The Los Angeles River provides countless options for family fun with kid-friendly amenities no more than a hop or skip away. You'll find fishing, photography, bird watching, as well as scenic and easy hiking and biking. Riverside parks offer playgrounds and picnic areas. Just off the River, a myriad of additional parks boast museums, railroad rides, and activities for the whole family.
Initially, not knowing where to go or what to do is the biggest impediment to your first visit to the River. Use our guide to craft a plan of action and work out all the details in advance for your family adventure, including the commute and parking, and what to do and where to eat. With successive trips back to these activity-rich areas, you'll soon become an expert on how to tailor river visits to your own family's interests and needs.
All Field Guides
- Maywood Riverfront Park
- Legg Lake
- Los Angeles River Center & Gardens
- Whittier Narrows Recreation Area & Nature Center
- Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
- Hansen Dam Aquatic Center - Loop Walk
- Travel Town Railroad & Museum
- Bette Davis Picnic Area
- Sepulveda Dam
- Heritage Square Museum - Victorian Houses
- Elysian Valley Riverside
- Barnyard Zoo
- Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park
- Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
- Woodley Avenue Park
- Hansen Dam Pathway
- Lake Balboa
- River Walk--Above Balboa
- Atwater Village Riverside
- River Walk--Below Balboa
- Balboa Sports Center
- Bosque Del Rio Hondo
- Hansen Dam - Middle Lake
- Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve
- Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens
- Griffith Park Pony Rides
- Los Angeles Equestrian Center
- Rio de Los Angeles State Park
- Audubon Center
- Compton Creek
- Long Beach Harbor
- Long Beach Bike Paths
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Departures L.A. River
Experience Departures: L.A. River, where the Los Angeles River comes alive through an intimate collection of interactive panoramas, first-person interviews, mapping tools and archival imagery, showing the incredible diversity and history of the Los Angeles River.
