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 #9: South Gate to North Long Beach

Greetings fellow Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 9 of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River. 

In Part 8, I reached the end of the South County L.A. River Bike Path in South Gate. To continue my journey, I must now cross the Imperial Hwy. bridge and use the LARIO Bike Path the rest of the way.

The LARIO begins at Whittier Narrows and travels for 12 miles along the Rio Hondo to its confluence with the L.A. River - just upstream of the Imperial Hwy. bridge. From there it follows the east bank of the river to the ocean.

What awaits us on the other side? The first thing you'll notice is how big the river channel is. It looks like a walled airport runway. This is the widest part of the river and it's used for a variety of things other than flood control...such as training taxi drivers!

What's more "L.A." than driving cars in the river?

While there's nothing natural about the river around here, only Glendale Narrows has more easy access to park land than this section of the trail. Surprised? I was.

About 1/2 mile downstream from Imperial Hwy. is the north end of Hollydale Park. An equestrian center occupies most of the area and a horse trail stretches between the park and bike path.

There are many horse facilities along the river from here into Long Beach.

A short walk down the bike path finds stairs that lead into the heart of this 56 acre park. The grassy field that makes up the majority of the park is split down the middle by a row of electrical towers, but there is still plenty of room to roll in the grass and play soccer.

This way to the parking lot too - a good place to start this adventure.

There are courts for basketball, tennis and handball as well as picnic benches, playgrounds, and Hollydale Dog Park, an off-leash area with a poop bag dispenser and water fountain.

What more does a dog need in a park? I give it 4 paws.

Back on the bike path, Century Bl. marks the end of Hollydale Park and the border between South Gate and Paramount. Another 1/3 mile of walking and you'll be standing beneath the 105 Freeway. Past the 105 you'll see an industrial park and some great, post-apocalyptic looking views of the river channel.

I'm not the only Canine Angeleno enjoying the river today.

About 2/3 mile south of the freeway is the Rosecrans Ave. bridge. Once you pass the bridge, you'll see the north end of Ralph C. Dills Park.

Another park so soon? Nice.

The two ends of this 9 acre park are open fields with plush grass, shady trees, playgrounds, and water fountains. The south end has restrooms (but no poop bags) and a nice picnic area too.

Ralph Dills was California's longest serving state legislator - 43 years!

Connecting the two ends is a nature trail that doesn't allow dogs on it. How can you connect two parks with a nature trail and not allow dogs?

The nature trail. I hear it's nice.

Dills Park ends when you reach the Somerset Bl. bridge. South of Somerset, a small section of Compton lies east of the river. For the next 1/4 mile or so, you'll be in the city of Compton - just long enough to walk along the fenced boundary of the Compton Par 3 Golf Course.

Who doesn't love chasing a ball around in plush grass?

Once you pass the golf course you're back in Paramount and it's 1/4 mile more to the Alondra Bl. bridge. 

The Home Depot nearby is another great place to park while you explore.

About 1/4 mile south of Alondra you'll see a long metal staircase that provides access to L.A. County's 72nd Street Arena. It's a facility for equestrian exhibitions and a nice rest stop for travelers on the bike path. There are restrooms, a water fountain, and a small picnic area next to the arena.

An obnoxious rooster will greet you at 72nd St. Arena. Trust me, you'll hear him.

1/5 mile beyond the staircase is the Atlantic Ave. bridge. If that sounds familiar it's because the river has gone beneath Atlantic before - in Vernon where the South County L.A. River Bike Path begins.

We meet again Atlantic.

Somewhere between Atlantic and the 91 Freeway, which is just over 1/2 mile away, you'll enter the city of Long Beach.

I made it to LBC! I can almost smell the ocean from here!

The Artesia Bl. bridge is only a few hundred yards past the freeway. From there walls on both sides keep you on the bike path for the next 1/3 mile, until you reach the first of two entry points into DeForest Park.

South L.A. County sure has a lot of parks along the river!

Here you'll find plenty of grass to roll in, trees to sit under and squirrels to chase. A community center, playground, and courts for basketball, handball and tennis are in the middle of the park. There are also two bathrooms and a water fountain, but no poop bags.
 
Most of the park's almost 50 acres are part of the Deforest Nature Trail, a floodwater detention basin. It was closed when I visited, so we got back on the bike path via a staircase next to the nature trail's entrance.

Maybe next time.

1/3 mile south of those stairs is the Long Beach Bl. bridge, where there is access to the street and the DeForest Wetlands.

More parkland on the way? Nice work Long Beach.

The wetlands are a 34 acre former debris basin that will someday become a park. It's a work in progress, but will be a great addition to the growing chain of green spaces along the river.

It ain't pretty...yet.

You can walk through the wetlands or on a dirt path that runs parallel to them if you don't want to return to the bike path. All roads soon cross Del Amo Bl., which marks the end of the wetlands, and of today's adventure.

People often get excited about a big announcement that’s revealed at NAB or IBC, but by the time it comes out it’s already dated, or the people that were waiting for it have moved on. - See more at: http://www.provideocoalition.com/the-other-side-of-content-creation#sthash.4v1USEG2.dp
?Dominguez Gap Wetlands? Del Amo to 405? 30 acre East basin
?Compton Creek? 14 acre West basin
405/710 junction bridge
Wardlow Rd. bridge
East of 710 is LBC; West is Compton

Looking north from Del Amo Bl.

Alright! I made it all the way to Long Beach, the last city on our journey!

Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, or visit my website to come along as I make my way to the Pacific!



See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno 




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

Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works

KCET 

City of South Gate

City of Compton

City of Paramount

City of Long Beach

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 the Imperial Highway, 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

Part 8 - Vernon to South Gate

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.