stroll down the sloped bank to the flat walkway at the water’s edge. Do not do this, however, if the river is moving fast, if it’s raining, or if it looks like it might start raining. This is a dry day exercise only.
At the water’s edge, the birds may be quite close—mergansers, great egrets, snowy egrets, osprey, sandpipers, stilts, great blue heron, and green heron are almost always visible. Varieties of fish are said to swim in the river, too, though I’ve never seen them.
The islands that have formed around the trees in the middle of the river are tempting, and it’s hard not think of Huck Finn adventures beginning here. But wading isn’t recommended, and the people who may have already made their homes on the island, in the dry season, may not appreciate visitors. Best stick to the bank.
The walk continues on, flat and gentle, at both the river’s edge and the pathway the runs along the top of its bank. In time, as you near some high-tension power lines, the pathway will come to an end. Watch for a trail leading up to a nicely designed metal gate inset with river rocks. Walk through this gate and turn right. You’re back on Fletcher, walking across the Fletcher Drive Bridge, where a metal plaque will tell you that the bridge was constructed and opened in 1927.
Once across the bridge, continue under the freeway to find your starting point on the corner of Fletcher and Riverside Drive.
Optional Walk Extensions
OPTION #1: Instead of crossing the bridge and heading back toward Riverside, stay on the river walk and use the sloping river bank—watch your step here if it’s damp out, and consider avoiding this if it’s raining—to cross underneath Fletcher. From there, continue until the river walk crosses under the 5 freeway. From there, you can explore Bowtie Parcel, Taylor Yard, and the back side of Rio De Los Angeles Park. Keep in mind, however, that it will be many miles to the next opportunity to cross back over to the west side of the river.
OPTION #2: Once across Fletcher Bridge, cross Fletcher at Crystal Street and walk through Great Heron Gate into Rattlesnake Park. A short distance down the western side of the river’s bike-way, you will see a sign reading “River Access Point,” designating the put-in for public boating on the Los Angeles River. If boating is in season, it will say so—a large sign reading “Open for Season” will be spray-painted directly on the concrete bank of the river.
Kayaking on the river only became legal in about 2012, and this part of the river opened for public boating in 2013. The part of the waterway that is legally navigable is only a couple of miles, but it’s such a charming little kayak ride, and such a promising glimpse of water use to come, that it’s worth a look.
WALK #3
L.A. RIVER WALK NORTH
DISTANCE: 2 miles
DIFFICULTY: 1
DURATION: 45 minutes
DETAILS: Free parking. Dogs on leash allowed. Wheelchair accessible. Metro buses #96, #180, and #181.
This section of the Los Angeles River was among the first to receive attention from activists who wanted to turn the waterway back into something other than an ugly concrete channel. The result: one of the city’s first new river greenways, and a wonderful place to introduce yourself to the city’s watery roots. It’s also a good place for a picnic on a hot day.
Begin this walk near the intersection of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard, taking advantage of free parking on the street and in the lot that serves the Griffith Riverside tennis courts and soccer field. (Note that this lot is usually crowded on the weekends.)
Before beginning this walk, take in some Los Angeles history at the charming William Mulholland Memorial Fountain in the park on the southeast corner of Riverside and Los Feliz. This fountain has been in this park for decades. On the weekend, it attracts photographers with bands of brides, grooms, and their wedding parties. At night, it’s a multi-colored light show, with the sparkling fountain spray transforming under a rainbow of hues.
Natural islands have formed in the man-made river.
The watery monument has recently been improved to include a miniature representation of the mighty Los Angeles Aqueduct, the ambitious creation of William Mulholland, the city water engineer who conceived the plan to pipe the precious resource from eastern California’s Owens Valley all the way to dry Los Angeles. The resulting construction—223 miles of canals, tunnels, and conduits—is reconstructed here in miniature. Now, at this location, you can “walk” the entire aqueduct in five minutes, and then stand inside an actual piece of the aqueduct pipeline.
To begin your walk, start at the Griffith Riverside tennis facility and soccer field parking lot. Walk toward the tennis reservation booth and take the path just to the left of it, walking between the tennis courts, toward the (increasingly loud) roar of the Golden State Freeway (I-5).
After you’ve passed the tennis courts, turn right onto a path that parallels the freeway. Walk behind the soccer field, pausing to admire the cleverly designed fake “grass” on the field. Then take the concrete ramp that rises up to the left and carries you above the freeway and over the rushing lanes. On the other side, turn right onto the Los Angeles River Bike Path, taking care not to get run over by cyclists.
Just ahead on the right is one of the city’s newer parklets, Sunnynook River Park, which opened in 2013. The area features pathways and benches set amidst a pleasant and botanically accurate display of local flora. All of the plants installed here are native—even the poison oak, which the park designers actually included in their plant palette. (Perhaps one of the informational plaques can explain why the designers were moved to include this particular weed. Maybe it’s meant to discourage the homeless people from camping here, as they did before this area was landscaped.)
Once you’ve admired the park, backtrack a bit to find the narrow Sunnynook Pedestrian Bridge crossing over the river. Cross this bridge, taking a moment to admire the river below. For decades, this was a nasty concrete channel with sludge and crud at its bottom. It was a final resting place for plastic bags, shopping carts, and other urban detritus. A tree would sometimes find root here. But then earth movers and other heavy equipment would come in and dredge the channel clean.
Then a group of locals, who eventually called themselves Friends of the L. A. River, began organizing clean-up days and lobbying the city to allow the river to return to its natural state. That’s why, as you cross the river now, you see trees and bushes and the birds that live in them—herons, egrets, ducks, geese, stilts, and other fowl bobbing and darting about. (Underwater, you could find carp, catfish, tilapia, and even trout, I am told.)
Once across the river, turn left and begin walking north along its bank—with the river on your left. If the weather is very dry and there’s no chance of rain, you may walk down the slope to the water’s edge and get a closer look at the birds. But beware: the mossy parts are very, very slippery, and you must never leave the high bank if it’s raining or looks likely to rain. In a heavy rainstorm, this channel will swell to nearly the top of the bank, and people do get swept away from time to time.
Walking north, in time you will see some
