Parking lot on Balboa Boulevard directly south of the L.A. River

BIKE: Take the Metro Orange Line bikeway. Turn left at Balboa Boulevard and proceed south to the L.A. River.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Orange Line and exit at Balboa Boulevard and proceed south to the L.A. River. Alternately, take the 236 or 237 Bus on Balboa Boulevard. Disembark at the stop just south of the Los Angeles River (between Burbank Boulevard and Victory Boulevard)

CAR: Exit the 405 Freeway at Burbank Boulevard in Van Nuys and go west on Burbank. Turn right on Balboa Boulevard. The starting place for the walk is just before the Balboa Boulevard. Bridge over the L.A. River. Parking is available at the lot on the west side of the street, just south of the L.A. River.

Alternately, exit the 101 Freeway in Encino at Balboa Boulevard, go north on Balboa, and follow the directions above.

From the parking lot on Balboa, go north toward the river. I suggest starting the walk by going out on the Balboa Boulevard Bridge, looking upstream. From this vantage point, you can often spot ducks, coots, cormorants, and other birds.

Walk back and then upstream on the concrete bike path. A few feet before the path U-turns, go to the left of the bikeway fence, and continue walking upstream on the flat grassy area (used as an access road) along the top the channel.

The path goes along the fences of the sports complex on your left. Walk to the right around the large tree that blocks the access road. Carefully, stepping on the dry horizontal surfaces, cross the outlet of a small tributary, which is slippery when wet. At the Metro Orange Line Bridge, the channel narrows and becomes concrete-bottomed.

There is a walkable asphalt access road continuing to White Oak Avenue, but the gate is locked at White Oak.

West Del Amo Boulevard and the L.A. River

BIKE:Take the Lario Bike Trail to Del Amo Boulevard in North Long Beach.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Blue Line to the Del Amo Station. Walk three long blocks east, under the 710 Freeway and over the L.A. River

CAR: Exit the 710 Freeway at Del Amo Boulevard in North Long Beach and go east on Del Amo. Cross the L.A. River, turn right on Oregon Avenue, and park on the street.

Enter the river right-of way at the bike path entrance along Del Amo Boulevard and follow the Lario Bike Trail along the top of the levee, walking downstream.

As you head downstream, you'll notice the vast concrete expanse of the river on your right and the parallel wetlands on your left. At the top of the levee, you can get a good look at the not-so-good-looking Los Angeles County Drainage Area Project: parapet walls built in the late 1990s to Increase flood-protection capacity in the downstream stretches of the river.

As you continue walking downstream, look across the river to your right to see the L.A. River's heavily armored confluence with Compton Creek.

Pass below the railroad bridge and along the pumping station. Just before the Metro Blue Line bridge, turn left on an asphalt access road. The road turns into a bridle trail, which turns left and loops back to the start of the walk.

Rattlesnake Mini-Park, Fletcher Drive and the L.A. River

BIKE: Easy access is located across the street from the downstream end of the Glendale Narrows section of the L.A. River Bikeway. Bike parking at Rattlesnake Park.

TRANSIT: Take Metro Bus 603 from Pico-Union to Glendale. Get off at Fletcher and Ripple. Look for the heron gate: you can't miss it.

CAR: Exit the southbound 5 Freeway at Fletcher (there's no Fletcher exit on the Northbound 5). Go left (north) on Fletcher one block. Parking is either to the right or left on Ripple. Five spaces are available to the left. Generally there is plenty of street parking on Clearwater, one block to the right.

Alternately, exit the southbound 2 Freeway at Fletcher (there ís no Fletcher exit on the Northbound 2 either). Go left at the end of the off ramp, cross the river, and follow above directions for parking.

Alternately, exit the 2 Freeway at San Fernando Road. Go northwest on San Fernando one block. Turn left on to Fletcher. Cross the river, and follow above directions for parking.

Before you begin the walk, take a moment to check out sculptor Brett Goldstone's Great Heron Gate. Pass through the gate's door and read FoLAR founder Lewis MacAdams' River poetry, which is etched in metal atop the river stone bollard. Descend the steps to your left into Rattlesnake Park.

When North East Trees (NET), which designed and constructed this park in 1997, began clearing this formerly vacant, trash-ridden site, they discovered a small nest of rattlesnakes. The snakes themselves, indigenous fauna to the L.A. River but very rare these days, were relocated to Elysian Park.

Park designer Lynne Dwyer incorporated a subtle snake motif in the stonework at the park; notice the curving river rock wall with a rattle-tail upstream and snake's head drinking fountain on the downstream end.

Walk downstream. As you leave the pocket park, take a moment to look back at the beautiful 1927 Fletcher Drive Bridge. For more information on the Fletcher Bridge, see walk 10.

This stretch of river is the setting for a scene in Janet Fitch's best-selling novel White Oleander. Fitch's protagonist Astrid rested her arms on the damp concrete railing. The water flowed through its big concrete embankments, the bottom covered with decades of silt and boulders and trees. It was returning to its wild state despite the massive sloped shore, a secret river. A tall white bird fished among the rocks, standing on one leg like in a Japanese woodcut. Unfortunately this scene was omitted from the movie. Over the course of the novel, Fitch's Astrid moves follow the course of the Los Angeles River from the upper watershed of the Tujunga Wash to the house on Ripple Street in Elysian Valley.

Walk along the river in the shade of the sycamores and cottonwoods, all planted by NET in the late 1990s. You are walking on a shared bike and pedestrian path. Share the path with bikes.

Continue under the 2 Freeway. To your left is a deeper section of the River where locals fish. The River does support fish. including carp, tilapia, mosquito fish, fathead minnows, and others. On your right, just past the large gray-walled building at the end of Marsh Street is the first phase of the future 5.5-acre riverside Marsh Park.

Continue walking downstream until you reach Elysian Valley Gateway Park. It is located just over a half mile from the 2 Freeway. Enter through an unmarked chain-link gate on your right. Gateway Park, which opened in 1995, is the earliest of the Glendale Narrows pocket parks,. Designed by NET's Lynne Dwyer, the park retained existing non-native trees and added native landscaping, picnic benches and a drinking fountain. Get a drink of water, and then return back the way you came. If you want to walk further at this point, continue walking downstream.

When you return to Fletcher, there are a few more sights to see nearby. Go through the heron gate, then turn left. Cross Ripple at the crosswalk, then cross to the upstream side of Fletcher. Continue walking upstream on what is now Crystal Street. On your left is the LA River Bicycle Park, which opened in July 2005. The site was formerly a vacant area around the footing of the L.A. City Department of Water and Power's transmission towers. The pocket park features a bike staging area, with maps showing suggested bike trips. There's native landscaping, river rock, a Brett Goldstone heron sculpture, benches designed by Leo Limon, and five parking spaces.

Cross the river at Fletcher to check out another great Goldstone gate.

Water with Rocks Gate, northwest corner of Fletcher Drive and the L.A. River

BIKE: Easy access is located across the river from the downstream end of the Glendale Narrows section of the L.A. River Bikeway.

TRANSIT: Take Metro Bus 603 from Pico-Union to Glendale. Get off at Fletcher and Ripple, cross the river.

CAR: Exit the Southbound 5 Freeway at Fletcher Drive (there's no Fletcher exit on the Northbound 5). Go left (north) on Fletcher. Cross the river. Turn left onto Larga Avenue and park. Walk back to the river and the gate is on your right just past the DWP.

Alternately, exit the southbound 2 Freeway at Fletcher (there's no Fletcher exit on the northbound 2 either). Go right at the end of the off-ramp. Turn left onto Larga and park.

Alternately, exit the 2 Freeway at San Fernando Road. Go northwest on San Fernando one block. Turn left onto Fletcher. Turn right onto Larga and park.

Before beginning the walk, take a moment to look behind you at the stonescaped Fletcher Drive Median Islands, created by nonprofit urban forestry group North East Trees (NET). These traffic islands used to be impermeable asphalt, but NET de-paved them and added river rock, native succulents, and a barely visible 'river' of broken windshield glass.

Also nearby is the commemorative plaque on the Fletcher Drive Bridge, one of Merrill Butler's finest. The bridge was completed in 1927, declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #322 in 1987, and seismically retrofitted in 1992. There are two bronze plaques on this part of the bridge is the large original 1927 plaque and a smaller HCM plaque.

Walk through the Water with Rocks Gate, which was created by Sculptor Brett Goldstone. The gate depicts the river waters gradually building, from quiet to high flood stage, flowing into downtown skyscrapers. Surrounding the gate is a North East Trees mini-park planted with native vegetation. Turn left just behind the gate to see another Goldstone piece, a very funky bench made of curved metal and a large boulder.

Walk upstream. Look back to your left to get a long view of the Fletcher Bridge. Proceed along the asphalt access road at the top of the levee. As you walk along the river, you will see two small areas on your right that were planted by NET. The first is called Silver Lake Meadow, the second Petite Meadow (both named after the streets that end into them, both unmarked).

Continue walking upstream. Ahead of you is the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge. Completed in 1927, it was named the Victory Memorial Bridge, in honor of the veterans of World War I. Merrill Butler called it an architectural jewel in a landscaped setting.

The sylvan setting has been much degraded by the paving of the river and the onset of the 5 Freeway. Although its original railing has been covered in concrete, the massive bridge with its austere octagonal pylons still looks impressive. In 1976 it was designated L.A.'s Historic-Cultural Monument #164.

There are empty platforms at the downstream end of the bridge's piers. These platforms historically supported the Red Car commuter rail line. The trains are gone, but the Friends of Atwater Village has commemorated them with a mural on the piers.

On your right is another NET mini-park, now known as the Red Car River Park. The small park features native trees, a seating wall and circle stage made of broken concrete.

Turn back and retrace your steps to the start of the walk.

Water with Rocks Gate, northwest corner of Fletcher Drive and the LA River

BIKE: Easy access is located across the river from the downstream end of the Glendale Narrows section of the LA River Bikeway.

TRANSIT: Take Metro Bus 603 from Pico-Union to Glendale. Get off at Fletcher and Ripple, cross the river.

CAR: Exit the Southbound 5 Freeway at Fletcher Drive (there is no Fletcher exit on the Northbound 5). Go left (north) on Fletcher. Cross the river. Turn left onto Larga Avenue and park. Walk back to the river and the gate is on your right just past the DWP

Alternately, exit the Southbound 2 Freeway at Fletcher (thereís no Fletcher exit on the Northbound 2 either). Go right at the end of the off-ramp. Turn left onto Larga and park.

Alternately, exit the 2 Freeway at San Fernando Road. Go northwest on San Fernando one block. Turn left onto Fletcher. Turn right onto Larga and park.

Before beginning the walk, take a moment to look behind you at the stonescaped Fletcher Drive Median Islands, created by nonprofit urban forestry group North East Trees (NET). These traffic islands used to be impermeable asphalt, but NET de-paved them and added river rock, native succulents, and a barely visible river of broken windshield glass.

Also nearby is the commemorative plaque on the Fletcher Drive Bridge, one of Merrill Butler's finest. The bridge was completed in 1927, declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #322 in 1987, and seismically retrofitted in 1992. There are two bronze plaques on this part of the bridge including the large original 1927 plaque and a smaller HCM plaque.

Walk through the Water with Rocks Gate, which was created by Sculptor Brett Goldstone. The gate depicts the river waters gradually building, from quiet to high flood stage, flowing into downtown skyscrapers. Surrounding the gate is a North East Trees mini-park planted with native vegetation. Turn left just behind the gate to see another Goldstone piece, a very funky bench made of curved metal and a large boulder.

Walk upstream. Look back to your left to get a long view of the Fletcher Bridge. Proceed along the asphalt access road at the top of the levee. As you walk along the river, you will see two small areas on your right that were planted by NET. The first is called Silver Lake Meadow, the second Petite Meadow (both named after the streets that end into them, both unmarked).

Continue walking upstream. Ahead of you is the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge. Completed in 1927, it was named the Victory Memorial Bridge, in honor of the veterans of World War I. Merrill Butler called it an architectural jewel in a landscaped setting.

The sylvan setting has been much degraded by the paving of the river and the onset of the 5 Freeway. Although its original railing has been covered in concrete, the massive bridge with its austere octagonal pylons still looks impressive. In 1976 it was designated LAís Historic-Cultural Monument #164.

There are empty platforms at the downstream end of the bridge's piers. These platforms historically supported the Red Car commuter rail line. The trains are gone, but the Friends of Atwater Village has commemorated them with a mural on the piers.

On your right is another NET mini-park, now known as the Red Car River Park. The small park features native trees, a seating wall and circle stage made of broken concrete.

Turn back and retrace your steps to the start of the walk.

At this point, if you want to walk more, continue across the bike bridge, and turn left at the bottom of the ramp, and turn left again at Los Feliz to reach the start of Walk 8. Otherwise retrace your steps halfway back down the bridge ramp.

Intersection of Huston Street and Valley Heart Drive in Sherman Oaks.

BIKE: There is no river bike path in this stretch. If riding from east of the site, take the convenient bike lanes on Riverside Drive. Follow Riverside to its end and turn right onto Van Nuys Boulevard. Take the first left onto Huston Street and continue west to Valleyheart Drive. The entrance to Ernie's Walk is on your left.

To combine a 5-mile bike ride with public transportation, take the Metro Red Line to the North Hollywood Station. Go west onto Chandler Boulevard, left onto Hazeltine Ave., then right onto Riverside Drive, and then follow the directions above.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Red Line to Universal City Station. Board the Ventura Boulevard Rapid Bus (#750). Get off at Van Nuys Boulevard. Walk west 3 long blocks. Turn right on Kester Avenue. Ernie's Walk is on your right, just past the 101 Freeway. At 1-mile, the walk from the bus stop is longer than the walk along the river.

CAR: Exit the 101 Freeway at Van Nuys Boulevard. Go north one block on Van Nuys Boulevard then left onto Huston St. Ernie's walk is on your left where Huston intersects Valleyheart Drive (just before Kester Ave.). Convenient on-street parking is on either Huston or Valleyheart.

Enter at the stairs or ramp by Kester Avenue and walk downstream along the river. Check out the assortment of native and non-native plants along the way. When, just past Cedros Avenue, you get to the County's locked gate across your path, turn back and retrace your steps.

It's easy to find your way around Ernie's walk. It's a small site, entirely linear, so take your time to explore. Those interested in flood protection engineering should take a look across the river at the weir (which runs parallel to the river from Kester for about 100'). These devices are placed at confluences to spread out large flows from tributaries, to prevent localized flooding.

In the 1980's, this stretch of river was strewn with weeds and plagued by illegal trash dumping. Retired local resident Ernie La Mere contacted various governmental agencies and prodded them until they finally came and cleared out the trash. In 1987, without waiting for permission, Ernie began planting flowers in the newly cleared river right-of-way. Soon, a few neighbors joined him in planting a colorful assortment of flowers, trees and shrubs. Ernie added benches, bulletin boards, "boot hill" (a mock graveyard with humorous epitaphs that later included some graves for deceased neighborhood pets), a deer crossing, and many more whimsical elements. A neighbor contributed a small sign declaring the site "Ernie's Walk". The walk became the initial site for the County's Adopt-A-Riverbank program in 1992.

When Ernie passed away in 1995, his grandson and other neighbors continued to maintain the site, though not quite with as much care as Ernie had. In 2003, the LA County Department of Public Works renovated the site. The county planted additional native landscaping, including more than a dozen cottonwood trees, and relocated many of Ernie's surviving plantings farther from the river in order to maintain clear maintenance vehicle access. The county also added river rock retaining walls, stairs, ramps, and new fencing. In keeping with Ernie's tradition, the county included plenty of flowering plants. They removed the dilapidated wood tombstones and replaced them with an institutional concrete marker that cryptically states "Ernie's Walk Pet Commemorative" (visible from Valley Heart near the upstream entrance).

While the County mini-park, which opened in 2004, bears little resemblance to Ernie's creation, it's green and inviting. The native plants are still getting themselves established and will continue to mature in the coming years.

Chinatown Metro Gold Line Station, corner of Alameda Street/North Spring Street at College Street

BIKE: There is no river bike path in this area. Consider hiking to a Metro Gold Line station and bringing your bike on board.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Gold Line to the Chinatown Station.

CAR: Exit the 110 Freeway at North Hill Street in Chinatown. (This exit is on the left for the southbound 110.) The exit puts you southbound on Hill. Turn left on College Street and left again on Alameda Street (which becomes North Spring Street). If the park is open (interim use expected to open in 2006), turn left and park in the park's lot. If the park is not yet open, street parking is available on Alameda/North Spring or College.

Alternately, exit the 5 Freeway at Pasadena Avenue in Lincoln Heights. Turn southwest (toward downtown) on Pasadena Avenue, which merges into North Broadway just before the L.A. River. Continue on Broadway into Chinatown, turn left on College Street, and follow the directions above.

From the upper level of the Metro Gold Line Chinatown Station, there is an excellent panoramic view. Go to the north (Pasadena) end of the station. The Cornfields Yard, a flat, banana-shaped 32-acre former rail yard connecting Chinatown with the L.A. River, is to the right of the Metro tracks.

The river is difficult to see, but it's there below the arches of the North Broadway Bridge at the far end of the Cornfields. In the late 1990s, FoLAR and other groups successfully sued to stop a planned industrial development here. In 2001, California State Parks purchased the site and formed a community advisory committee to develop a plan for the park.

From the Metro station, to the left of the Cornfields, you can also see the hills of Elysian Park (see the side trip this walk). Behind the row of palm trees is Dodger Stadium. Farther left is Chinatown, and the downtown skyline, including Los Angeles City Hall, is behind you.

Directly west of the Metro station is Capitol Milling. At the time of its closure in 1999, Capitol Milling was the oldest continually operating business in the city of Los Angeles. The initial building on the site dates to 1831. The original mill was powered by water from the L.A. River, delivered via the Zanja Madre. This business went through incarnations as Steams Mill, Eagle Mills, and, in 1883, Capitol Milling. The site is now slated to become mixed-use downtown loft living.

From the station platform, descend to the ground level and walk left (north, toward the Cornfields) onto Alameda, which turns slightly to the right and becomes North Spring Street. Walk along the perimeter fence, with the Cornfields on your left. Between Sotello Street and Mesnager Street on your right (across the street) is a small historic marker acknowledging this site as the historic River Station Terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad established in 1876. The entire Cornfields site, called the River Station Area, is designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #82.

Continue walking north on North Spring and veer left onto Baker Street. Walk to the end of Baker and look up at the magnificent North Broadway Bridge. When it opened in 1911, this bridge was called the Buena Vista Viaduct. The bridge, which featured a newly invented open spandrel arch (instead of a fully filled solid arch, there is space between the arches and the roadway), was technologically innovative for its day. It had the longest concrete arch in California when it was built. The bridge predates Merrill Butler's tenure as city bridge engineer. It was designed by architect Alfred F. Rosenheim, though it is generally credited to Homer Hamlin, who served as the Los Angeles city engineer from 1906 to 1917.

In 1998 through 2000, the city of Los Angeles did a fantastic job of retrofitting, rebuilding, and reinforcing the bridge. This included restoring long-lost ornamental features such as the four decorative pylon pedestals it the ends of the bridge. You may be able to spot cliff swallows that form the nests on the underside of the bridge.

Directly ahead of you, at 1800 Baker Street, is what is historically known as Midway Yard. These yards are currently temporarily serving as the maintenance yards for the Metro Gold Line. In the future, when the Gold Line has been extended to the east San Gabriel Valley, Metro plans to relocate the maintenance yards to the eastern end of the line, freeing up this important site to connect Elysian Park with the L.A. River Greenway.

At this point, you're very close to the river, but it's not easily accessible due to railroad tracks that line both sides of the channel through much of downtown. The tracks are active, with dozens of Amtrak and Metrolink trains daily. FoLAR has called for Los Angeles to study the long-term feasibility of consolidating, raising, and/or building underground portions of the railroad tracks, in order to reconnect downtown with the river.

Walk south (away from the river) on Baker Street. Take the first left onto Aurora Street (unmarked). On your right, the three-story red brick building at 1727 North Spring Street, is the Woman's Building. Established in 1975, the Woman's Building was an important space for feminist art, hosting groundbreaking gallery and workshop projects for many years. It still serves as artist studio space.

Turn left on North Spring and ascend the North Spring Street Bridge. This bridge was constructed in 1927 to relieve crowding on the North Broadway Bridge. It was designed by Major John C. Shaw, Los Angeles city engineer from 1925 to 1930, although Merrill Butler's name also appears on the plaque (on your left at the far end of the bridge). Restoration in 1992 included repair and replacement of railings and lighting. Check out the views of the North Broadway Bridge to your left, and the Main Street Bridge to your right.

Just past the end of the bridge, turn left onto the stairway into Downey Recreation Center, cross the site, and ascend the steps on the far side. Turn left onto North Broadway.

As you cross the North Broadway Bridge, you encounter views of the North Main Street Bridge, the Cornfields, and the downtown skyline. The views are especially nice from the large central belvedere (viewing platform).

Continue walking south. On your right, across the street at 1039 and 1051 North Broadway, respectively, are St. Peter's Church and Casa Italiana. The area that is known today as Chinatown has many layers of history. Prior to its 1938 inauguration as "New Chinatown," it had been home to waves of immigrants from Mexico, Croatia, and Italy. Los Angeles' Chinese communities were relocated to the current site to make way for the construction of Union Station.

Turn right on Bernard Street. Check out the information stanchion in front of the Chinatown Heritage and Visitors Center (411 Bernard Street; 323-222-0856; open Sundays 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.). This stanchion is one of 15 on a self-guided walking tour of Chinatown. It's a project of Angels Walk L.A. and provides valuable historical information, including a section on the Cornfields and the Zanja Madre.

If you're up for it, you can do the entire 1.9-mile Chinatown walking tour (follow directions on the stanchions), or you can just check out the five stanchions on your way back to the starting point. Return to North Broadway and turn right (south). At Chinatown's East Gate, turn left onto the crosswalk. Turn right to continue south on the east side of the street. Turn left onto College Street to return to the starting point.

L.A. River at Fulton Avenue

BIKE: There is no river bikeway in this area at the present time. From the Metro Red Line, disembark at the North Hollywood station. Bike west on Chandler Boulevard and turn left onto Fulton Avenue. The walk begins on the near side of the Fulton Bridge over the L.A. River.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Red Line and get off at Universal City. Board the Ventura Boulevard Rapid Bus (#750) and get off at Coldwater Canyon Avenue. Walk one block north to the L.A. River at Coldwater and Valleyheart Drive. Turn left, and walk upstream (west) along the L.A. River to Fulton Avenue.

CAR: Exit the 101 Freeway at Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Sherman Oaks/Studio City. Go south on Coldwater Canyon Avenue and turn right onto Moorpark Street. Turn left on Fulton Avenue and turn left again on Valleyheart Drive. Street parking is available on Valleyheart or Bloomfield Street.

Enter the L.A. River right-of-way at the gate on the north side of the river, just east of Fulton (at the intersection of Bloomfield and Valleyheart). Turn downstream/left and walk along the river. The Village Gardeners have placed railroad ties to form a planter, and behind the ties are myriad flowering plants. On your right, creeping vines grow up the chain-link fence cascading down into the vertical channel.

The project thins out around Ethel Avenue, but the Gardeners still keep this area neat. They pick up trash, and provide trash cans and bags for dog walkers to clean up after their pets.

Continue walking until you approach the Coldwater Canyon Avenue Bridge (the first bridge you will encounter). You can walk up the ramp on your left to Valleyheart Drive, or take a steep footpath just past a large agave. Turn right and walk along the sidewalk on Valleyheart (north). At the corner, turn right on Coldwater and cross the bridge.

At the next corner, turn right Turn at Valleyheart (south). Enter the river right-of-way along the gate. Continue walking upstream. There is a gate with a sign stating that trespassing and loitering is forbidden. People walk, jog, and garden here every day, so just enter easily to the right of the gate. Like many sites on the river, the signage hasn't caught up with the current usage.

Walk down the ramp and continue walking upstream. On your left, check out the mural, by artist Laurie Troja, that adorns a surface drain conveying runoff from the street into the river. On your right is a good view of the cascading plants growing on the railing.

Past the mural is a small park known as the Richard Lillard Outdoor Classroom. Continue upstream, viewing the river rock amphitheater followed by native plant landscaping. Contrast the state's approach on this bank with the community approach on the far side. They are both very good projects. The Village Gardens has a folksy feel, with a wide variety of plants that are beautiful, but some are not particularly well-suited to the Southern California climate. The Richard Lillard Outdoor Classroom Park has a more institutional feel and a palette of only native plants.

Ascend the river rock stairs and check out the interpretive panel on river history, including historic photographs of flooding in the San Fernando Valley.

Turn right (north) onto Fulton and cross the bridge. At the end of the bridge, descend the steps on your right to take in the last little piece of the Village Gardens. Ascend the ramp to return to the start.

The Village Gardens, located in Sherman Oaks, is a short stretch of the L.A. River where one bank has been reclaimed by the neighbors and where the state has created a mini-park on the other bank, complete with an outdoor classroom. Despite the concrete channel, this is an enjoyable green and flowering stretch. A neighborhood group, the Village Gardeners of the Los Angeles River, led the grassroots effort to reclaim a stretch of river, picking up trash and planting "whatever would grow"according to co-founder Annette Fuller. The site has a great feel; it's not the institutional uniformity found in many municipal projects.

Bette Davis Picnic Area, intersection of Riverside Drive, Victory Boulevard, and Sonora Avenue.

BIKE: The start is at upstream end of the Glendale Narrows L.A. River Bike Path.

TRANSIT: Take the MTA Bus 96. Get off at the corner of Zoo Drive and Riverside Drive. Walk north to the bridge.

CAR: Exit the 5 Freeway at Western Avenue in Glendale. Go southwest on Western. Turn Left on Victory Boulevard. In three blocks you will see the Bette Davis Picnic Area, located at the corner of Victory, Sonora Ave, and Riverside Drive (at this point Victory becomes Riverside). Park on Riverside Drive (south/west side only) either straight ahead on your right, or turn right onto Riverside and park along the park on your left.

Begin at the intersection of Riverside Drive, Victory Boulevard, and Sonora Avenue. If you arrived and parked on the upstream (west) side of Victory and Riverside, cross to the east side and walk along Riverside to the Riverside Drive Bridge. This is one of at least five Riverside Drive Bridges in the area (three over the L.A. River), so it's generally called Riverside/Zoo or Riverside/Victory. Completed in 1938, this beautiful Merrill Butler bridge is one of the later examples, smaller and somewhat more streamlined than those downstream. The ornamentation below the lighting standards is best viewed from the bike path.

At the end of the bridge, turn left onto the bike path. Note that the bikeway is a shared bike/pedestrian facility, so please walk to one side to allow bicyclists to pass. The soft bottom channel on your left features tall willow trees and plentiful birds. Walk downstream on the bike path, crossing beneath the 5 Freeway, and along the Ferraro Soccer Fields. Note the native California Sycamore and Oak trees, on your right, which were planted by North East Trees (NET), a nonprofit dedicated to urban forestry and watershed restoration.

As the river and bikeway turn south, the channel walls become vertical, and the riverbed is paved for a short stretch. Beneath the 134 Freeway, the channel widens at its confluence with the Arroyo Verdugo (also called the Verdugo Wash), which is the last name of one of the early families of the region.

The Arroyo Verdugo watershed drains most of the city of Glendale. It is a relatively steep tributary, historically known for excellent steel-head trout fishing until it was confined to a concrete channel in the 1950s.

Here, you'll see the sharpest corner in the 51-mile river. The river is leaving its east-west trajectory through the San Fernando Valley and making a right turn into the coastal plain. On a clean day, you get a good view of the distant Downtown Los Angeles skyline.

For a 2-mile walk, turn around beneath the 134 Freeway. For a longer walk, follow the bikeway downstream to Los Feliz Boulevard (3.1 miles from the start) and beyond.

Retrace your steps to the end of the bike path at the Riverside Drive Bridge. At this point, the dangerous part begins as you try to cross the street next to the freeway off-ramp. The safest way is to turn left, toward Griffith Park. Watching out for cars, turn right to cross Riverside at Zoo Drive. Then turn right on Riverside, walking back towards the river. Cross the freeway off-ramp.

Now cross the bridge and go through the first gap in the low fence on your left to descend the sloped footpath into Bette Davis Picnic Area. Walk upstream about 50 yards and enter the river right-of-way by turning left at an equestrian ramp. The ramp is unmarked, but recognizable by its uneven cobblestones. At the river, turn right and walk upstream on the asphalt maintenance road.

The turnaround point is where the soft-bottom river ends, about a half mile upstream from Riverside Drive. Retrace your steps back to Bette Davis Picnic Area.

Historically, in this area, the riverbed formed the border between the city of Los Angeles' Griffith Park and the city of Glendale. When the course of the river was straightened, a small remnant of L.A. land was stranded on the north side of the river; this land became Bette Davis Picnic Area. Originally Griffith Park- at 4000 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the US - included over three miles of riverfront. This important habitat linkage was severed in the 1950's with the construction of the 5 and 134 Freeways (mostly atop what had been Riverside Drive).

Located at the downstream end of the Los Angeles River Glendale Narrows Bike Path.

BIKE: Starting southbound take the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail from Gilroy Steet off of Riverside Drive. If you're coming northbound, Avenue 19 turns into San Fernando Road and you can hop on the Greenway Trail from there.

TRANSIT: Take the MTA Bus 96 and get off at the corner of Riverside Drive and Elmgrove Street. Walk three blocks southeast on Riverside to Egret Park.

CAR: Exit the 5 Freeway at Stadium Way/Riverside Drive in Elysian Valley. Go southeast on Riverside Drive. Turn left at Oros Street and park. Walk southeast on Riverside Drive to Egret Park, located just past Barclay Street.

Start at Egret Park, a triangle-shaped pocket park, designed by Lynne Dwyer. The park marks the downstream end of Elysian Valley and the last of the soft-bottomed Glendale Narrows. The formerly barren spot was transformed into a mini-park by North East Trees in 1997. The park, maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy/Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (SMMC/MRCA) features interpretive signs, showing native birds and plants and the native American history of the area.

Painted on the far side of river is the Anza Mural by Frank Romero. The piece commemorates the 1775-76 Juan Bautista de Anza expedition, incorporating iconography based on Tonga symbols for mountains, river, and dolphins.

Walk upstream (away from the freeway). The path you are walking on is shared by bicyclists and pedestrians; watch out for bicyclists.

On your left in about a tenth of a mile is Steelhead Park, also a collaboration of NET and the SMMC/MRCA. Steelhead Park features a Brett Goldstone-designed fence with silhouettes of steelhead trout. Steelhead were plentiful in the Los Angeles River until it was paved with concrete in the middle of the last century. Friends of the L.A. River founder Lewis MacAdams is fond of stating that we will know that FoLAR's job is done when the steelhead return to the river.

Steelhead mini-park features De Anza expedition interpretive signage and a small outdoor classroom constructed from reused broken concrete. The park is designed to collect rainwater, which soaks into a small yarrow meadow in the middle.

Continue walking upstream through one of the nicest areas of the entire river. The water meanders from one side of the channel to the other. Ducks, coots, swallows and other birds make their homes here. On your left are sycamores and cottonwoods planted by North East Trees in the late 1990s.

There are a number of pocket parks along this section; all are collaborations of North East Trees with the SMMC/MRCA. At 0.6 mile, the end of Meadowvale Street has been converted into Duck Park. The park features an artistic bench, native vegetation, and decorative stonework. Can you spot the throne?

Just past Meadowvale is Riverdale Park, a well-used site with benches overlooking the river and river rock stairs connecting to the end of Riverdale Street.

Further on (even with Eads Street, though only accessible from the river) is a small park informally known as Good Stuff Park. It was named for the frequent aroma of fresh-baked bread that used to waft over the area from commercial bakeries nearby.

At mile 1.7 (recognizable by a large eucalyptus tree on your left), is Elysian Valley Gateway Park (see Walk 11), one of the earliest pocket parks along the river. This is the turnaround point for this walk, retrace your footsteps to the start.

Near the starting point, at the corner of Oros Street and Riverside Drive, is one more NET and SMMC/MRCA park project called Osos Park. The pocket park features native trees and plants, and life-sized silhouettes sculptures (designed by Michael Amescua) of native fauna that would have inhabited the area historically, including grizzly bear and deer. To get to Osos Park, exit the river at Steelhead Park. Walk southeast on Oros Street to Blake Street.

DeForest Avenue at 25th Way in Long Beach

BIKE: The walk starting point is easily accessed from the Lario Bike Trail, which runs on the east bank of the L.A. River from the Rio Hondo to the ocean (South Gate to Long Beach). Exit the bikeway at Willow Street; the exit ramp is located a couple blocks south of the under-crossing at Willow. It is easily to recognize because this is where the river transitions from concrete bottom to earthen bottom.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Blue Line to the Willow Station in Long Beach. From there, walk south on Long Beach Boulevard to Willow Street. Walk west on Willow about 0.75 mile and turn left on Golden Ave. Turn right on 25th Way. Alternately, take the Long Beach Transit Bus #102 west on Willow. Get off at Golden, walk one block south on Golden, and then turn right onto 25th Way.

CAR: Exit the 710 Freeway at Willow Street in Long Beach. Go east on Willow Street. Turn right at the first signal onto Golden Avenue, and then take an immediate right onto 25th Way. Continue on 25th Way two blocks to DeForest Avenue. Convenient street parking is on 25th or DeForest.

Walk south on DeForest Avenue. On your right, near 25th Street (not 25th Way), is an access ramp that ascends the levee wall. The outer levee wall is planted with native shrubs and trees, as part of the Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) project, which raised the height of the walls in the late 1990s.

Look out over the estuary. This is where the moving freshwater of the river meets the tidal-influenced saltwater of the sea. It's a unique area ecologically, with flora and fauna not found elsewhere. The river gurgles an audible sigh of relief here as it finally outruns the more than 20 uninterrupted miles of concrete bottom extending from downtown Los Angeles to Willow Street. You see plentiful bird life here including ducks, cormorants, egrets, herons, and more.

Turn left on the bike path and walk downstream. Make room for bicyclists! On your left is a neighborhood called Wrigley, which was one of the only areas where homeowners joined FoLAR's historic 1995 lawsuit against the county. The county, working with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), had planned to raise the levee walls as part of the LACDA project. FoLAR and its allies advocated for more ecological alternatives.

While FoLAR's lawsuit did not stop the project, some aspects of the project were softened. The plan initially called for 6- to 10-foot walls separating the community from the river. The walls were added in some areas, but, in this stretch, the county instead raised the levee top, without actual walls. The agency also included native plantings on the outer side of the levees. The lawsuit was settled in 1996, resulting in the formation of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, a group that has brought together stakeholders to educate the public and plan steps toward healthier rivers and watersheds.

Continue walking downstream to the Pacific Coast Highway Bridge, where the bikeway descends. Exit through the access point in the fence and turn left to check out the Wrigley Property Maintenance Landscape Project, a pocket park created and maintained by the Wrigley Homeowners Association. The park features native plants and trees and a picnic area.

Turn around here and retrace your steps upstream for a 2-mile round-trip walk. If you want a longer walk, head downstream below the bridge. The path continues all the way to Golden Shore Marine Reserve, about 3 miles below Willow.

You may also wish to continue your walk north of Willow. Continue upstream on the bike path as it dips beneath the 1946 Willow Street Bridge. It's not a showy historic bridge, but the lighting standards are antique and quite pleasant. Also, look for cliff-swallows' mud nests attached to the underside of the bridge.

As you ascend back to the top of the levee upstream of Willow, you will notice a series of long, rectangular concrete boxes atop the concrete river bottom, just upstream of Willow. These devices serve as baffles, creating turbulence that causes high flows to spread out to the full channel width as it widens at this point. Also note the bulb-shaped devices on the upstream end of the piers of the Willow Street Bridge. They serve the same function.

One perhaps unintended consequence of the baffles on the channel floor is the increased deposition of sediment. The baffles cause the moving water to slow down; this releases dirt that the river is carrying. This sediment builds up on the channel floor over time, creating sandbars. The sandbars grow vegetation and host relatively large numbers of birds, especially for a concrete-bottom area. The best time of year to visit this area is late summer or early fall, as the county's Flood Control District clears the sediment in late September or early October, prior to the rainy season.

Turn around here and retrace your steps upstream for a 2-mile round-trip walk. If you want a longer walk, head downstream below the bridge. The path continues all the way to Golden Shore Marine Reserve, about 3 miles below Willow.

Maywood Riverfront Park, Walker Avenue and 59th Place, Maywood

BIKE: The walk starting point is easily accessed from the South County L.A. River Bike Trail, which runs of the west bank of the L.A. River from the Atlantic Boulevard to Imperial Highway (from the city of Vemon to the cities of Compton and Paramount). To reach the walk starting place, exit the South County bikeway at Slauson Avenue, the first bridge downstream of Atlantic. The unmarked exit is on the upstream side of Slauson. As you exit at Slauson, go left (west) on the frontage road adjacent to Slauson. Turn left onto Alamo Avenue, cross Slauson, then turn left onto 59th Place. The park will be on your right at the end of 59th.

The site is also easily accessed from the Metro Blue Line Slauson Station. From there, ride east on Slauson to Alamo Avenue. Turn right onto Alamo, and then turn left on 59th.

TRANSIT: Take the Metro Blue Line to the Slauson Station. Take Metro Bus 108 or 358 eastbound on Slauson to Alamo Avenue (immediately before the L.A. River and the 710 Freeway). Walk south on Alamo, then east on 59th Place.

CAR: Exit the 710 Freeway at Atlantic Boulevard in Vemon/Bell (just south of the intersection of the 5 Freeway). Go south on Atlantic and turn left on Slauson Avenue. Turn right on Alamo Avenue and then left on 59th Place. Find street parking on Walker Avenue or 59th. If park construction is complete (expected in 2006), turn left off 59th to enter the parking lot.

Alternately, exit the 710 Freeway at Florence Avenue in Bell/Bell Gardens and go east on Florence. Turn left on Eastern Avenue, left on Slauson Avenue, and left again on Alamo Avenue. Turn left on 59th Place. Find street parking on Walker Avenue or 59fh. If park construction is complete (expected in 2006), turn left off 59th to enter the parking lot.

The walk begins at Maywood Riverfront Park, which, when complete in 2006, will occupy 7.3 acres. With nearly 30,000 people in just over a square mile, Maywood is said to be the most densely populated city west of the Mississippi River. Its working class neighborhoods are impacted by their proximity to air pollution from the adjacent industrial areas and the truck-heavy 710 Freeway. This park will more than double the city's existing 5.8 acres of parkland.

This river park has been championed by the city of Maywood, the Trust for Public Land, FoLAR, and others. Unfortunately, this site suffered from chemical contamination, which has held up the construction of this park.

If it is complete, walk through the park to access the South County L.A. River Bike Trail along the east side of the park. Walk upstream (left). If the park is not yet complete, access the river by walking west on 59th Place. Turn right onto Alamo Avenue, cross Slauson Avenue, and turn right on the frontage road directly north of (and adjacent to) Slauson. Enter the South County bikeway through the gates on your right just before the frontage road turns left.

Note the stone pillar bikeway entry points. In the late 1990s, the county installed about a dozen of these entryways at access points along the bikeway. The stonework enhances the bikeway and is much nicer than the stark poles and chain-link fence it replaced, but the access points still need more enhancing to match the welcome of similar access-point enhancements constructed by North East Trees (NET) in the Glendale Narrows area. Some have suggested the need for a "South East Trees" to work with the southeast cities and the county on improving this area by adding native plants, artwork, and signage.

Turn left to walk upstream on the bikeway. (Watch for bicyclists!) Just upstream of Slauson, you enter the "exclusively industrial since 1905" city of Vemon. Vemon is approximately 5 square miles with less than 150 official residents. By day, the city boasts a workforce of more than 55,000. In 1996, the Los Angeles Times called Vemon "a city unlike any other in Los Angeles County... almost treeless... no parks, no movie theaters, no bookstores." Vemon contains 3.5 miles of riverfront, among the most challenging areas for future restoration. (For much more information on exploring this unique industrial city, (see the L.A. Conservancy's 1997 publication, Cruising Industrial Los Angeles.)

The river in this area fans out nearly to its full downstream width. It's a vast expanse of concrete, and the flow is confined mainly to the narrow, central, low-flow channel. The area is most "natural" during the late summer and early fall when sediment has been deposited and low-lying vegetation grows on artificial sandbars.

Walk upstream to the turnaround point, where the bikeway ends at the historic 1931 Atlantic Boulevard Bridge.

Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park, entrance on Arroyo Boulevard at Norwood Drive. Pasadena, CA.

BIKE: There is no bike path along the Arroyo Seco, but Arroyo Boulevard is a designated bike route and a pleasant ride. There is easy bike access from the Metro Gold Line Del Mar Station; follow transit directions below,

TRANSIT: It's a bit of a walk (1.4 miles), but mainly through old Pasadena neighborhoods with big, beautiful houses. Take the Metro Gold Line to the Del Mar Station in Pasadena. Turn right (west) onto Del Mar Boulevard, cross and turn left onto Orange Grove Boulevard. Turn right on Arbor Street, left onto Arroyo Boulevard, and look for the park entry on your right across from Norwood Drive. Walk down the entry road to the bottom of the hill.

CAR: Exit the 134 Freeway at Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena and go south on Orange Grove. Turn right onto California Boulevard and right again onto Arroyo Boulevard. The park entrance is on the left, just before Norwood Drive. Look for the three-tier LOWER AKROYO PARK sign. Plenty of parking is available at the bottom of the hill.

Alternately, take the 110 Freeway north until its end and continue north on Arroyo Seco Parkway. Turn left onto California Boulevard. When California ends, turn right onto Arroyo Boulevard and look for the park entrance on the left, just before Norwood Drive.

Walk to the northeast comer of the parking area and head left (north) onto the unmarked trail at the point where the paved ramp of the entry road ends. The side streams are running alongside this trail, on your left, but, due to thick vegetation, they are difficult to see in some areas.

On your right, there is a trail that veers off and ramps uphill to La Casita del Arroyo (see side trip). Continue straight ahead. The path veers left, going close to the concrete channel of the Arroyo, then veers right again. On your right, in the midst of great oak and sycamore trees, you can see remnants of river-rock retaining walls built in the 1930s by workers of the Works Progress Administration.

At approximately 0.3 mile, you encounter the magnificent Colorado Boulevard Bridge. This is the only local bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It opened in 1913 and was retrofitted and reopened in 1993. This bridge is directly above a much more modest low bridge, still visible today. You can often spot cliff swallows' mud nests on the underside of the bridge.

Continue walking upstream and ascend the sloped path. At the top of the dam, you overlook a small impoundment area. You can see the intake holes for the side streams on either side of the small dam.

This portion of the Arroyo Seco is soft-bottom. The city of Pasadena is currently working to restore natural habitat in this area by removing exotic plants and reintroducing native vegetation.

Veer right to continue along the path. Cross below the 134 Freeway. Just past the freeway, largely obscured by ivy is the 1927 Arroyo Boulevard Bridge. The trail ends at Arroyo Boulevard near Holly Street. From this point, visible just upstream is the 1925 Linda 'Vista Bridge and the Rose Bowl.

Turn around and retrace your steps to the bottom of the slope below the Colorado Street Bridge. Just below the dam, turn right and cross the Arroyo on the pedestrian bridge. From this bridge, and along the subsequent path, look up along the west ridgeline to see the "Wayne Manor" house, which was used for the 1960s Batman television series.

Continue downstream on the path to the west side of the Arroyo. When the path veers right, turn left and cross the Arroyo. Looking upstream and downstream from the pedestrian bridge, you can see water draining from the wetlands back into the concrete channel of the Arroyo. Directly ahead of you is the parking lot.

Grant Rea Memorial Park, Rea Drive between Beverly Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. Whittier, CA.

BIKE: The walk start is easily accessed from the Lario Bike Trail. Take the Lario to the unmarked exit at Grant Rea Memorial Park, directly below the Whittier Narrows Dam.

TRANSIT: Take the Montebello Bus Line 40 or 342 on Beverly Boulevard to the intersection of Beverly and Bradley Avenue. Walk one block east to Rea Drive and then head north into Rea Park.

CAR: Exit the 60 Freeway at San Gabriel Boulevard in Whittier/Rosemead and head southeast on San Gabriel. Turn right on Lincoln Avenue and left on Rea Drive. Look for the small sign denoting the bike path entrance, located near the baseball fields in the north end of the park.

Enter the park at the trailhead for the Lario Bike Trail (look for the small sign that identifies this asphalt road as the Rio Hondo River Bike Trail). As you walk toward the Rio Hondo, on your right is a sunken baseball field. The field is designed to be played on most days of the year, but in a large storm, the field can be flooded. This is the sort of multiple-use flood protection that FoLAR has championed.

Follow the trail up the ramp across the wooden footbridge onto the Lario Bike Trail. The stark concrete bed of the lower Rio Hondo comes into view. Turn left and walk upstream toward the Whittier Narrows Dam. Share the trail with bicyclists, who may be moving fast downhill as they descend the face of the dam. Continue on the bikeway as it ascends the face of the dam.

At the top of the dam, you encounter a 360° view. Behind you, there is the dense floodplain development of Pico Rivera and Montebello and the barren concrete channel of the Rio Hondo. Behind the dam is the relatively wild reserve of the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area.

If it has rained recently, the basin may be flooded or muddy. Continue walking west on the bike path, which runs along the top of the dam. As you pass the small parking lot, check out the US Army Corps of Engineers sign profiling the dam's specifications. Continue upstream on the bikeway as it descends along the west edge of the basin.

At about 1.7 miles, the bikeway ends at Lincoln Avenue. This is the suggested turnaround point, but if you want to keep walking, turn to the right (north). Cross San Gabriel Boulevard and turn right (east). Just before Rosemead Boulevard , enter the Bosque Del Rio Hondo Park.