El Dorado East Regional Park
El Dorado Park, Long Beach, California, is located between Lakewood to the north, Hawaiian Gardens to the northeast, and Los Alamitos to the east. Long Beach Towne Center to the north, the 605 Freeway to the east, and Stearns Street to the south define the park's boundaries.
El Dorado Park is somewhat isolated from the rest of Long Beach and its neighbors because of its location between the freeway and a park, as well as its proximity to Norwalk Boulevard and Coyote Creek.
After members of the Bixby family gave the site to the City of Long Beach in 1968, development of the park began the following year. The park was financed with bond money issued in the 1950s and 1960s, and its varied topography was created by the earth that was taken during the construction of the San Gabriel Freeway.
The location of the regional park in a flood zone makes it an effective flood barrier, shielding nearby residential areas from flooding caused by the San Gabriel River. The Nature Center of the park is slated to be built on some of the undeveloped land owned by Southern California Edison to the south of Willow Street, close to where Coyote Creek meets the San Gabriel River.
Recreational facilities include a disc golf course, a basketball court, a community center, cross-country running, a physical fitness course (12 stations), a playground, a roller hockey court, barbecue, and picnic areas, a skate park, soccer fields, a volleyball court, three fishing lakes, a fishing pond, an airfield for remote control planes, a radio-controlled model sailboat area, pedal.
Back in the 1990s, the city tree farm there shut down. When the 1984 Summer Olympics were held in nearby Los Angeles, the park was used for the archery disciplines. As a result, a makeshift location had to be found.
Leasing land that is part of Heartwell Park and is owned by the city of Long Beach. Camp Fire maintains a developed camping area that is seven acres in size and includes a challenge course with rock walls, as well as a high and low ropes course.
This facility is located at the north end of the park, between, the Long Beach Towne Center, the San Gabriel River, and Heartwell Golf Course. The open space between Heartwell Park and El Dorado Park was preserved before the commercial center was built.