The Los Angeles River UPDATE! - The San Fernando Valley Update 2

When I began my exploration of the Los Angeles River earlier this year, there were many places in the San Fernando Valley where access to the river was impossible or very impractical.

However, over the summer, a lot has changed and it seems like every passing month brings our river closer and closer to becoming an asset to Valley life instead of the concrete eyesore it's been for years.

In Update #1 I visited the Headwaters Greenway in Canoga Park and the North side of the Valleyheart Riverwalk Greenway in Studio City - two gorgeous new additions that opened this year.

Today I'm going to show you the latest piece of the 51 mile long puzzle the city is slowly putting together - the beautiful new bike path on the South side of the river that runs from the end of the Headwaters Greenway to the Van Alden footbridge in Reseda. 

Opened in late August, the bike path begins at the Mason Ave. bridge and makes it's way East for 2 miles. Along the way there are plenty of benches, water fountains, nice landscaping, and solar powered lights - but no poop bag dispensers. (I may have to start a Poop Bag Foundation or something to raise money for this issue that's all too common along the river.)

The path meanders along the Southern bank of the river and there is no access to the North side for this entire stretch - I imagine that's a project for another day.

The Mason Ave. bridge is where our journey begins.

As soon as you get on the path there is easy access to the water which, on most days, is barely deep enough to cover your paws.

Just 1/10th of a mile West of Mason brings you to the Van Owen St. bridge, where the river makes it's first of many slight turns to the South.

Access is through one of the pretty gates that are found along the entire length of the river.

A 1/2 mile stroll from Van Owen finds us at the Winnetka Ave. bridge, where you'll find a brand new exercise station similar to those found at many of L.A.'s parks and recreation centers.

Looking West at the beautiful mountains and the Winnetka Ave. Bridge.

Continue West for just over another 1/2 mile and the Corbin bridge appears just before the river takes it second slight bend to the South.

Foe some reason, we were the only ones here on a beautiful weekend morning....

A little more than 1/2 mile past Corbin is the Tampa Ave. bridge, near the busy intersection of Tampa and Victory Bl.

Everything is so new and clean around here - let's keep it that way.

Another 1/4 mile walk and we are at the end of the line, the Van Alden Ave. footbridge.

The Van Alden Ave. footbridge connects the trail with Reseda to the North and Tarzana to the South.

The first 3.09 miles from Headwaters is now complete...

That's the end of the road for now. Since there is no access to the North side of the river, this is an out and back trip of just over 4 miles... a great way to get some exercise whether you're traveling by paw or on a bike.


*Strange footnote:

On the day we visited, under each of the bridges (but nowhere else), there were dozens and dozens of spiders hanging from webs they made between the railings of the fence that separates the bike path from the river.

I've never seen anything like it before. If anyone has any idea why they do this please send me an email. Until then...



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


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 #6: Glendale Narrows West

Greetings Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to the 6th 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 my exploration of the river's West to East section.

In Part 5,  I journeyed along the Glendale Narrows by exploring the East side of the river; from the "Great Bend" to the Riverside-Figueroa bridge.

And now, in Part 6, we'll check out the West side of the Glendale Narrows.

Let's get going!



* Ferraro Fields to Los Feliz Bl. Bridge

In Part 4, we ended our West side journey across the street from the Ferraro Soccer Fields, which are in a small slice of Griffith Park that is separated from the main park by the 5 Freeway. This is a good place to park your car while we continue our journey South because there is easy access to the bike path.

Dog Park! Its not the greatest dog park in town, but I'll save that for another blog post.

Walk through the gate opening and we'll have access to the water right away - a good spot for a quick dip before we get started. After getting our paws wet, head South along the bike path and soon the riverside fence will block us from the water as we walk under the 134 Freeway.

After just over 1/2 mile of walking, the fence opens up again and we can get to the water. The vegetation that is so common in the Glendale Narrows makes its first appearance here and the birds are glad to see it. If you can put the noise of the 5 Freeway out of your mind, it looks and feels like the natural river it was so long ago.

Hello Mr. Heron!

Shortly (just over 1 mile from our start) we'll pass under the Colorado St. Bridge and another 1/3 of a mile takes us past Tunnel #1, which goes under the 5 Freeway and provides access to Griffith Park. This tunnel is mostly used by horses and their people who have crossed the river from Atwater Village on their way to have fun in the park.

Griffith Park's Tunnel 1 leads us into the park near the Crystal Springs Picnic Area

Continue South for another 1/2 mile and the fence once again prevents access to the river as we approach Los Feliz Bl.

Time to get back on the bike path...or get our paws wet walking under the bridge.

* Los Feliz Bl. Bridge to Glendale-Hyperion Bridge

Instead of going under the bridge, we decided to go over it via the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge, which was built in 2002 to provide safe passage over Los Feliz Bl. and is dedicated to Alex Baum, a major player in the effort to turn L.A. into a bike-friendly city.

The 'arch' is supposed to represent the spokes on a bicycle wheel...

Soon after Los Feliz Bl., the vegetation grows almost to the river bank, limiting our access to the main part of the river. However, there is still water to splash in most days.

Looking North toward the Los Feliz Bridge....there's no place quite like L.A. is there?

Just over 1/3 mile South of Los Feliz Bl., there are two footbridges that provide access to the river. The Sunnynook footbridge goes over the river to the East side and beyond to Atwater Village. The Griffith Park Recreation Center footbridge takes us over the 5 Freeway and into the recreation center, where there is grass to roll in, picnic benches, water fountains, trash cans, and tennis courts.

Over the river...

...or over the freeway.

Immediately after the footbridges is the Sunnynook River Park. Opened in 2013, its almost 3-1/2 acres of native plants, benches, info signs, and the Luis McAdams Riverwalk, which ends just before the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.

The trail is named in honor of Luis McAdams, the co-founder of FoLAR.

Approximately 0.6 miles South of Los Feliz Bl. brings us to the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.





* Glendale-Hyperion Bridge to Glendale Fwy. Overpass

Walk under the bridge (or stay on the bike path) and you'll pass the Red Car pylons that still stand many years after the Red Cars made their last run. This is perhaps the prettiest section of the river and the speed of the water picks up considerably.

Check out my post about the East side of the Glendale Narrows for more about the Red Cars.

The next 3/4 of a mile is a beautiful walk leading us to the Fletcher Dr. bridge. Pass under the bridge and almost immediately to our right is a small park and a pathway leading up to Fletcher Drive. Take the pathway and check out one of the nicest of the many gates along the river.

The Great Heron Gate is the entrance to Rattlesnake Park, a pocket park with benches and trash cans that was built by Northeast Trees in 1997. The park is named after the nest of rattlesnakes they found during construction. The snakes were relocated and now this park is one of the official points for kayakers to enter the river.

Nice gate......so you're sure the rattlesnakes are gone?

Return to the bike path and walk another 1/4 mile to reach the Glendale Freeway (Rte. 2) overpass.

Under the freeway is one of the most popular spots for fishing on the river...that's right, I said fishing.

* Glendale Fwy. Overpass to Riverside-Figueroa Bridge

The next 2.3 miles is by far the most developed section of the river for recreation. There is a lot to see here and it seems like every couple of months brings us something new to explore.

Just beyond the overpass is the newest addition to the river's fun spots. Phase II of Marsh Park just opened in August 2014 and its sure to be a hit for years to come.

Near the riverside entrance to the new Marsh Park Phase II

There is a big parking lot here with EV charging stations, a building to host events, restrooms, an exercise course, lots of grass, benches, poop bag dispensers and a dog-friendly water fountain.

Any park that has one of these is OK in my book...

Back on the bike path, another 1/4 mile brings us to the original Marsh Park with it's funky playground, benches, grass, a water fountain and poop bag dispenser.

Well this isn't something you see everyday at the playground...

Just past Marsh Park, the vegetation in the river grows right up to the bank, blocking access to the water for almost a mile. However, there are plenty of things to keep us busy along the way.

About 0.6 miles South of the Glendale Freeway is tiny Elysian Valley Gateway Park. This was the first park built along the river back in 1996. It has picnic benches, a poop bag dispenser, trash cans, and a water fountain. There's some grass to roll in too. Not bad for a little park.

Its been 18 years since this park opened...a lot has happened since then.

A two minute walk past Elysian Valley Gateway Park and we're at perhaps the coolest and certainly most unique new feature of the Glendale Narrows...The Frog Spot.

"The Frog Spot serves as both a community gathering space and as a launching pad for excursions into the river..." say the good people at FoLAR, the creators of this wonderful idea.

An "oasis" along the banks of the LA River

Underneath their shady canopy you'll find a concession stand where you can buy snacks, a cool drink, or a hot cup of coffee. The first thing they asked Pack Leader when we got there was "Can I offer you some water for your dog?" Are these people great or what?

On the weekends there are often bands playing, barbecues, and a variety of educational programs for kids and their Pack Leaders......I mean parents.

The next mile or so along the bike path takes you past the occasional bench to take a break at and offers views of the Taylor Train Yard across the river. Soon the vegetation recedes from the bank and the river can be seen again in all its glory.

My sentiments exactly.

At just over two miles South of the Glendale Freeway overpass you'll find Steelhead Park. Here there's a small amphitheater used for educating kids about the river, info signs, a water fountain and a little bit of grass. There are no poop bag dispensers.

The Steelhead trout was once very common in the river.

Go South for another 1/4 mile to arrive at Egret Park and the end of the bike path. The small park has benches, water, trash cans, a porta-potty, poopbag dispenser, and a bunch of info signs.

If you like fancy gates, it really is hard to beat the parks of the Glendale Narrows.

You can see this awesome mural while relaxing on the benches of Egret Park.

The bike path may end here for now, but you can walk South of Egret Park along a dirt path that takes you to the construction site of Riverside-Figueroa bridge. The path ends at the train tracks near the junction of the 5 and 110 Freeways near Avenue 19. When we took these pictures in August 2014 you could see both the new bridge and the old one. Since the old bridge is going to be demolished, you'll have to get there soon to see it.

An effort to turn the old bridge into a park recently failed....

We found some strange things underneath the old bridge...

The end of the trail....and the Glendale Narrows.

We did it! We've covered the LA River from it's Headwaters to the end of the Glendale Narrows. Next stop is Downtown LA. Be sure to subscribe to my blog or visit my website to join me as I make my way toward Long Beach and the Pacific Ocean.


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

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 #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.