People climbing wooden stairs on a steep hillside toward a wooden observation tower - new deal and depression-era sites

Self-guided · County in California

New Deal and Depression-Era Sites in Los Angeles County, CA

Lodges, lookouts, bathhouses and public buildings put up by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

Open the California map · All states

Photo: Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

History books cover the big events in a chapter each. The places those events touched are scattered across counties like this one. Los Angeles County is one of 58 counties in California.

Men gathered around a campfire in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Group of loggers with a two-man saw in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Man and woman sitting on black wooden rocking chairs - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: Aaron Thomas on Unsplash

On the record near Los Angeles County, CA

The 10 nearest

10 listed sites on the record match new deal and depression-era sites within 300 miles of Los Angeles County, CA, out of 526 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 518 listed sites carry Los Angeles County as their county.

Crescent Bathhouse59 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Lake Elsinore · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
Quinn Ranger Station157 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Mineral King · listed 1977National Register of Historic Places
Hockett Meadow Ranger Station161 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Silver City · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Redwood Meadow Ranger Station172 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Three Rivers · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Smithsonian Institution Shelter174 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Lone Pine · listed 1977National Register of Historic Places
Sachse Spring Snow Survey Shelter251 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Yosemite · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Merced Lake Ranger Station262 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Yosemite · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Snow Flat Snow Survey Shelter269 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Yosemite · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Merced Grove Ranger Station270 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · El Portal · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Crane Flat Fire Lookout270 miles from the center of Los Angeles County · Building · Aspen Valley · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Los Angeles County, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

New Deal Sites in Los Angeles County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Los Angeles County, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Los Angeles County, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Los Angeles County, CA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Los Angeles County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Los Angeles County, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Los Angeles County, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.