Lake Dolores Waterpark is an abandoned waterpark off Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert in the community of Newberry Springs, California, United States. The waterpark had operated under numerous names in the past, including Lake Dolores, Rock–A–Hoola Waterpark, and Discovery Waterpark. #lakedolores #waterpark
Inception and early years
The park was originally designed and built by local businessman Bob Byers for use by his extended family. Lake Dolores was named after Byers’ wife.
The initial phases of conception, planning, and construction took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s. An expanse of arid land on the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert 100 yards (91 m) from Interstate 15 was chosen for the project. Lake Dolores, the body of water, is a 273-acre (110 ha) man-made lake fed by underground springs.
Over the next 25 years, rides and attractions were added, and the site evolved into a waterpark, which was advertised on television with the slogan “The Fun Spot of The Desert!”. The park saw its peak attendance between the early 1970s and the mid-1980s. After a downturn in popularity in the late 1980s, the park closed.
Rock–A–Hoola Waterpark
Byers sold the defunct park in August 1990 to Lake Dolores Group LLC, a three-member investment group led by Oxnard, California businessman Terry Christensen, who envisioned a more polished park with a 1950s theme.
In 1995, the original waterslides on the hill were removed to make room for new installations. Advertising and promotion was contracted to Beachport Entertainment Corporation, and the park reopened under a new name, “Rock–A–Hoola”, on July 4, 1998. The new park featured the constant playing of the 1950s and 1960s rock and roll music throughout the park along with some compatible graphics. In its “Rock–A–Hoola” incarnation, the park included a river ride on inflated tubes.
An on-premises RV park had been planned but its opening was delayed. In its three seasons the park amassed three million dollars in debt, one of the three investors experienced financial problems, and an employee crippled in a 1999 accident was awarded $4.4 million in damages (affirmed by the California Fourth District Court of Appeal in 2004). The park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2000. The court-appointed trustee failed to find a buyer, and in August 2000 the bankruptcy filing was changed to Chapter 7 liquidation. The bankruptcy judge overseeing the case returned the property to Dolores Byers (husband Bob Byers died in 1996) with most debts discharged.
Dolores Byers sold the property in September 2001 to S.L. Investment Group LLC of the City of Industry, California. She died a month later.
Discovery Waterpark
After a US$400,000 renovation the waterpark reopened in May 2002 under a new name: Discovery Waterpark. In 2002 and 2003, the park was open on weekends. During the last season of operation in the summer of 2004, the park operated intermittently. The park has been closed since the summer of 2004.
Desolation and later activity
Lake Dolores waterpark in 2012
The remnants of Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark in the foreground, and Interstate 15 in the background.
In 2003, Olympic Gold Medalist and former professional football player Ron Brown and the Pro Players Network, a group of former and current professional athletes, formulated a proposal to purchase the park and turn it into a camp for disadvantaged youths, but this effort failed.
In March 2008 the park appeared in an episode of the reality show Rob & Big on MTV. Professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and friends used the waterpark and its slides to perform skateboard stunts for the show.
In 2011, a group called Oasis Themepark announced a project to renovate and reopen the park, but progress has been desultory.
In 2013, TrustoCorp, a group of artists from New York City, transformed the park into a “TrustoLand” as an artistic statement, by repainting many signs and buildings with unusual images and messages.
On May 27, 2013, Boards of Canada publicly debuted their album Tomorrow’s Harvest by playing it first at Lake Dolores Waterpark. They had previously hinted that it would be played there by tweeting satellite images[8] and uploading a video to YouTube featuring a distorted advertisement for the park titled Look Sad Reel, an anagram of Lake Dolores.
On September 30, 2014, the park was used by Top Gear America as an obstacle course in Season 5 Episode 7 “What Can It Take”.
On October 7, 2016, the park appeared on the TV show Abandoned, which airs on Viceland Network.
Future
In March 2020, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a General Plan amendment and a conditional use permit that allows developers to restore the abandoned water park. Plans include rehabbing the 41-acre former water park; restoring the 22-acre lake and 2-acre pond for boating, swimming and camping; and additional office and administration space, commercial and retail.
Source – Wikipedia
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