Lake Delores

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A surreal sight for the unknowing I-15 traveller in the eastern Mojave Desert: the Delores Water Park & Resort

Lake Delores is the original, given name of the man-made lake and the surrounding site where stands a still physically-existent yet currently inoperative waterpark on Hacienda Road in the desert town of Newberry Springs, San Bernardino County, California, USA. When last open to the general public, the park itself went by the relatively recent and updated name(s) Rock-a-Hoola/Discovery Water Park.

[edit] Early history

Because there have been no records as of yet discovered of an earlier construction and/or operation of any park of this, or similar type, Lake Delores is very likely the world's first and hence its oldest true waterpark. As a point of clarification, this remote desert attraction was heretofore, as is still the case today -- despite two successive name changes -- far more commonly known by the general public as "Lake Delores".

Owned, conceived, designed, built, and subsequently operated by a local businessman -- the late John Byers -- the original park's initial, primary intent was to function as nothing more than a basic, "no-frills" private desert campground adjacent to a small man-made lake for the combined purposes of "off-road racing" over and about the surrounding desert terrain, coupled with the requisite comfort, rest, and relaxation by and for its paying guests. Mainly suited for weekend and holiday use by desert and off-road motorcycle racing ("motocross" AKA "MX") enthusiasts, over several years and for various situational, family, and economic reasons, the park grew in popularity as it gradually morphed into an attraction which became considerably more broad in scope than the park designer's original vision had first intended. Within just a few years the Los Angeles/Las Vegas I-15 traveling public began to take notice as well.

The initial phases of conception, planning and construction took place between the late 1950's and early 1960's. An expansive parcel of arid land situated on the eastern edge of Southern California's Mojave Desert, just one-hundred yards northwest of Interstate 15 was chosen for its convenient proximity to this well-travelled highway -- as well as other neighboring thoroughfares -- in addition to the availability of the nearby "Stuckey's" restaurant franchise, a small convenience store, and a Texaco gas station which all stood together on a corner just three miles due east at the nearest I-15 offramp.

With the park's "Grand Opening" as a basic campground in May of 1962, and spanning a period of several years thereafter, Lake Delores evolved into a relatively unique waterpark experience (especially by today's standards). In addition to a group of water "speed-slides" situated next to a manual, rider-operated guidewire/"zip-tram" ride, the park featured a swimming pool along with a high-dive, a "kiddie" wading pool, and in later years boasted a meandering lazy river-like raft ride on inflated tubes -- during that particular period, the longest ride of its type in the world.

In this, its first incarnation as a waterpark, Lake Delores (named after the wife of original designer/owner John Byers) was considered by the waterslide enthusiast to be quite a welcome rarity, as most of the rides within the park itself quickly developed the reputation of more accurately being "thrill-rides within a waterpark" as compared to what the average American of the time normally perceived and expected of the nationally more ubiquitous, then-modern-day waterpark.

Aside from the park's remote location, coupled with the fact that it was family-owned and operated -- many other factors of greater import went into setting Lake Delores apart from the "typical" waterpark. First and foremost of these factors was that all of the waterslides were merely much larger-scale replicas of "playground" or "sandbox" slides, both in their mutual shape and/or sloping angle, along with their composite make-up and structure, as each waterslide was manufactured from thin, plyable, and polished to a mirror-finish Stainless Steel. Combining this relatively strong and non-porous material with a straight-ahead steep angle drop which channeled an endless flow of downward rushing water along with the ever-greasy suntan lotion and/or a slick "floatie", any slowing friction between slide and rider was virtually non-existent, thus adding an even greater degree and sense of speed to the overall thrill. No waterpark that comes close to resembling this specific type of design and construction has existed anywhere in the world before, nor has one like it existed anywhere thus far, since.

As its central attraction, the park featured eight "lay-down" waterslides abutted side-by-side against a large man-made hill -- each slide identical to the other and each traversing the hill downward for over one-hundred feet in length at a sixty-degree laser-straight drop with each rider aided by the small, flat, manually inflated "floatie" which was placed under one's belly, back, or bottom. Gaining speed due to the physics of "angular momentum", riders would "skim" as they hit the water at slide's-end, their "floatie" slapping against the surface as they swiftly zipped -- just like a "skipping stone" -- forty to fifty yards across the lagoon. Positioned in an adjacent section several yards away and parallel to these slides were two "stand-up", "V"-shaped waterslides (sitting at roughly the exact same length and downward angle as the forementioned "sit-down" slides) which, at the height of ten to fifteen feet above the water, shot the standing rider out of the end of the slide like a "human cannonball". To add an even greater thrill to the overall experience, there was the "Zip-Cord", a single, "Spider-Man"-like, hand-held-while-hanging tram-ride which (by gravity alone) careened the rider for approximately 200 feet at a downward angle away from the top of the hill, at ever-increasing speed along a guidewire which situated high above the water. At the bottom-end of this wire the hand-grip would slam into a small blocking mechanism and come to a dead stop with the continuing momentum thrusting the hanging (and often screaming) rider twenty-plus feet forward and down into the cool, murky lagoon like an incoming runaway missile. It is said by many a former Lake Delores aficionado that on this particular ride, any ounce of fear didn't really matter, as the riders would invariably "come back for more" (of course, it was no small wonder that during this period, Lake Delores enforced a strict policy which made it mandatory that each and every guest and/or parent sign and initial a three-page "Waiver of Liability" upon their entrance to the park). A similar treat could be found in a smaller adjacent lake which featured three "swings," or trapeze, hanging from an A-frame. The swingers launched from a 20-foot platform, more often than not losing their grip before reaching the bottom of the arc. Those who held on for the upswing could release for a sometimes graceful flight and splash landing.

Apparently living up to its slogan -- "The Fun Spot of The Desert!" -- coupled with strong "word of mouth" advertising, Lake Delores experienced a long, steady peak in its popularity between the early 1970's and the mid 1980's. What was once a relatively brief, casual "midway stop" for the family and kids by Los Angeles/Las Vegas travelers gradually became a seasonal "destination spot" for much of the Southwest -- especially among teens, young adults, and young families. On a typical weekend or holiday, between forty to sixty cars at a time would arrive the prior evening and camp overnight just outside of the front gate in order to gain prime choice for a select camping spot the next morning. Quite often, in many a gathering spot throughout this vast area of the country, (especially during the summer months) one could regularly overhear conversations relating to the "great time" they just had at "Lake Delores".

[edit] Recent history

More recently, during the late 1990's and into January of 2000, due to changing economic conditions which led to steadily declining gate receipts, and most notably after amassing a 3 million dollar-plus debt, Lake Delores was forced to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, and with this action ultimately came new ownership, S.L. Investment Group LLC of the City of Industry, California. Shortly following this transaction Delores Byers passed away from cancer, and within three months the regionally venerable moniker of Lake Delores was changed to Rock-a-Hoola. Soon thereafter, a leading Canadian waterpark/waterslide design and engineering firm, WhiteWater West Industries of Vancouver, British Columbia, was contracted by the new owners to implement and oversee a comprehensive re-design of the park -- in its entirety -- to include the scrapping and re-design of each individual component ride. In due course, the stainless-steel speed-slides were demolished and replaced with the slower-paced yet more contemporary twisting and turning plastic waterslides. Within two years, there was a "semi-official" name change to "Discovery Water Park".

Entering the New Millennium with high-hopes and a complete makeover -- now in its second incarnation as a waterpark -- Lake Delores/Rock-A-Hoola/Discovery Waterpark and the park's new owners experienced several major setbacks. As a result, the park opened and closed several times. In 2003, Olympic Gold Medalist and former NFL All-Pro Wide Receiver Ron Brown (Oakland Raiders, St.Louis Rams) led a distinguished group of former and current professional athletes -- a fraternal/business organization known as the "Pro Players Network" -- in a reportedly serious attempt to purchase the park and turn it into a fun, creative, sports, and educational activity camp for underpriveliged children. At this point, however -- reportedly running into several roadblocks -- these plans appear to be in somewhat of a "holding pattern". The park was last open to the general public on an intermittent and relatively part-time basis during the summer of 2004.

[edit] Current status

As of this writing, the waterslides and attractions of Lake Dolores/Rock-A-Hoola/Discovery Water Park are readily visible from Interstate 15, sixteen miles northeast of Barstow, California, just past the mid-way point from downtown Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the park, as well as the immediate, surrounding acreage, is currently the subject of major discussion, debate, and rumor within the local community. From a physical standpoint, the site itself is now patrolled by guard dogs but appears to be well-maintained and in excellent condition.

[edit] External links

• [1] Outline map of the Mojave Desert.
• [2] Comments from a knowledgeable source.
• [3] Website of WhiteWater West -- the design/engineering firm that gave rise to Rock-A-Hoola and similar waterparks around the globe.

[edit] News links

• [4] News feature on the "Re-opening" of Lake Delores -- Post Bankruptcy.
• [5] News article from when park was most recently open.
• [6] News article of park's potential future.
• [7] More history -- and another potential future.
• [8] News article on another re-opening.
• [9] News article update (2004) re: Employee v. Rock-A-Hoola/Lake Delores (circa 1999) Worker's Compensation injury lawsuit.
• [10] News archive of general feature article on Southland area waterparks.

[edit] Photo links

• [11] Most recent known photos (post shut-down) of Rock-A-Hoola/Discovery Water Park.
• [12] Aerial photo of Lake Delores/Rock-A-Hoola.
• [13] Recent photo of park from I-15.
• [14] Recent photo from "Lazy River" perspective before park's closure.
• [15] Archive photo (from "The Friendly Indians" recent album cover) of old Lake Delores/pre Rock-A-Hoola Speed-Slides.
• [16] Recent sale photo of a now-collectible speed-slide "floatie".