Studio City in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Sportsmen’s Lodge

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 11, 2022

1. Sportsmen’s Lodge Marker

Inscription. This site is one of the San Fernando Valley's earliest gathering spots. At the foot of Coldwater Canyon with frontage along the Los Angeles River, a nearby natural spring once served as a fishing hole. From the Hollywood Trout Farms in 1915 to the opening of Sportsmen's Lodge Restaurant in 1942, this popular rural oasis evolved into a destination for social and recreational activity. The popularity of the Sportsmen's Lodge grew with the film and television industries in Studio City through the twentieth century and contributed to the identity and economy of the San Fernando Valley.

Erected 2021 by The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.

Location. 34° 8.71′ N, 118° 24.756′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Studio City. It is at the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Ventura Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12833 Ventura Blvd, Studio City CA 91604,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s The Valley — the San Fernando Valley

and in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: St. Saviour's Chapel (approx. 0.3 miles away); Harry J. Wolff House (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mary Tyler Moore Show (approx. 1.2 miles away); Republic Pictures 75th Anniversary (approx. 1.2 miles away); Melhorn Overlook (approx. 1½ miles away); Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir (approx. 1.6 miles away); Walter Reed Middle School (approx. 1.6 miles away); Barbara A. Fine Overlook (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Regarding Sportsmen’s Lodge. Operating under various names since the 1880s, the Sportsmen's Lodge was a popular

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 11, 2022

2. Sportsmen’s Lodge Marker

spot for celebrations, dinners, and public events. This location was a geographic crossroads for travelers because of its proximity to the river, the canyons, and watering holes created by a natural artesian spring. In the days before freeways, all traffic passed along Ventura Boulevard in the sparsely populated Valley, and when people were starting to take road trips, this was an oasis at the end of the road. In the first half of the 20th century, the Sportsmen's Lodge was known for its trout-fishing lake where families came to catch and eat their own dinners, cooked courtesy of the lodge's restaurant. The ponds were augmented with man-made lakes in the 1920s, and fish were grown and delivered from as far as Las Vegas and San Luis Obispo. The restaurant courtyard had waterfalls, lagoons, lily ponds, and gazebos. A mountain chalet bar had a massive stone fireplace and log-beamed ceilings.
In the early 2000s, efforts were taken to secure protected historical status for the Sportsmen's Lodge. An application to designate the center as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument has not been approved. In 2007, a developer bought the Sportsmen's

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 11, 2022

3. Sportsmen’s Lodge Marker

Lodge, demolished and redeveloped it into a retail complex named The Shops at Sportsmen's Lodge, which includes multiple restaurants and a fitness center.

The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 11, 2022

4. The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge

A new shopping center with ponds similar to the original Sportsmen’s Lodge.

Sportsmen’s Lodge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 21, 2023

5. Sportsmen’s Lodge

The old sign is now in the collection of the Valley Relics Museum at Van Nuys Airport.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 759 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 11, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on March 7, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.