Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

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False-color satellite image of the San Gabriel River and the Santa Fe Dam

The yellow dock by the Santa Fe dam

The Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area is a county park located in Irwindale, California, USA in the San Gabriel Valley and nestled among the gravel quarries in the area. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The park, located off the San Gabriel River Freeway (Interstate 605), contains a 70-acre (280,000 m²) lake created by the damming of the San Gabriel River. The Santa Fe Dam Nature Center is where visitors can explore the natural habitat in the park which is operated by the San Gabriel Mountains and Rivers Conservancy.

The dam is a popular tourist attraction as visitors are afforded a view of the San Gabriel Mountains. Recreational activities at the park include swimming, fishing, boating, waterskiing, cycling, birdwatching, and hiking. In 2005, the annual Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire was relocated to the park from its long-established location at Glen Helen Regional Park (home of the Hyundai Pavilion) in Devore, California. Prior to that it was located on the Paramount Ranch in Agoura, California from 1966 to 1988[1].

Fish found in the lake include largemouth bass, bluegills, crappie, and carp. Rainbow trout are stocked in the cooler months and channel catfish are stocked in the summer months.