Fossil Ridge Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fossil Ridge Park |
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| Location | Corner of Mulholland Drive and Beverly Glen Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, California |
Fossil Ridge Park is a special public park located in Sherman Oaks, a part of Los Angeles County, California. It's owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, an organization that helps protect natural lands. This park is famous for its amazing collection of ancient marine animal fossils!
Where is Fossil Ridge Park?
Fossil Ridge Park is found at the corner of Mulholland Drive and Beverly Glen Boulevard. This area is in Sherman Oaks, which is a neighborhood within the big city of Los Angeles.
Right next to the park, on its northern side, is the Buckley School. This is a private school. On the east side, you'll find Mulholland Estates, which is a private neighborhood with security gates.
For a while, it was tricky to get into the park because security guards at Mulholland Estates blocked the way. But since 2011, people are allowed to drive or walk on Westpark Road. This road is inside Mulholland Estates and leads to the park. Just remember, you can't park your car on Westpark Road.
Since 2002, the park has been next to the new Oak Forest Canyon Natural Area. This area is also owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Oak Forest Canyon was bought to make it easier for people to reach Fossil Ridge Park.
The Story of Fossil Ridge Park
The idea for Fossil Ridge Park first came up in 1986. The park was officially announced five years later, in 1991. Famous actor Ed Asner and local politician Zev Yaroslavsky spoke at the dedication event. However, the park wasn't fully finished and opened until late 1995.
The first part of the land, which was about 56 acres, was given to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. It was donated by Kenneth Kai Chang, a real estate developer who built Mulholland Estates. Mr. Chang also agreed to help pay for some of the park's walking trails and a visitor center.
The entire park covers about 110 acres. It holds many fossils of animals that used to live in the ocean. This area is protected, which means you cannot move any rocks that have fossils on them.
Amazing Fossils You Can Find
Fossil Ridge Park is home to many incredible fossils! You can see slabs of rock, called diatomaceous sandstone, that are full of fossil fish. These fish might be a type of herring. They were found in the 1970s in the area where the Mulholland Estates security gate is now.
Imagine hundreds, or even thousands, of these 5.5-inch fish. It seems they all died at once, possibly because the water they were in suddenly had very little oxygen. These fossils give us a peek into what life was like millions of years ago!
