Connect with us

World History

What Happened to Mojave Desert’s Lake Dolores Waterpark?

Nestled along Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is what remains of what was known as one of the first modern water parks in America. Now known as an abandoned water park, Lake Dolores Waterpark was first opened in 1962. It was established by John Robert Byers, who named the place after his wife, as a private desert campground.

Byers was involved in the paint business in California, but because he had bigger ideas and plans, he went on to start his own venture in the Mojave Desert in 1953. Back then, the land was a penny an acre, so Byers began developing the area until Lake Dolores came to life in the 1960s. The area essentially consisted of interconnected man-made lakes, ponds, and channels, all of which were fueled by the underground springs.

The water park was open to various activities like fishing, boat racing, and water skiing. Byers wanted Lake Dolores to be a pit stop or landing place to rest and relax. Since it was located along Interstate 15, people started visiting the place after word got out about it. The park gained more and more popularity through time, gaining recognition as America’s first modern water park. At that time, the idea of a water park was still unknown. With Lake Dolores having all the sights and attractions that you see in commercial water parks today, it became a hit for visitors, welcoming about 30,000 in 1971.

Lake Dolores Waterpark was dubbed to be a “free-for-all party location” that appealed to bikers and offroad travelers. It had eight 150-foot long sit-down slides where you ride on small inflatables and plummet down to a narrow channel of water. Beside the slides were the thrilling zip lines, where you descended the first 100 feet over gravelly slopes before dropping to the water at high speeds. While this activity is without a doubt exciting, it can also be dangerous since you had to hold on and make sure not to let go until you reached the water.

Additionally, the water park also had a ton of other fun and exhilarating rides like the stand-up slides and trapeze, along with amenities like motocross and ATV tracks. All in all, Lake Dolores Waterpark was booming and became known as the “Fun Spot of the Desert.” Small commercials and interviews were even made to promote the place, but word-of-mouth continued to be the top source of increasing visitors.

In the late 1980s, the water park closed for the first time. While the exact reasons were not disclosed, some speculate financial problems to be the cause. Later on, local ordinances became more strict about water at recreational parks, causing worries about Lake Dolores due to its murky waters. At this time, Las Vegas began building water parks and people began to take more precaution for safety. Due to changing times, Lake Dolores was sold to a group of investors, who reopened the place in 1998 as Rock-a-Hoola.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Lake Dolores Waterpark was once a top attraction for motorists and bikers, but after several closures, it had become an abandoned waterpark.

Unfortunately, Rock-a-Hoola’s success was short-lived as it closed down in 2000 after the owners filed for bankruptcy. Once again, another group of investors tried their hand in 2002, renaming the place as “Discovery Waterpark.” However, much like the previous occurrence, the park closed again in 2004. After this, the place became known as the abandoned water park.

Riley Brown
Written By

Riley is a history, lifestyle, and entertainment writer living in San Diego. He received his bachelor's degree in Journalism and Multimedia from the University of Oregon. His work has been featured in many finance and lifestyle publications throughout the US. When he is not writing, Riley enjoys reading and hanging out at the beach with his dog.

Advertisement

You May Also Like

World History

The ‘Konfrontasi’ as those in Indonesia called it, was a confrontation between the British Commonwealth forces and Indonesian forces. The dispute was over whether...

World History

Greece is the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. The country has produced some of the most famous and influential philosophers...

World History

Liberal military officials who were against the conservative ideas and views of Tsar Nicholas I organized a revolt that they thought would pave the...

World History

Serfdom is the term to describe the institutional system that forced peasants to provide labor to landlords to let them occupy the land. Serfdom...

World History

After the end of World War II, Japan was severely damaged by the nuclear bombs, code-named Fat Man and Little Boy that were dropped...

World History

The Malayan Emergency occurred in British Malaya, including the Malay Peninsula and Singapore Island states. These regions were under the control of the British...

World History

As the Ottoman Empire declined, the Russian Tsar Nicholas I saw a chance to expand his rule over the Middle East and the Eastern...

World History

Who Were The Serfs? Serfs were Russian peasant tenants who lived on large estates and worked as laborers performing different tasks, looking after the...