Sunnynook River Park
2901 Glendale Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Established:
2012
Size:
3.4 acres
Features:
Bike path
Slightly sketchy 1930’s bridge covered in padlocks
Walking bridge over the 5
Best time to visit:
Spring, summer and winter
Spring and summer have the most blooming plants, like the bush sunflowers and buckwheats. Summer is lovely for how lush the river looks. Winter can be fun if you (safely) want to look at the river as it rises in height after a storm.
Merging onto the 5 freeway from Glendale Blvd, you catch a glimpse of a pathway, bright yellow flowers and trees before being launched onto the eight lane freeway.This is how most of us are encountering this hidden gem of a park. Sunnynook River Park inhabits 3.4 acres of what was previously “vacant and underutilized” land between the 5 Freeway, an on-ramp and the LA River.
Sunnynook River Park is filled with walking trails that break off from the bike path and wind through the mature plants. There are benches, and small alcoves for visitors to sit. The light in the park moves between extremes. The bright, intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.
Since its ground breaking and opening in 2012, the park has gone through some wear and tear. The informational signs are pretty much gone, or damaged beyond usability. There are more weeds and litter than is ideal and some of the more delicate and shorter lived plants, like monkey flowers, are no longer present.
“The bright intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.”
In many ways the Sunnynook River Park is a more challenging example of California native landscaping. It lacks the stand out spring blooms of penstemons, monkey flowers and white sages that can be found down river at Elysian Gateway Valley Park and many other spaces that are found throughout the city.
Instead, Sunnynook River Park is a testament to the resilience of the ecosystem and a pragmatic style of landscaping. Buckwheats, coastal prickly pear, wild rose and bush sunflowers grow in wild profusion. Buckwheats especially, are fulfilling their expected growth size. There are several sections of the park where they grow at eye level, which is always a treat to see. The wonderful bush sunflowers cover themselves in a perfusion of yellow blooms before fading away into summer dormancy, only to reawaken with the first winter rains. Mugworts and giant wild ryes are also found deeper into the park along the walkways.
There is no simple, or direct way to access Sunnynook River Park. There are three ways, and all of them highlight pretty significant issues with the way we inhabit the land of Los Angeles. Visitors can park at the Griffith Park Recreation Center and then traverse the pedestrian bridge that crosses the 5 freeway, an experience that really confirms how intense freeways actually are.
The next option is to walk down Glendale Blvd where it runs parallel to the Hyperion bridge. There is a neat little coffee shop at one point, but the sidewalk gets a little narrow and the traffic, as the street turns into a freeway on-ramp, gets more intense.
The third way, and the way that I would recommend, would be to park on the east side of the river and cross over the Sunnynook Bridge (AKA the Lovelock bridge). While it may feel a little sketchy to cross this depression era bridge, it does give a delightful opportunity to look down the Glendale Narrows Section of the river. The Sunnynook bridge is slated for a refit in 2027. The fourth way to reach the park is to stop by while using the LA River Bike Path, which is the main purpose of the park.
Sunnynook River Park was designed to be a respite for those traveling along the LA River Bike Path. It was one of the earlier projects that were begun as part of the LA River Master Plan. This plan was created in 1996, and was inspired by the 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew plan titled Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region.
This, now rather infamous plan, suggested turning the Los Angeles River into a green belt of parkland that was designed to flood salt with the river. While the city purports that the plan was not implemented due to budget issues, it is rumored that Southern Pacific lobbied for the paving of the river to protect the rail yards. The resurgence of this landmark plan came in 1996 and then again in 2022 when the plan was revisited. Sunnynook River Park was created in the first wave of river restoration.
This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself. It was completed rather economically, for only 1.7 million dollars (apparently this is a super good deal when talking about government projects), because the site was already owed by the city and the majority of the budget could actually be put to the creation of the park, as opposed to land acquisition. The construction of the park included the removal of weeds, invasive trees such as the peruvian pepper, and poison oak (which is native but maybe not the best resident of a park). Hardscaping such as benches, walls, pathways were also installed along with nearly 50 native trees and many more native plants.
A sound barrier was originally part of the proposal, however due to the size of the lot was never actually practicable. This discrepancy has caused a fair amount of criticism in the transparency or lack thereof of local government projects.
The site is also repeatedly referred to as “vacant” and “underutilized”. Images from the city’s proposal materials show a rather barren stretch of land, dotted with various trees, with weeds and grasses mowed down for fire prevention. It was really no different than any other unvalued land bordering a major freeway, only maintained enough not to be an issue.
“This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself.”
The choice to focus on this unremarkable and barely accessible section of the river can be seen as a confusing one. Why this section of land and why not a more community oriented space? While these are valid concerns, the answer, I think, asks us to better examine our relationship with the land itself. Are there places that are more deserving of restoration than others? How is this small strip of land ultimately less valuable than any other? The fact that it is small, unused, lacking in obvious potential and arguably most importantly, already owned by the city, makes it a perfect place to start on the restoration of the river.
More Information
Opening Hours:
Dawn to dusk
Sunnynook River Park
2901 Glendale Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Established:
2012
Size:
3.4 acres
Features:
Bike path
Slightly sketchy 1930’s bridge covered in padlocks
Walking bridge over the 5
Best time to visit:
Spring, summer and winter
Spring and summer have the most blooming plants, like the bush sunflowers and buckwheats. Summer is lovely for how lush the river looks. Winter can be fun if you (safely) want to look at the river as it rises in height after a storm.
Merging onto the 5 freeway from Glendale Blvd, you catch a glimpse of a pathway, bright yellow flowers and trees before being launched onto the eight lane freeway. This is how most of us are encountering this hidden gem of a park. Sunnynook River Park inhabits 3.4 acres of what was previously “vacant and underutilized” land between the 5 Freeway, an on-ramp and the LA River.
Sunnynook River Park is filled with walking trails that break off from the bike path and wind through the mature plants. There are benches, and small alcoves for visitors to sit. The light in the park moves between extremes. The bright intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.
Since its ground breaking and opening in 2012, the park has gone through some wear and tear. The informational signs are pretty much gone, or damaged beyond usability. There are more weeds and litter than is ideal and some of the more delicate and shorter lived plants, like monkey flowers, are no longer present.
“The bright intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.”
In many ways the Sunnynook River Park is a more challenging example of California native landscaping. It lacks the stand out spring blooms of penstemons, monkey flowers and white sages that can be found down river at Elysian Gateway Valley Park and many other spaces that are found throughout the city.
Instead, Sunnynook River Park is a testament to the resilience of the ecosystem and a pragmatic style of landscaping. Buckwheats, coastal prickly pear, wild rose and bush sunflowers grow in wild profusion. Buckwheats especially, are fulfilling their expected growth size. There are several sections of the park where they grow at eye level, which is always a treat to see. The wonderful bush sunflowers cover themselves in a perfusion of yellow blooms before fading away into summer dormancy, only to reawaken with the first winter rains. Mugworts and giant wild ryes are also found deeper into the park along the walkways.
There is no simple, or direct way to access Sunnynook River Park. There are three ways, and all of them highlight pretty significant issues with the way we inhabit the land of Los Angeles. Visitors can park at the Griffith Park Recreation Center and then traverse the pedestrian bridge that crosses the 5 freeway, an experience that really confirms how intense freeways actually are.
The next option is to walk down Glendale Blvd where it runs parallel to the Hyperion bridge.There is a neat little coffee shop at one point, but the sidewalk gets a little narrow and the traffic, as the street turns into a freeway on-ramp, gets more intense. The third way, and the way that I would recommend, would be to park on the east side of the river and cross over the Sunnynook Bridge (AKA the Lovelock bridge). While it may feel a little sketchy to cross this depression era bridge, it does give a delightful opportunity to look down the Glendale Narrows Section of the river. The Sunnynook bridge is slated for a refit in 2027. The fourth way to reach the park is to stop by while using the LA River Bike Path, which is the main purpose of the park.
Sunnynook River Park was designed to be a respite for those traveling along the LA River Bike Path.It was one of the earlier projects that were begun as part of the LA River Master Plan. This plan was created in 1996, and was inspired by the 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew plan titled Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region.
This, now rather infamous plan, suggested turning the Los Angeles River into a green belt of parkland that was designed to flood salt with the river. While the city purports that the plan was not implemented due to budget issues, it is rumored that Southern Pacific lobbied for the paving of the river to protect the rail yards. The resurgence of this landmark plan came in 1996 and then again in 2022 when the plan was revisited. Sunnynook River Park was created in the first wave of river restoration.
This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself. It was completed rather economically, for only 1.7 million dollars (apparently this is a super good deal when talking about government projects), because the site was already owed by the city and the majority of the budget could actually be put to the creation of the park, as opposed to land acquisition. The construction of the park included the removal of weeds, invasive trees such as the peruvian pepper, and poison oak (which is native but maybe not the best resident of a park). Hardscaping such as benches, walls, pathways were also installed along with nearly 50 native trees and many more native plants.
A sound barrier was originally part of the proposal, however due to the size of the lot was never actually practicable. This discrepancy has caused a fair amount of criticism in the transparency or lack thereof of local government projects.
The site is also repeatedly referred to as “vacant” and “underutilized”. Images from the city’s proposal materials show a rather barren stretch of land, dotted with various trees, with weeds and grasses mowed down for fire prevention. It was really no different than any other unvalued land bordering a major freeway, only maintained enough not to be an issue.
“This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself.”
The choice to focus on this unremarkable and barely accessible section of the river can be seen as a confusing one. Why this section of land and why not a more community oriented space? While these are valid concerns, the answer, I think, asks us to better examine our relationship with the land itself. Are there places that are more deserving of restoration than others? How is this small strip of land ultimately less valuable than any other? The fact that it is small, unused, lacking in obvious potential and arguably most importantly, already owned by the city, makes it a perfect place to start on the restoration of the river.
More Information
Opening Hours:
Dawn to dusk
Sunnynook River Park
2901 Glendale Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Established:
2012
Size:
3.4 acres
Features:
Bike path
Slightly sketchy 1930’s bridge
covered in padlocks
Walking bridge
over the 5
Best time to visit:
Spring, summer and winter
Spring and summer have the most blooming plants, like the bush sunflowers and buckwheats. Summer is lovely for how lush the river looks. Winter can be fun if you (safely) want to look at the river as it rises in height after a storm.
Merging onto the 5 freeway from Glendale Blvd, you catch a glimpse of a pathway, bright yellow flowers and trees before being launched onto the eight lane freeway. This is how most of us are encountering this hidden gem of a park. Sunnynook River Park inhabits 3.4 acres of what was previously “vacant and underutilized” land between the 5 Freeway, an on-ramp and the LA River.
Sunnynook River Park is filled with walking trails that break off from the bike path and wind through the mature plants. There are benches, and small alcoves for visitors to sit. The light in the park moves between extremes. The bright intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.
Since its ground breaking and opening in 2012, the park has gone through some wear and tear. The informational signs are pretty much gone, or damaged beyond usability. There are more weeds and litter than is ideal and some of the more delicate and shorter lived plants, like monkey flowers, are no longer present.
“The bright intense light of the paved river is contrasted with the deep shade of the coast live oaks. The experience is magical.”
In many ways the Sunnynook River Park is a more challenging example of California native landscaping. It lacks the stand out spring blooms of penstemons, monkey flowers and white sages that can be found down river at Elysian Gateway Valley Park and many other spaces that are found throughout the city.
Instead, Sunnynook River Park is a testament to the resilience of the ecosystem and a pragmatic style of landscaping. Buckwheats, coastal prickly pear, wild rose and bush sunflowers grow in wild profusion. Buckwheats especially, are fulfilling their expected growth size. There are several sections of the park where they grow at eye level, which is always a treat to see. The wonderful bush sunflowers cover themselves in a perfusion of yellow blooms before fading away into summer dormancy, only to reawaken with the first winter rains. Mugworts and giant wild ryes are also found deeper into the park along the walkways.
There is no simple, or direct way to access Sunnynook River Park. There are three ways, and all of them highlight pretty significant issues with the way we inhabit the land of Los Angeles. Visitors can park at the Griffith Park Recreation Center and then traverse the pedestrian bridge that crosses the 5 freeway, an experience that really confirms how intense freeways actually are. The next option is to walk down Glendale Blvd where it runs parallel to the hyperion bridge. There is a neat little coffee shop at one point, but the sidewalk gets a little narrow and the traffic, as the street turns into a freeway on-ramp, gets more intense. The third way, and the way that I would recommend, would be to park on the east side of the river and cross over the Sunnynook Bridge (AKA the Lovelock bridge). While it may feel a little sketchy to cross this depression era bridge, it does give a delightful opportunity to look down the Glendale Narrows Section of the river. The Sunnynook bridge is slated for a refit in 2027. The fourth way to reach the park is to stop by while using the LA River Bike Path, which is the main purpose of the park.
Sunnynook River Park was designed to be a respite for those traveling along the LA River Bike Path. It was one of the earlier projects that were begun as part of the LA River Master Plan. This plan was created in 1996, and was inspired by the 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew plan titled Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region.
This, now rather infamous plan, suggested turning the Los Angeles River into a green belt of parkland that was designed to flood salt with the river. While the city purports that the plan was not implemented due to budget issues, it is rumored that Southern Pacific lobbied for the paving of the river to protect the rail yards. The resurgence of this landmark plan came in 1996 and then again in 2022 when the plan was revisited. Sunnynook River Park was created in the first wave of river restoration.
This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself. It was completed rather economically, for only 1.7 million dollars (apparently this is a super good deal when talking about government projects), because the site was already owed by the city and the majority of the budget could actually be put to the creation of the park, as opposed to land acquisition. The construction of the park included the removal of weeds, invasive trees such as the peruvian pepper, and poison oak (which is native but maybe not the best resident of a park). Hardscaping such as benches, walls, pathways were also installed along with nearly 50 native trees and many more native plants. A sound barrier was originally part of the proposal, however due to the size of the lot was never actually practicable. This discrepancy has caused a fair amount of criticism in the transparency or lack thereof of local government projects.
The site is also repeatedly referred to as “vacant” and “underutilized”. Images from the city’s proposal materials show a rather barren stretch of land, dotted with various trees, with weeds and grasses mowed down for fire prevention. It was really no different than any other unvalued land bordering a major freeway, only maintained enough not to be an issue.
“This is a fascinating project for many reasons, but mostly for the site itself.”
The choice to focus on this unremarkable and barely accessible section of the river can be seen as a confusing one. Why this section of land and why not a more community oriented space? While these are valid concerns, the answer, I think, asks us to better examine our relationship with the land itself. Are there places that are more deserving of restoration than others? How is this small strip of land ultimately less valuable than any other? The fact that it is small, unused, lacking in obvious potential and arguably most importantly, already owned by the city, I would argue, makes it a perfect place to start on the restoration of the river.
More Information
Opening Hours:
Dawn to dusk