Dam it all
The Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area – despite its immense size – is a hidden gem in San Gabriel Valley. It’s like something an overzealous recreation-loving uncle would construct, especially if he worked for the Army Corp of Engineers in 1947, when the dam (after which the park is named) was completed. This park has it all: play structures made of rope that look like a giant spiderweb, a water play area, swim beach, year-round fishing, nonmotorized boating, biking, trees, birding, hiking, picnic spots with charcoal grills, equestrian trails, a nature center, and so much more.
But it was anything but dry in 1938, when two storms came in quick succession heading east toward the San Gabriel Mountains, dumping 10 inches of rain over a period of six days. The resulting flood swept through Los Angeles and pooled in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, wiping out entire communities. The flood inspired the creation of the Santa Fe Dam and the channeling of the rivers to curtail such calamity in the future.
Info
Address 15501 E Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA 91706, +1 626.334.1065, www.parks.lacounty.gov (click on “Parks Locator” and search “Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area”), info@parks.lacounty.gov | Getting there On-site lot; $10 vehicle entry charge | Hours Nov 1–Apr 30, daily 6:30am–6pm; May 1–Oct 31, daily 6:30am–8pm. Children’s water play area open from Memorial Day to Labor Day; $2/person/90-minute session. Swim area open: Memorial Day through June, weekends only; July through Labor Day, Thu–Sun| Tip Every weekend for one month in the spring, a portion of the park is transformed into a Medieval township during the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Visit www.renfaire.com/socal for exact dates and prices.
The 836-acre mixed-use park sits in the Santa Fe Flood Control Basin and is home to a 70-acre lake with three islands. In the summer months, paddleboats, rowboats, and kayaks are available for rent. Visitors are welcome to bring their own nonmotorized boats, although there is a launching fee. Bring a bike to enjoy the miles of cycling paths that go through and around the park. Four-wheeled surreys, three-wheeled choppers, and even a three-wheeled deuce coupe are also available for rent.
A cordoned-off swim area and beach dotted with blue-and-white lifeguard stations is open seasonally. Pretty stellar bird watching, especially for waterfowl, happens year-round, with a guided bird walk the third Saturday of each month, free of charge.
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