an abandoned industrial yard that is supposed to become parkland in the future. 

Are we in Aswan? Las Vegas? No...its Glassell Park!

The obelisk is certainly unique, but Pack Leader enjoyed the sign post leading to it even more.

Now you know how to spell The Unfinished in 16 languages!

The river is close by but a high fence keeps us out. I can't wait until the project to turn this unused property into park land gets going.

After getting your fix of the Nile, I mean LA River, head back to San Fernando Rd. and head South. Just over a mile down the road you'll come to Macon St. and the entrance to the Rio de Los Angeles State Park. Opened in 2007, this 35 acre park is part of an ongoing effort to restore the area around the long abandoned Taylor Yard, which was a busy rail yard and industrial area during the first half of the 20th century.

They sure do like signs around here.

The park has many fun things for you humans to use including a community room, picnic areas with barbecue pits, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, and a bunch of soccer fields. 

This park is the definition of a "multi-use" facility.

There is plenty of grass for a dog to roll in too, but of particular interest to me is the Oxbow Trail, a 0.6 mile nicely graded loop that takes us through restored wetlands full of native plants, benches and water fountains. There are no poop bag dispensers yet but there are great views of the remains of the Taylor Yard. 

 

Every park should have a trail...just saying.

Currently there is no access to the river. In fact, the river is hundreds of yards to the West of the park; but that may change soon. The City of Los Angeles is close (as of August 2014) to closing a deal to purchase much of the remaining Taylor Yard property which will give us the opportunity to turn this area into a huge park with access to the river. You know I'll be back when that happens! Many people consider this to be the most important piece of property for the long term restoration of the river. Thank you to all the great people who are making this happen!

When you're done exploring this park, return to San Fernando Rd. and head South again. Another mile or so of driving will take you to the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens on your left. 

This place was once the headquarters of Lawry's Steakhouse. Mmmm...steak.

This beautiful property, just up the road from the confluence of the LA River and the Arroyo Seco, is a multi-use facility popular for hosting weddings and formal parties. 

I know I'll get in trouble if I jump in...but its tempting.

Its also the headquarters for a variety of non-profits, including FoLAR and the LA River Revitalization Corp. My favorite part is the River Garden Park which is full of shady trees, picnic benches and a small creek.

Its not a big park, but it sure is a pretty one.

From the River Center, you can walk a short distance South on San Fernando Rd. to see the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge and Confluence Park. However, as of August 2014, Confluence Park is being used as a construction staging area while the new Riverside-Figueroa Bridge is being finished and the old one destroyed. I'll talk more about that in my post about the West side of the Glendale Narrows. But for now, follow me on Twitter and I'll let you know when access to the park is restored.


That wraps up our trip along the East side of the Glendale Narrows. There sure is a lot to do here! There's even more to explore on the West side of the river, the subject of my next post. So subscribe now or you might miss it!

This has been quite a journey! I need a drink.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno



www.CanineAngeleno.com




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

Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation

LA Mountains

Los Angeles Times 

North East Trees

KCET 

Down By The Los Angeles River

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.

The Los Angeles River #4 - Burbank, Glendale, and the "Great Bend"

Greetings Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to the 4th installment of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River.

In Part 1, I covered the Western San Fernando Valley - from the Headwaters to the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park.

In Part 2, I took a thorough sniff of the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.

In Part 3, I explored the Eastern San Fernando Valley - from Sepulveda Bl. in Sherman Oaks to Universal City. 

Today we'll pick up where we left off and make our way toward what I call "The Great Bend"; where the river makes a sharp turn to the South on its way to the ocean.

     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


We last saw the river as it disappeared into the back lot of Universal Studios. From here it heads almost due East into Burbank and enters the back lot of Warner Brothers Studios, running parallel with Forest Lawn Drive. There is no public access anywhere along this stretch. 

The next place where we can walk along the river is definitely off the beaten path. At the East end of the Warner Brothers lot, a security gate marks the the start of a trail used mostly by nearby residents and horse owners. You can reach this spot by parking as close as possible to the intersection of Valleyheart Dr. and California St. in Burbank (Thomas Guide 563 E5)

The Warner Brothers lot gate you've probably never seen...

The path runs along the North side of the river for just over a mile until it dead ends where the 134 Freeway crosses the river. Along the way we'll pass a nice little park and a tunnel that takes us to the next leg of our journey:

BUENA VISTA PARK begins about 1/3 mile East of the Warner Brothers gate. Its a small park that is divided into two sections by Riverside Drive. It has plenty of plush grass, shady trees, picnic tables, benches and trash cans. Unfortunately, there is no water available and no poop bag dispensers. 

I've been known to drink recycled water... just saying.

There is an odd looking sculpture to check out and great views of the mountains surrounding the Forest Lawn cemetery. You can also see the Headworks Reservoir construction project, which will eventually have trails on the South side of the river to explore but that won't happen until 2018 at the earliest.

"Requiem", created by Erwin Binder in 1988, is dedicated to "Defenders of the Constitution"

About 1/4 mile past the East end of the park, you'll find a tunnel that goes under the 134 Freeway. Walk through the tunnel and you'll come out near the rear entrance of the Disney Animation building. A new trail starts here and heads East. This trail is used heavily by horses so watch where you step!

There are no 'pick up the horse poop' rules, so watch where you put your paws!

You won't be able to see the river for about 4/10ths of a mile but don't worry, it appears again after you pass the 134 as it crosses over the river. From there, continue on for another 1/4 mile until you reach the intersection of Valleyheart Dr. and Mariposa St. 

Now the fun really begins...

At the end of Mariposa St., a bridge used by horses and their people crosses the river. From here we have a couple of options to continue exploring the river. Our first option is to not cross the bridge and take a path that begins on the East side of the bridge, leaving us on the North side of the river; OR we can cross the bridge and turn East to explore the South side. 

Either way is a nice trip in itself and you can make it a loop hike by crossing the river or the Riverside Drive Bridge. 

The horse bridge.

*** THE NORTH SIDE ROUTE ***

Continue East past the bridge (don't cross it) and you'll be on a sandy trail that goes by the L.A. Equestrian Center. After approximately 6/10ths of a mile, the trail will bend to the North as you run into the junction of the L.A. River and the Burbank Western Channel - a tributary of the L.A. River that begins near Sunland. Almost immediately you'll see another horse bridge that crosses the channel. Cross that bridge to resume your journey Eastward.

I'm calling this section the 100 Horse Trail because you'll see at least that many on the weekend.

Now you're at the West end of the Bette Davis Picnic Area, near the intersection of Western Ave. and Rancho Ave. in Glendale. At this point you've traveled about 1 mile from the Mariposa St. horse bridge.

The West end of the Bette Davis Picnic Area

Stay to your right and follow the trail and you'll quickly come to an opening in the fence that allows access to the river. This is the first place where we can wet our paws since we left the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area all the way back in Sherman Oaks (Read Part 2 of my L.A. River blog). Its time for some serious splashing!

Remember to pack a towel or the dog will make a big mess in the car on the way home.

From this point we have two options for exploring the North side of the river. One is to walk along the river itself; the other is to cut through the Bette Davis Picnic Area, then walk along a bike path:


*** North Route Option 1 - Along the River:

Once you walk down to the river just follow it downstream, walking slightly askew along the concrete embankment. You've now entered the section of the river known as The Glendale Narrows. Enjoy the cool water and watch the many birds that take advantage of this riparian zone in the middle of America's second biggest city. 

You're likely to see ducks, geese, egrets, coots, and many other species of birds...

About 1/4 mile downstream you'll pass under the Riverside Drive Bridge, the first in a series of 14 historic bridges that cross the river between here and Washington Bl. in downtown L.A.

Making my way East past the Riverside Drive Bridge.

Another 1/4 mile of walking takes you under the 5 Freeway near its junction with the 134 Freeway.

I'll bet those people stuck in traffic up there have no idea how nice it is down here

You can continue downstream for about another 1/4 mile until the embankment becomes too steep to walk on and the river takes makes its hard right turn Southward toward the Pacific.

Approaching the end of the line as the river turns South.

*** North Side Option 2 - The Park and the Riverwalk:

From the West end of the Bette Davis Picnic Area, enter the park and enjoy the well kept grass, dozens of shady trees, picnic benches, and a public restroom. 

A perfect spot for a cookie break.

The park is divided into two sections by Riverside Drive, so you'll need to cross the road over to the second section in order to continue our journey. 

Both sides of the Bette Davis Picnic Area have lots of nice grass to roll in.

Once you've entered the second section, walk to the Southern end of it (near the intersection of Garden St. and Paula Ave.) and enter the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk Park. This beautiful little park is the entrance to a 1/2 mile bike and pedestrian path that follows the river along the top of its concrete embankment. There are picnic benches, poop bag dispensers, and educational signage along the entire path. 

You can get some exercise and an education at the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk

The path ends on Flower St. close to where the river makes it's sharp turn to the South. You can return the way you came, however, about 3/4 of the way down the path there is access to the river itself, letting you make a loop hike while always being on the North side of the river.

Flower St. entrance gate to the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk

*** THE SOUTH SIDE ROUTE ***

To visit the South side, cross the horse bridge at the end of Mariposa then turn East. In a few hundred yards you'll be on a paved path that eventually takes you to the Riverside Dr. Bridge, just over a mile away. Along the way you'll pass Tunnel 6 which goes under the 134 Freeway and into Griffith Park. 

Griffith Park is too big to cover in this blog, but I'll be posting one all about Griffith Park very soon.

Shortly after you pass Tunnel 6, the fence separating you from the river opens up and you'll have access to the water just as you enter The Glendale Narrows. 

Ahhh, back to the river and all the wonderfully smelly things within it.

Once you reach the Riverside Drive bridge you have two options on how you can proceed. One is continuing alongside the river; the other is to take the very popular Glendale Narrows Bike and Pedestrian path:


*** South Side Option 1 - Along the River

Similar to the North side, from here its another 1/4 mile to the 5 Freeway near its junction with the 134 Freeway.

To continue along the river we have to walk under the bridge.

Another 1/3 of a mile of walking takes you the bend in the river, where the embankment gets too steep to continue. This is where the river ends its West to East journey and its the perfect place for us to turn around.

The wall at the "Great Bend" and the freeway interchange mark the end of the line.

*** South Side Option 2 - The Bike Path

Cross under the Riverside Drive bridge and walk up the embankment to the entrance of what's known as the Glendale Narrows/Elysian Vally Bike Path, which runs close to 7 1/2 miles from here to Egret Park on Riverside Dr.

Bike path entrance from the Riverside Dr. Bridge

You'll pass under the 5 Freeway on your way toward the river's turn to the South, all the while having access to the river through the gaps in the fence. When you reach the "Great Bend", the fence will no longer allow access to the river due to the steep embankment I mentioned earlier. 

As with the other possible routes to this point, this is where we end today's trip. We'll pick up our journey from this point in my next blog about the river.

The fence begins to restrict access to the river here - our starting point for Part 5 of my LA River exploration.

Well, that's it for our 4-part, West to East journey along the LA River. 

Subscribe to my blog and join me as I explore the North to South section and many other fun places for dogs and their pack to enjoy in our great city.

See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno




Resources used to write this blog:

Down By The Los Angeles River by Joe Linton

The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth by Blake Gumprecht

KCET

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.

*A Park By The Mountains; A Park By The Sea

I visited two more of Los Angeles' awesome parks this week. A visit to the Verdugo Mountains and the Pacific Ocean - that's what makes L.A. so great; we've got all these different environments so close to each other.

A Canine Angeleno is a lucky dog indeed...


*** Brand Library Park ***

Rating: 3.5 paws

1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201
The main entrance is at the corner of Grand View and Mountain


Leslie Brand was an extremely successful real estate developer who left his mark all over Glendale in the early 1900's (Brand Bl. was built by and self-named after him). From 1902-1904 he built, then moved into the "castle" and property that we know today as Brand Library Park.

A dog could get used to this kind of luxury.

Mr. Brand lived his life to the fullest and while some people of the time questioned his character, he was a renowned dog lover and is actually buried on the property along side his dogs. He also left his property to the city and insisted it "be kept in as good condition as the best public parks and libraries are maintained in Southern California." Anyone that would do those things is alright by this dog...

The park has lots of humans only things to see and do including a library, an art gallery, a recital hall, a sculpture court, a Japanese tea garden, and Brand Studios - a popular place for parties and conferences. 

All that stuff is nice I'm sure, but I'm much more interested in the park itself; 31 acres of grass and trees at the base of the Verdugo Mountains. There are hiking and biking trails, a basketball court, a softball field, a playground, and a children's wading pool. The grass is extremely well maintained and there are many picnic areas where we could stop for a cookie.

The main attraction for hikers and mountain bikers is the Brand Trail, a fire road which climbs steeply for about 3 miles. Its a nice workout and there's not much shade, so get started early before it gets too hot out. On the trail you will find the Brand family cemetery where Mr. and Mrs. Brand and their dogs are buried. There are also a few spur trails and a paved walk around a debris basin for those of you that want something less strenuous to do.

Glendale from the trail above the debris basin

All of these walks start at a trail head that has a poop bag dispenser and the Miss American Green Cross statue, a tribute to an early 1900's ecological society. The statue itself is rather odd looking and has a very colorful history.

Sure its a little creepy, but its all about saving trees and rivers... I think.

Another interesting piece of local history that can be visited by all of us as we roam around the lawn is the Doctor's House Museum and Gazebo. The house was originally built in 1888 on E. Wilson Ave. but was moved to its present location in 1980. 

What a doctor's office looked like in the late 1800s to early 1900s...but where's the vet's?

Brand Library Park, much more than most places, has a little bit of something for everyone. Its a must visit for anyone interested in local history, the arts, or well manicured lawns to roll in. It also has the fanciest dog friendly water fountain I've ever seen...

To drink from anything else would be....uncivilized.

*** Palisades Park ***

Rating: 3 paws

 

Ocean Ave. between Colorado Ave. and San Vicente Bl.

Santa Monica, CA 90404
There is metered parking all along Ocean Ave. but get here early on weekends if you want a space.



In 1892 John P. Jones, one of the founders of Santa Monica, along with Arcadia Bandini de Baker, widow of another one of the city's founders, donated a strip of land which has grown to become one of the legendary landmarks of Los Angeles - Palisades Park in Santa Monica.

A Los Angeles_Santa Monica classic

This 1.6 mile stretch of prime ocean front real estate is a major tourist attraction full of art, history, and colorful characters as well as breathtaking views of the Pacific.

The Santa Monica Pier is across the street too - you will be surrounded by tourists

There are well manicured, tree lined dirt paths that let you walk along the bluffs and enjoy the scenery as well as lots of grass that just begs to be rolled in.

No, I'm not finished yet, but thanks for asking...

You humans will learn a few things too as the park is full of sculptures, war memorials, and a visitor center that incorrectly calls itself the Western terminus of world-famous Route 66.

Its not really the West end of the road - but don't tell the tourists

You weren't expecting a Civil War era cannon at the beach? I want to know why its pointed at the pier...hmmm

Palisades Park is a great place to visit on a hot day. The ocean breezes are refreshing and there is plenty of shade to be found underneath the many beautiful trees. There are also water fountains available so staying cool is no problem here. 

The only bone I have to pick with a park that's so popular with dogs is that there are no poop bag dispensers.

Two more things that L.A. is famous for: The PCH....and traffic.

That's all for this week's adventures in Los Angeles. I hope you visit and enjoy these wonderful parks soon and be sure to check out my website CanineAngeleno.com for more great places to take your humans. 

Click here to see what factors I look at to come up with my park ratings.


See you at the park!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno









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

The Los Angeles Times

The Glendale Historical Society


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.