Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
Department overview
FormedJuly 1, 1903 (1903-07-01)
Preceding agencies
  • Forester and Fire Warden's Office
  • Department of Recreation, Camps and Playgrounds
JurisdictionLos Angeles County
Headquarters
Employees1,477 (2010)[1]
Annual budgetUS$149,369,000 (2010)[1]
Department executive
  • Norma Edith García-Gonzalez, Director
Websiteparks.lacounty.gov Edit this at Wikidata

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is an agency of the County of Los Angeles which oversees its parks and recreational facilities. It was created in 1944.[2] It operates and maintains over 71,249 acres (28,833 ha) of parks, gardens, lakes, natural gardens, and golfing greens, and 200 miles (320 km) of trails.[2]

It maintains 183 parks and operates the world's largest municipal golf course system with 20 courses. It also owns the Hollywood Bowl and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.[3]

Weddings can be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Magic Johnson Park in Willowbrook.[4] Virginia Robinson Gardens is open for tours.

Los Angeles County nature centers

Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation operates nature centers at:[4]

Los Angeles County fishing lakes

It has fishing lakes at:[4]

History

The department hosts approximately 300 film projects a year, including feature films, television series, television commercials, and still photography shoots for various magazines and publications.[5]

Safety and law enforcement services are provided on a contract basis from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Parks Bureau. Prior to 2010, the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety (County Police) and its predecessor agencies were responsible for law enforcement in the county parks.

Due to the Los Angeles County's budget cuts, the following six regional parks have been closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, starting from June 30, 2025: Castaic, Frank G. Bonelli, Kenneth Hahn, Peter F. Schabarum, Santa Fe Dam, and Whittier Narrows.[6] The radio station LAist attributed the cuts to the County's declining revenue, factored by loss of federal funding, the January 2025 wildfires affecting southern California, and a $4 billion settlement for child sexual abuse cases occurred in County-operated juvenile halls and other facilities.[7]

Management and Commission

Since 2020, the director is Norma Edith García-Gonzalez.[2] The department is governed by a five-member commission, appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Assessor" (PDF). County of Los Angeles Annual Report 2009-2010. Public Affairs, Chief Executive Office. p. 23. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Director's Message". LA County Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Media Information". LA County Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Website". Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation - Filming and Photography". Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ Kiszla, Cameron (June 11, 2025). "Los Angeles County parks to close 2 days per week". KTLA. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  7. ↑ Wagner, David (June 10, 2025). "Playtime over? LA County parks will close two days a week because of budget cuts". LAist. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Parks Commission". LA County Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
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