TheFoothillsForum

HI EVERYONE, CAN SOMEONE LET ME KNOW IF THERES A RIVER AROUND HERE, I'VE HEARD THERES A LAKE...WITH THIS HEAT I JUST WANT TO TAKE MY KIDS TO A RIVER...BUT SOMEWHERE AROUND THE AREA...
THANKS...

Could you be thinking of Hansen Dam? It's a great place to take kids to swim. It's in Lake View Terrace. Our river is the (mostly dry) LA River up Oro Vista.

There's a lake in the middle of Hansen Dam
but there is NO swimming in there anymore,
its more like a bird sanctuary now .
The swimming area that I take my kids to is at
the Hansen Dam Recreation area ( entrance on Osborne ).
The cost last summer was $1.50 for Adults
and Kids were FREE ... dunno if anything has
changed for this year or not . And if you show your
LA Library card you get an additional discount .

Don't know what condition it's in these days, but when I was a kid (late 1950s - early 1960s) we used to find lots of fine swimming holes in Tujunga Canyon. Back then there was a "Low Road" that ran along the bottom of the canyon next to the river (creek?). I believe that road got washed away during a bad rainstorm later on
Further up the road to Lancaster/Palmdale there were a few trout stocked fishing holes. Don't know if any of it is accessible since the Station Fire If you don't mind dealing with the homeless camps, the creek that runs under the Riverwood Bridge and further up the wash had a few swimming holes as well.

I took a drive finally up Big T canyon and there is no parking anywhere there are signs that say closed to the public even the day use areas are closed, it's very sad to see empty lots, cement slabs, some bricks left where fireplaces used to be, so much brush either that was burned or has been cleaned away because of the fire.

Like already stated hansen dam pool area and then there's also verdugo hills high school pool, not sure when that opens either.

I was wanting to throw some lures with my son to try to catch some trout that used to be there but all the holes that I was once able to see from the road are no longer there, since the water route has been rerouted.

We passed by Verdugo Hills pool this evening and it's filled up. They open tomorrow.

http://www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/pdf/poolPrg/verdugoHills.pdf

There used to be a Lake in Sunland, where there is now a Mobile Home Park, on Sherman Grove Avenue.

You mean Kennedy's Swimming Pool? I used to spend a lot of time there back in the day. It was a big round cement pool with a "raft" in the middle for diving boards.

WOW! I found an article and photo of it from 1956 on the bottom of page one here (Odd what you can turn up with a single Google search).

I think it was called Lancaster lake and was used for film making back in the 1930's. I think part of the movie Little Women was filmed there in 1933

That's right. I heard Johnny Weismiller (Tarzan) made movies there too.
Bolton Hall Museum has lots of information on this subject.
They are open Sundays and Tuesday's from 1 to 4 p.m. On the corner of Commerce Avenue and Valmont.
Their "work day" for volunteers interested in working on files and collections is Mondays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., then they go to lunch together somewhere locally.
If you have a special interest or question, such as Lancaster Lake information. Call on Monday morning and ask for an appointment.
Their phone number is 1-818-352-3420.

Hey Elfino that was some interesting reading, I ended up reading more than just the pool article.

Wow, I haven't thought of this in years, but I do remember it! We used to ride a friend's mini-bike on it. It was paved (well, it had been at one time) and was for the most part literally on the creek bank going up the canyon. It passed under the bridges of the "new" road as it wound its way upstream. But it was not totally intact. Parts of it had clearly washed away at some point, and this would have been around '66 to '68 for me to have been on it.

While the stream did have some pools at various spots, I don't recall anything large enough to be called a swimming hole.

Also, I recall there were several mine shafts very near this lower road, but we were never able to actually get into any of them (probably a good thing!).

Well to a kid less than 10 years old they were "swimming holes". Actually we mostly waded and romped around in the creek.

There was a pretty good size swimming hole right were the road crossed the stream to get to the old road. I remeber as a little kid falling in it and having a bigger kid pull me up from a few feet under as I hadn't learned how to swim yet.It wasn't long after that that I got signed up at Hough's swimm school.

quote="Elefino"]Back then there was a "Low Road" that ran along the bottom of the canyon next to the river (creek?). I believe that road got washed away during a bad rainstorm later on
[/quote]

Best as I remember on the old low road in the 50's was what remained of the old Wildwood Lodge was two rather large rock fireplaces with tall chimmenys. at each end of the old lodge and foundations. across the road was the very large wildwood swimming hole that you had to pay to get in. we spent a lot of time there and it was a famous weekend party place with the S&T , glendale and San Fernando teen's. I haven't been back there after 1954 and I think the swimming hole got wiped out in the late 50's or 60's. of course there was ever changing swimming holes up and down Big T. cyn as the water flowed all the time.

kennedy pool , our car club the flamingos held a dance there it was a lot of fun.

Pop's willow lake, great time had by all.

Hansen Dam, boat races and swimming time.

Indian Springs, Montrose. high diveing board and fun

Lancaster lake , us kids usually went to the weekend catered company ( shopping bag market , ect, ect ) picnics and nobody cared.
we always had a great time. Ed Brandenburg and I worked our senior year for A OK catering who owned lankaster lake then. we drove the origional roach coach's that were built on a pickup and had to use charcoal to heat the coffe and hot food. they finnaly gave me a propane heated truck. the main office was in LA and our routes were in LA. with about 20 stops each and it was a night shift. to bad our young men can't find this kind of work nowdays....

Sterlings origional old resturant, everyone went with thier familys for the wonderfull Chicken dinners on sat and sun.