It’s Finally Here!

As many of you know, I grew up in Sunland-Tujunga at the western edge of Big Tujunga Canyon and Angeles National Forest. As a kid, my friends and I used the wash and surrounding mountains as our playground. We hiked, built forts and dammed up the streams to create swimming holes. It was great fun. Later, I rode horses in Vogel Flats, enjoyed Hidden Springs and occasionally played in the snow. It wasn’t until I moved with my young family to La Crescenta that I discovered the places to explore between “the canyon” and Angeles Crest, namely Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

By the late-1990s, the park was already owned by the City of Glendale and named for the former Governor of California, George Deukmejian. My family discovered that it was a pleasant place to have a picnic, take a hike or just watch the sunset. What a view! The stone barn was always a bit of a mystery to me; I later learned the history of the Le Mesnager family and the plans to one day open the barn as a nature center and event space. I can’t tell you how many meetings I attended over the years when someone said, “It’s coming.” And now it has finally arrived.

On Saturday, March 19, the City of Glendale will host the grand opening of the Stone Barn Nature Center. Recently Mike Lawler and I were given a “sneak peek” of the museum space and we were delighted by what we saw. Starting with the retrofit of the building itself in 2011, the original style and character of the stone structure with arched roof has been carefully preserved. Most of the living quarters in the upper portion for the Le Mesnager family were redesigned as a large open space, but the original stone fireplaces along the walls remain, lending historical charm. On the ground level, where the animals and grape harvest would have been stowed, modern touches of glass and metal blend well with the rustic finishes. Elements for ADA accessibility have also been added throughout.

The Stone Barn Nature Center is the perfect complement to the aesthetics of the park. When you walk through its doors, you are welcomed by learning centers that represent different aspects of a park visit. I found a station that showed the type of items to bring for a safe and enjoyable hike and watched videos that gave a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding terrain. There was an interactive topographic map that outlined the trails leading from the barn, with levels of difficulty, and QR codes to scan so an electronic map can be taken with you.

I spied displays of the types of animals that can be seen in the park or around our neighborhoods. I pressed the doorbell of one fun exhibit that looked like a front porch. The realistic video of the family that lived there demonstrated the challenges of our urban-wildlife interface. Like all areas in California, the Crescenta Valley has fallen victim to the forces of nature. At one center, I was reminded about the devastation that was left in the wake the Station Fire in 2009 and other natural occurrences that changed our landscape. I was also reminded that on a clear day we can see breathtaking ocean views even though the park is miles away from the sea.

Children and adults will enjoy the science lab with butterflies and insects to put under a microscope and opposite that a timeline explains the history of winemaking in the valley. When you visit, be sure to look up, down and all around to find the “peek-a-boo” surprises sprinkled throughout.

On your way out the door, be sure to look for the mosaic mural on the amphitheater wall. It is truly stunning.

Congratulations and a huge thank you to the many people who contributed to this amazing project for our community. Deukmejian Wilderness Park is located at 3429 Markridge Road, between Dunsmore and New York avenues. The Stone Barn Nature Center grand opening on March 19 will feature guided tours, community booths and a climbing wall. Walk or park at the entrance near the bottom and a shuttle will deliver you up top. Festivities start at 11 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m. with tours beginning at 11:30 a.m. Arrive early. Regularly scheduled hours of operation are Fridays from 3-6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 

For more information, call (818) 548-3813 or email nmower@glendale.ca.gov.

Susan Bolan
susanbolan710@gmail.com