Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park

Elite '09

469

627

Teej T.

Urbana, IL

5/30/2007 1 photo

KMHRP is usually known simply as "Harbor Park" by long time residents, and it's a bizarre and intriguing place.  Bordered by freeways, oil refineries, community colleges, and condos, it's strange to have the third largest park in Los Angeles so locked in, yet it provides an amazing glance into the heart of what the whole ecosystem used to look like.

Everyone has heard of KMHRP because of Reggie, the pet alligator found dumped in the park's Machado Lake and celebrated famously throughout newspapers around the world--and making life awkward in 2005 with constant press coverage and people hawking T-shirts in front of the park.

Harbor Park gets really crowded on weekends, when large numbers of families pile in, particularly on Sundays, in order to hold picnics, get togethers, barbecues, and kite flying moments.  It's great to see, although occasionally it does get rather overfilled.

If you're a birdwatcher, Harbor Park is a great opportunity to see a huge amount of flora and fauna, or perhaps just enjoy a beautiful sunset over the lake.  Just be warned, if you go to the northwestern edge of the park, obscured by natural willow groves, you will almost certainly encounter a homeless squatter camp, so it's best if you stay clear.

Although Reggie himself just got captured and shipped to the L.A. Zoo, it's still nice to see the park that was such a cause celebre for nearly two years.  Grab a cone from the ice cream men wandering the park and enjoy a nice day in a thoroughly urban natureland.

• Add owner comment
• Bookmark
• Send to a Friend
• Link to This Review