Cedar Lake (California)
Encyclopedia
Cedar Lake is a small artificial lake in the San Bernardino Mountains
of California
, U.S.A.
which has appeared in dozens of Western
films. It is the centerpiece of Cedar Lake Camp, a private retreat center owned and operated by the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles.
Located south of the city of Big Bear Lake
in San Bernardino County
and San Bernardino National Forest
, the lake lies about two hours east of Los Angeles
and two hours north of San Diego.
The lake is formed by a dam across a minor tributary of Metcalf Creek. The creek feeds Metcalf Bay, an arm of Big Bear Lake
, whose waters reach the Pacific Ocean
by way of Bear Creek
and the Santa Ana River
.
The lake's scenery and proximity to Hollywood made it a popular filming location. It appeared in more than forty films, including:
It also appeared in six television series, including:
On May 19, 2010, a 29-year-old man drowned in the lake after his canoe capsized.
28 feet (8.5 m) high and 220 feet (67.1 m) long containing 650 cubic yards (497 m³) of material. Its crest is 7101 feet (2,164.4 m) above sea level.
The old mill house and water wheel can be seen in the Bonanza episode "Thorton's Account".
:
For other uses of the name "Cedar Lake" see Cedar Lake
.
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, U.S.A.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which has appeared in dozens of Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
films. It is the centerpiece of Cedar Lake Camp, a private retreat center owned and operated by the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles.
Located south of the city of Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake, California
Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, located northeast of the city of San Bernardino. The population was 5,019 at the 2010 census, down from 5,438 at the 2000 census...
in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
and San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest is a federally-managed forest covering more than 800,000 acres . There are two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular...
, the lake lies about two hours east of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and two hours north of San Diego.
The lake is formed by a dam across a minor tributary of Metcalf Creek. The creek feeds Metcalf Bay, an arm of Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. At a surface elevation of , it has an east-west length of approximately 7 miles and is approximately 2.5 miles at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a...
, whose waters reach the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
by way of Bear Creek
Bear Creek (Santa Ana River)
Bear Creek is an approximately tributary of the Santa Ana River in the San Bernardino Mountains of the U.S. state of California. Its length is entirely contained within San Bernardino County. It rises near Woodlands and flows north into Baldwin Lake...
and the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
.
History
In 1913, the Talmadge brothers purchased the property where the lake, dam, and camp are now situated. They used the land to graze cattle, then sold it in 1922 to the Bartlett brothers, who built the dam in 1928. They in turn sold it in 1937 to family member Guy Bartlett, who charged visitors 25¢ for admission to the property. In January 1955, the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles bought 110 acres (44.5 ha). The church later increased its holdings to 270 acres (109.3 ha).The lake's scenery and proximity to Hollywood made it a popular filming location. It appeared in more than forty films, including:
- Brigham Young (1940)
- High Sierra (1941) and
- The Parent Trap (1961)
It also appeared in six television series, including:
- at least eight episodes of BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
- a 1959 episode of Have Gun–Will Travel and
- The Roy Rogers ShowThe Roy Rogers ShowThe Roy Rogers Show is an American Western television series that broadcast 100 episodes on NBC for six seasons between December 30, 1951 and June 9, 1957. The show starred Roy Rogers as a ranch owner, Dale Evans as the proprietor of the Eureka Cafe in fictional Mineral City, and Pat Brady as...
On May 19, 2010, a 29-year-old man drowned in the lake after his canoe capsized.
Cedar Lake Dam
Cedar Lake Dam was built in 1928 across Talmadge Creek. It is a variable-radius arch damArch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
28 feet (8.5 m) high and 220 feet (67.1 m) long containing 650 cubic yards (497 m³) of material. Its crest is 7101 feet (2,164.4 m) above sea level.
The old mill house and water wheel can be seen in the Bonanza episode "Thorton's Account".
Nomenclature
There are two other Cedar Lakes in California, both in Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
:
- one in the Shasta ValleyShasta RiverThe Shasta River is a tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northern California in the United States. It drains the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range....
at 41°39′49"N 122°24′29"W and 2664 feet (812 m) elevation and - another in the Trinity MountainsTrinity MountainsThe Trinity Mountains are found in northern California, USA, between Trinity Lake and Lake Shasta. The range lies in a southwest-northeasterly direction about 17 miles northwest of Redding, and stretches over a distance of 30 to 35 miles. The Chapple-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area lies between the...
at 41°12′26"N 122°29′46"W at 5718 feet (1,742.8 m) elevation
For other uses of the name "Cedar Lake" see Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake
-Cities, towns, townships etc.:*Cedar Lake, Indiana*Cedar Lake Township, Minnesota in Scott County, Minnesota*Cedar Lake, New Jersey*Cedar Lake, Texas*Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, a town in Barron County-Lakes:United States...
.