Skip to main content

Atwater Riverwalk

Support Provided By

Atwater Riverwalk is one of the first and largest pocket parks along the soft-bottom Glendale Narrows. Cottonwood and sycamore trees planted there in the mid-1990s are growing stronger and taller with the passage of time. This 1-mile walk features pocket parks with native vegetation and even a unique yoga course, as well as excellent views from bicycle and pedestrian bridges.

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

DIRECTIONS TO THE START
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.

WALKING DIRECTIONS
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.

ENDING POINT
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.

NEARBY PARKS
William Mulholland Memorial
Located in the middle of nearly four acres of land at the intersection of Los Feliz and Riverside, the William Mulholland Memorial Fountain honors the self-taught engineer who, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, "slaked the Southland's thirst."

DINING
Baracoa Cuban Cafe

3175 Glendale Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90039-1805

(323) 665-9590

Giamela's Submarine Sandwiches

3178 Los Feliz Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90039

(323) 661-9444

India Sweets & Spices

3126 Los Feliz Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90039-1507

(323) 345-0360
 

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.