The Los Angeles River #10: Long Beach from Del Amo Bl. to The PCH

Greetings fellow Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 10 of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River.


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In Part 9, I made it to Long Beach, the 11th and final city I'll visit on this journey. Today I'll continue walking south toward the sea on the LARIO Trail, beginning at the Del Amo Bl. bridge.
 

Starting to see more seabirds - I must be getting close.

As soon as you pass Del Amo, the Dominguez Gap Wetlands come into view. You can access a loop trail from the bike path or from a spur trail just east of the bridge. There is parking near the spur trail or you can park near the south end and take a short equestrian trail into the wetlands.

So peaceful...you almost forget the 710 is just across the river.

Opened in 2008, the 37-acre wetlands are a flood protection and water treatment facility managed by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. An additional wetland area is on the west side of the 710, but safe access wasn't available as of July 2015, so we'll have to check that out another time.

Flood control & habitat restoration working together.

The mile-long "park" is full of native plants and has two wildlife observation decks, info signs, and benches along the trail. Water fountains, trash cans and poop bag dispensers can be found near the entrances too.

Of course the birds love this place, but they aren't the only wildlife around. Watch out for the coyotes. They may be our canine cousins but they're not here to make friends - make sure your pack has you on a leash.

I see you hiding over there Mr. Coyote

After you've done the loop around the wetlands, return to the bike path and look across the river to see its confluence with Compton Creek.

 The creek flows here from South LA, over 8 miles away.

Continue south on the bike path. Soon you'll walk beneath the Blue Line rail bridge that runs between the Del Amo and Wardlow Metro stations.

Why aren't Blue Line trains blue?

The equestrian trail that runs intermittently alongside the bike path in south Los Angeles County reappears once you pass the Blue Line. When I'm doing an out-and-back adventure like today's, I like to take the bike path one direction and the equestrian trails on the other. You just never know what you might find on the horse path..

Those horses look a lot like rabbits to me :-p

About 1/2 mile south of Dominguez Gap is the 405 Freeway. A short asphalt path branches off the bike path and provides an up-close view of the freeway before rejoining the bike path.

Just beyond the 405, a staircase leads toward the east end of Baker St.. At the bottom of the stairs, a fence blocks access to the street. I can see a small park a few hundred yards up Baker St. but you can't get there from here. I hope this situation is temporary.

A few more minutes of walking alongside an open field which could (should) be parkland takes me beneath the Wardlow Rd. bridge.

Nature is slowly returning to its rightful place by the river.

There's no access to the bike path at Wardlow, but a pathway to the west end of 34th St. appears shortly. Walk down to the street and check out the Earth Day Gate. The gate, dedicated on Earth Day 2007, was made by Michael Amescua, whose iron work is seen all over Los Angeles.

I'd like one of Mr. Amescua's gates on my doggie door.

From 34th St. to Willow St., just under a mile to the south, the Wrigley Greenbelt separates the bike path from DeForest Ave. What was once unused LA County Flood Control District land has been converted to green space. A fence prevents access to the greenbelt from the bike path but you can see it up close from DeForest Ave.

I know what the sign says...it's part of the Wrigley Greenbelt

Just north of the Willow St. bridge, near the access ramp to 26th St. and DeForest Ave. (another good place to park), turn around and look at the concrete channel that stretches north into Los Angeles...say "goodbye".

The last stretch of the concrete riverbed.

Now turn around and walk under the bridge. Before you is the Willow Street Estuary which marks the end of the river's concrete cage and where it returns to its natural, soft-bottomed state. The change is sudden and dramatic.

The estuary is the end of the line for any 'snacks' swimming upstream.

The mile long walk between Willow St. and the Pacific Coast Highway is a beautiful vision of what the river could be someday - alive with plants and birds and fish. I could feel the cool ocean breezes while I watched pelicans diving for breakfast; some crazy little black and white birds following them around hoping for scraps. It was awesome.

Mother Nature is much better at this than people are...just sayin'

Continuing south, you'll see a path that takes you to the corner of 25th St. and DeForest Ave. and, about 1/2 mile south of Willow, some stairs that provide access via another path at Hill St. 

Almost 1/2 mile beyond Hill St., the bike path dips and bends as it goes beneath the Pacific Coast Highway.
 

The PCH: one of the best roads to hang your head out the window on.

Just yards past the PCH is a popular access point. Go through the gate onto the street and turn immediately to your left. Straight ahead will be the entrance to Cressa Park. 

This tiny park goes north from here to 19th St. and was an abandoned, trash filled lot until 2010, when volunteers turned it into a refuge for birds, bugs, and native plants.

Every little piece of green space helps.

This seems like a great place to end today's trek and to take a cookie break. I'll pick it up from the PCH next time in the next chapter of my journey to the sea. Until then...


See You On The LA River!


Chloe Canine-Angeleno 





Some of the information I've shared in this blog was found at:


City of Long Beach

Los Angeles County Public Works

KCET

LA Creek Freek


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 pictures and information about the places I've visited upstream of Del Amo Bl., click 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

Part 8 - Vernon to South Gate
   
Part 9 - South Gate to North Long Beach

The Los Angeles River #7: Downtown Los Angeles & Vernon

Greetings fellow Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 7 of my dog-centric look at our unique river.

Today we'll visit the industrial heart of Los Angeles County and explore an 8-mile gap in the LA River Bike Path that stretches from Frogtown to Vernon. 

This part of the river is difficult to get to. Miles of train track and massive industrial facilities run along both banks - leaving us with almost no safe or legal access. 

It's no wonder most Angelenos have only experienced this portion of the river through their car windows as they cross one of the seventeen bridges and freeway overpasses connecting Chinatown to Lincoln Heights, the Arts District to Boyle Heights, and crisscrossing Vernon.

Soaking my paws beneath the Atlantic Bl. bridge

But big changes are coming.

The revitalization of the river is moving forward and there are a variety projects planned, underway, or recently completed that will someday reconnect the citizens of Los Angeles to their river. Over the next several years, the city plans to turn our under-appreciated waterway into an asset that will make any dog proud to be called a Canine Angeleno.

For now, this is still largely an auto-tour adventure, but there are a few places to stretch our legs along the way.
 

Let's go for a r-i-d-e!
 

In Part 6, I finished my visit to the Glendale Narrows by "marking a spot" between the old and new Riverside-Figueroa bridges.

Feb. 2015: Lots of work still being done on the bridges. Follow the detour signs.

Looking west, we can see the eastern edge of Elysian Park. There certainly is a lot of fun to be had in one of the city's largest parks, but it deserves it own blog post and I'll share those discoveries with you in the near future.

For now we're going to follow the river downstream, which quickly passes under the Pasadena (110) Freeway.

From Elysian Park you can see the river flow toward the heart of the city.

Our first stop is in Lincoln Heights. The Ed P. Reyes River Greenway is a one acre 'parklet' that sits next to the Gold Line tracks. You can access it from the north end of Avenue 18 or the intersection of Avenue 19 and Humboldt St.

It was named after former City Councilman Ed Reyes, a friend of the LA River.

Its primary function is to clean storm water before it enters the river, but it also provides the neighborhood with a nice space to relax in and get their paws dirty. A path takes us along a tiny stream with a footbridge, benches, and info signs. There's a water fountain and trash cans too, but no poop bags.

It's L.A.'s first greenway built and managed solely by the Bureau of Sanitation.

When you're done at the greenway, drive south on Avenue 18 or Avenue 19 to Pasadena Ave. and take a right. To your right is the North Broadway bridge, once the longest concrete arch bridge in California. Drive over it and enjoy the views. 

The Gold Line overpass and the Broadway bridge.

Once over the river, you'll pass the south entrance to Elysian Park then enter Chinatown. When you get to College St. take a left. Take the next left onto N. Spring St. and in about 1/4 of a mile you'll come to the fenced off home of Los Angeles State Historic Park aka. "The Cornfield".

Partially opened in 2006, it closed in April 2014 for a major renovation. When it reopens this November, there will be 32 acres of new park and a great view of the river.

Downtown as seen from the 'Cornfield' when I visited in 2013.

Continue driving past the state-park-to-be. In a moment you'll pass some warehouses, then cross the North Spring St. bridge. As of Feb. 2015, it's being repaired and looks more like a construction site than a bridge. However, you get an excellent view of the Broadway bridge to your left before returning to Lincoln Heights.

Take a right onto Avenue 18, the next right onto Albion St., and the next right again onto Avenue 17, where you'll find the Downey Recreation Center. 

It's your standard city recreation center - community building, baseball field, basketball court, a couple of picnic benches and a playground. Some nice grass and a water fountain too...but no poop bags. What's different about this recreation center is the high fence that runs all along it's western border.

The fence and construction on the Spring St. bridge are signs of good things too come.

On the other side of that fence is the future home of Albion Riverside Park. Scheduled for completion in 2016, the park will be a 6-acre addition (with riverfront access) to the existing recreation center.

 Stuck my nose through the fence to get a sniff. See you in 2016!

When you're ready to continue, go south on Avenue 17 until it intersects with N. Main St. You could take a right and cross the North Main St. bridge, but today we're going to take a left and travel east for a minute.

As of Feb. 2015, the Main St. bridge is also being repaired.

Just past the San Diego (5) Freeway, take a right onto Daly St., then your next right onto N. Mission Rd. As you drive along N. Mission Rd., look to your right at the largest piece of privately owned property in Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Transfer Container Facility, better known as the Piggyback Yard.

Downtown looms over the Piggyback Yard.

You're looking at Union Pacific's Mission Rail Yard. It's the last of LA's great rail yards and the crown jewel of the city's revitalization plans for the river. The goal is to take this 125 acres of shipping containers and create a large riverfront park alongside commercial and residential projects. 

The Piggyback Yard, San Diego Freeway, and Lincoln Heights

N. Mission Rd. ends at E. Cesar Chavez Ave. Take a right to cross the Cesar E. Chavez bridge and get another quick view of the Piggyback Yard.

Take a left onto N. Vignes St., then the next left onto Ramirez St.. Continue straight onto Center St. as you go beneath the Hollywood (101) Freeway overpass.  

Stay on Center St. until, just past E. Temple St., you'll veer right onto Santa Fe Ave. Now it's time to get out the car and do some exploring.

As you travel south on Santa Fe Ave., you'll have access to the deck of the 1st St. and 4th St. bridges. Park near one of them and climb the easy to find stairs for a close-up view of Merrill Butler's bridge building handiwork and some great views of the city.

The Gold Line tracks into Downtown along the 1st St. bridge.

The 4th St. bridge with the 1st St. bridge in the distance.

While the 6th St. bridge doesn't have stairs to its deck from Santa Fe Ave., it does have Downtown's only easy access to the river itself. Walk under the bridge on a graffiti covered, concrete ramp that ends in the river channel. Even if you've never been here before, you've seen this place many times on TV and in movies.

Standing beneath the 6th St. bridge looking upstream.

Visit the 6th St. bridge soon because its been tagged as unlikely to survive a major earthquake and is scheduled for demolition in 2015. This great looking replacement bridge should be ready by the end of 2018.

6th St. is the longest of Downtown's bridges and the only one with a steel arch.

There is also easy access to the 7th St. bridge from Santa Fe Ave. Originally built in 1910, it's known as the "stacked bridge" because a second deck was built on top of the first one in 1927.

The stacking is easy to see from beneath the 6th St. bridge.

The neighborhood around Santa Fe Ave. is a popular film and TV location. Don't be surprised if traffic stops temporarily while the crew gets their shot.

The 7th St. bridge - shut down for filming.

After you've seen the 7th St. bridge, continue south on Santa Fe Ave. You'll go under the Santa Monica (10) Freeway overpass before taking a left onto E. Olympic Bl.

Cross the Olympic Bl. bridge (the 9th St. bridge until the 1932 Olympics) and you'll pass the historic 1927 Sears building. Take the next right onto S. Soto St.

Shortly you'll approach E. Washington Bl. Take a right. The E. Washington Bl. bridge is the last car bridge crossing the river in the city of Los Angeles.

Railroad bridges run beside the Washington St. bridge just before the river leaves LA.

Once you're back on the west side of the river, take a left onto S. Santa Fe Ave. You're about to enter the heavily industrialized city of Vernon, where you'll cross the river 3 times in about a mile by turning left onto E. 26th St., right onto S. Soto St., then left onto Bandini Bl. 

These bridges aren't as fancy as the ones in Downtown LA, but are vital as the river makes a sharp turn to the east, right through the center of the city.

Downtown and the Soto St. bridge near the border of Vernon and Boyle Heights

A great "piggy" mural can be found near Farmer John's on the Bandini Bl. bridge.

Another 1/2 mile or so east on Bandini takes you over the Downey Rd. bridge. Soon the river and Bandini Bl. turn slightly southeast, surrounded by warehouses and a tangled web of train tracks.

Stay on Bandini until you go under the Long Beach (710) Freeway overpass then take a right onto S. Atlantic Bl. Ahead of you is the Atlantic Bl. bridge. On the southwest corner of the bridge is a gateway that marks the start of the bike path to Long Beach - the last stop on today's journey.

At last! The path to Long Beach. I think such an important spot deserves a nicer gateway.

I hope you've enjoyed my river trek through the center of Los Angeles and that you'll join me again for my next blog. I'll be heading into South LA County and checking out some great parks along the way!



See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno




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

Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation

The Los Angeles Conservancy

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. 



For info about places to visit upstream from Downtown L.A., 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

The Los Angeles River UPDATE! - The San Fernando Valley Update 1

Greetings Canine Angelenos!


As I've been making my way along the Los Angeles River, I've come across many sections where there is still no access. The dream of the Los Angeles River Master Plan, once implemented, is for us to enjoy the entire river....but for now its a work in progress.

But progress is indeed being made. 

Over the past few weeks, two new places have opened up in the San Fernando Valley, providing us with almost 3.5 more miles of trails to bike and walk on - including just under 1.5 miles of the 51 mile long river that weren't accessible until now.

*** THE HEADWATERS GREENWAY *** 

In Part 1 of my river exploration,  I covered it from its start at the Headwaters in Canoga Park to the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park. In my original post, there was no access along the river from the Headwaters to Reseda Park. 

But in early July, the grand opening of the Headwaters Project added nearly 1.5 miles of access on both sides of the river - between the Owensmouth Ave. bridge and the Mason Ave. bridge.

The starting point at Owensmouth Ave. & Bassett St. in Canoga Park - only 51 miles to Long Beach!

I started my adventure on the North side and headed East on a smooth dirt pathway that is suitable for bikes as well as pedestrians. Almost immediately, the fencing separating us from the river disappears and you can go down the steep embankment to the water. You also pass the first of many nice benches that are next to brand new poop bag dispensers and trash cans.

They should have planted some shade trees over the benches, but nice work otherwise.

You'll encounter 4 bridges on your journey, all of which provide access to the trail from the street: 


* at 1/5th of a mile into your walk you'll pass under the Canoga Ave. bridge and a Metro Orange line bridge which runs alongside it.

Looking back to the West as the bus passes overhead.

* at the 1/2 mile mark you'll pass a footbridge at Variel Ave. 

Only pedestrians and bikes can cross the river here.

* at 3/4 of a mile you'll pass under the DeSoto Ave. bridge, which only provides clearance up to 6 feet. Be careful all you bikers and tall people (its not a problem for those of us under 2 feet tall).

Share the path (and duck) if you need to.

* at 1.2 miles you'll veer off the river path for a moment to cross a footbridge where Browns Canyon Wash, a tributary which flows South for just over 10 miles from it's origins in the Santa Susana Mountains, joins the river.

The confluence of the LA River and Browns Canyon Wash

*Finally, at almost 1.4 miles, you'll come to the Mason Ave. bridge where the trail ends. At this point you can return the way you came or walk South on the bridge to a gated entrance that provides access to the South side of the river.

South side entrance from the Mason Ave. bridge.

The South side trail follows the river just as the North side does with a few notable differences:


* Right away you'll see where the path will eventually continue East, but there is a locked gate blocking the way. This section will continue on to Winnetka Ave. and is scheduled to open in August.  

Follow me on Twitter and I'll let you know exactly when its open.

Construction delays prevent us from going further East...for now.

* Another thing you'll notice right away is a paved pedestrian path that runs intermittently alongside the dirt bike path from here to the Variel Ave. footbridge.

* When you get to the DeSoto Ave. bridge you must leave the path and cross DeSoto Ave. (unlike the North side where you go under it). Be careful crossing the busy street then re-connect with the path via a gated entrance. 

*The trail stops at the Canoga Ave. bridge, leaving you with two options:

1. Go North on the bridge and reconnect with the North side trail;

or

2. Walk under the bridge along a steep embankment which has signage telling you not to do this (I can't read so I did it anyway). From here a path continues to the Owensmouth Ave. bridge, making for a round trip of just under 3 miles.


I must say that this new greenway is very nice and I'm happy to have more of the river to dip my paws into.

A wet dog is a happy dog.

*** VALLEYHEART RIVERWALK GREENWAY ***

In Part 3 of my exploration, I covered the river from the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area on Sepulveda Bl. to where it enters the Universal Studios lot near the intersection of Lankershim Bl. and Cahuenga Bl. in Studio City.

In my original post, the North side of the Valleyheart Riverwalk Greenway was not yet completed. Well, thanks to the wonderful people who make up The Village Gardeners, the end of June saw the grand opening of the completed greenway.  Now we have access on both sides of the river between Fulton Ave. and Coldwater Canyon Ave. in Sherman Oaks.

The new entrance at Valleyheart Dr. and Fulton Ave.

The trail is perfectly groomed dirt that is easy on the paws with poop bag dispensers, trash cans, benches, and beautiful landscaping along the entire 1/2 mile of new riverside access.  

The trail is fenced off from the river so you can't jump in. There aren't any fountains either, so make sure to bring water.

It sure is pretty

There is also this very neat looking fish mural made of stones.

I'm used to seeing Keep Off The Grass signs, but Keep Off The Fish?! That's a new one.

Depending on the direction you're going, you can cross either the Coldwater Canyon bridge or the Fulton Ave. bridge to make a nice 1 mile loop along both sides of the river... a great way to spend a little time on a hot summer's day.






This was the first of what's sure to be many L.A. River/San Fernando Valley updates. Of course, I'll happily backtrack along any section that I've already covered to bring you the latest info.


My next river post will cover the Glendale Narrows from the "Great Bend" in Glendale to the river's confluence with the Arroyo Seco just North of Downtown Los Angeles. Until then, visit my website at www.CanineAngeleno.com for pictures and info about lots of other fun things a dog can do in our wonderful City of Canines... ok, Angels (same thing?)






See you on the river!


Chloe Canine-Angeleno







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

The Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Daily News
The Village Gardeners
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.