Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area
Hiking Distance: 1.2-Mile Loop Hiking Time: 45 Minutes Configuration: Loop Elevation Gain: Level Difficulty: Easy Exposure: Exposed
Dogs: Not Allowed In The Wildlife Reserve
(But Allowed On All Other Trails In The Recreation Area)
Maps: U.S.G.S. Van Nuys U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Map
The Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area Is A 2,097-Acre Flood Control Basin At The Junction Of The San Diego (405) Freeway And The Ventura (101) Freeway. The Expansive Parkland Contains Three Golf Courses, Two Parks, Two Lakes, Ball Fields, Tennis Courts, A Japanese Garden, A Wildlife Reserve, And The Only Unpaved Stretch Of The Los Angeles River.
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The 225-Acre Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve (Within The Recreation Area) Is An Oasis For Migratory Waterfowl And Shorebirds. The Reserve Is Considered Among The Finest Refuges Of Its Kind Within A Major Urban Area In The United States. The Restored Natural Habitat Also Serves As A Living Laboratory For Wildlife. The Lush Habitat Has Oak Savannah, Sycamores, Coastal Live Oaks, And Valley Oaks. A Lake Within The Reserve Is Fed By Year-Round Haskell Creek, A Tributary Of The Los Angeles River. The Lake Contains An 11- Acre Island Which Serves As A Nesting And Resting Ground For A Variety Of Birds (Including Herons, Egrets, Pelicans, Cormorants, And Geese). Cottonwood Trees Were Planted On The Bird Refuge Island. A Paved Path With Shaded And Secluded Wildlife-Viewing Areas Follows The West Edge Of The Lake, While A Natural Dirt Path Skirts The East Side Of The Lake.
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve
Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area
From The Ventura Freeway (101) In Encino, Take The Balboa Boulevard Exit. Drive One Block North To Burbank Boulevard And Turn Right (East). Continue 1.7 Miles East To Woodley Avenue And Turn Left. Drive 0.7 Miles To The Second Park Access Road (Signed For The Wildlife Area) On The Right. Turn Right And Go A Half Mile To The Far Parking Lot On The Left.
From The San Diego Freeway (405) In Van Nuys, Take The Burbank Boulevard Exit. Drive A Half Mile West To Woodley Avenue. Turn Right And Continue 0.7 Miles To The Second Park Access Road (Signed For The Wildlife Area) On The Right. Turn Right And Go A Half Mile To The Far Parking Lot On The Left.
The Hike
Walk Down The Ramp Behind The Restroom And Wildlife Center Building Onto The Dirt Path. Head Down The Grassy Slope To The Signed Wildlife Reserve Entrance. Follow The Wide Path South Through The Tall Brush To A 4-Way Junction. The Right Fork Crosses A Bridge Over Perennial Haskell Creek, Linking The Wildlife Reserve To The Sepulveda Basin Parkland And The Perimeter Trail To The West. The Left Fork Leads 50 Yards To A Lakeside Viewing Area With Interpretive Signage. Stay On The Main Trail Straight Ahead Between The Lake And Haskell Creek To Another Trail On The Left. This Side Path Leads 75 Yards To Another Lake Overlook And A View Of The Bird Refuge Island. Continue Along The West Side Of The Lake To A Series Of Overlooks And Information Panels, Plus A Second Bridge Crossing Over Haskell Creek. At The South End Of The Lake Is The Outlet Stream Feeding Haskell Creek. Near Burbank Boulevard, The Path Veers Left To A Junction. The Right Fork Goes Through A Pedestrian Tunnel Under Burbank Boulevard Into The South Reserve. (In The South Reserve, The Path Follows Haskell Creek To Its Confluence With The Los Angeles River.) For This Hike, Go Left, Staying In The North Reserve. Follow The Undeveloped East Edge Of The Lake, Completing The Loop At The First Bridge. Return To The Trailhead On The Right.
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