Exploring the mystery and majesty of the Mojave Desert on K36JH-TV, YouTube and Mojave Savvy Radio Podcast.
“The 267-acre project, which aims to redevelop the former Lake Dolores Waterpark in the unincorporated community of Newberry Springs, was approved by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, March 24. Supervisors approved a General Plan amendment and a conditional use permit for the project.
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.”
All our photos are from 2015:
http://newberryspringsinfo.com/Alliance/OasisThemePark.html
Linda Kruse Crandell
Thank you for the info, very interesting….
Jaylyn
You’re welcome, Linda! Thanks for commenting.
michael hooper
I was married to Kim Byers the daughter of Bob Byers. I lived on the property I with Bob and his Sons Jonny,Jody,Mark we all built the water slides and all that was Lake Delores named after my mother-in law Bob Byers’s with the true matriarch of the whole thing. In the late 60’s Bob after the freeway stole 50 acres from him as a alfalfa farmer and a fourth grade education, He said well this is what I am going to do. He built a motocross track in the back of the 380 acres he had left. He witched the 3 water wells (12 inch). The man was a pilot had two air planes. He was my second father I love and miss him everyday. Haha at 68 he still snow skied and he would yoddle on the tram ride. I loved that part of life have all of these great memories that will never be upgraded by anyone.
Jaylyn
How awesome is that. Thanks for the info. We appreciate your comments!
Lenny
Do you know who owns this land still? I have plans to buy this property..
Jaylyn
Hi Lenny. Fabulous. You may want to go to the San Bernardino County tax accessor’s site to see if you can get info. Good luck.
Martin Ayres
Mr. Hooper do u remember johnny byers wife lana she is my 1st cousin she was the daughter of marjorie my dad bob ayres older sister how is kim doing
Martin Ayres
Hey Michael hooper my dad started taking us there in 1969 we r related to john & lana byers they had two boys johnny joey and a daughter penny, we used to fish for catfish at night channel cats & bullhead catfish and we use to ride go carts and we were some of the nuts that use to stand up on the slides that gave them idea of stand up slides we stop going there in the late 70s we had so many great times with John & lana byers we use to stay at there house with John, joe and penny and at midnight we go hunting rabbits in the back of his pick up we would shoot 22s and one guy would have a shotgun just incase they missed we had so many great times there I was 12 in 1969 great times all thru high school best summers ever and we would go to lake stevens to duck hunt it was great times miss bob & dee all the time do u have any pictures bob & dee in the early 70s
Shared thoughts
With all the technology people still will love to hear a great story on YouTube even a book not all readers are banished .
I wasn’t raised out here but I have explored many areas people living here have never even heard of .I’m an explorer and believe your stories is how remember Americans to be leaders with hearts and wild great stories should definitely be told !
Jaylyn
Hi Michael! So glad you shared your amazing story with us! We sure wish we could have seen Lake Delores in its hay day! Thanks very much for your comments.
Rose
I remember when it was just a slide on a sand dune going down into the “lake”
Anonymous
Yep, just the slide from on top of the hill. Best times ever!
Tammy Williams
I remember when it was 2 slides, the cable in the middle then the area with the trapeze. Great times
Jaylyn
We bet it was loads of thrills. Glad you had fun. Thanks for sharing your memories.
jmuhj
I love it just the way it is and hope it will continue to be the unique and amazing place it is.
Jaylyn
It is unique. Time in a bottle. Who knows what the future holds. Thanks for your comments!
Jaylyn
It is a unique place for sure. Thanks for your comments.
Ella lee
It would have been amazing to.see that place at its peak it looked so fun, if I ever owned that property I would want to reopen it. And give it’s shining days back and restore the park to what it once was.
Nicole
I was there many times in the 70’s and 80’s I loved that place would love to see it reopen.
Jaylyn
Wouldn’t it be cool? In the meantime, it lives on in pop culture.
Anonymous
Fantastic article, very well written thank you.
Jaylyn
Thank you so much! We really appreciate it.
Jaylyn
Thanks so much for the kudos. It really is a labor of love.
Mike
Wonderful memories of lake Dolores. Our company, Serendipity Diversions of Barstow had a video game facility there and gave Bob and Dee a hand when they needed it. It would be great to see it opened again.
Jaylyn
How cool is that. Good times. Thanks for your comments, Mike!
Steve Richard
The LD of the 70’s and 80’s was the high deserts beach, with water rides that were simple and fun. Rules were clear and simple…break them and LD’s staff and volunteer back up knew how to convert the offender’s into law abiding types, or if not, introduce you to the desert, just outside the park. The awesome rides, vibe and self governance of the time and place is something I cannot imagine reproduced today. A version ? Yes, but only an echo of the original. Thanks for the well researched story and memories!
Jaylyn
We bet it was! Thanks for your comment, Steve!
Jenn McManus
This was the best Water Park Ever when I was a kid ever time to and from CA from Vegas miss it happy I still have the memories
Jaylyn
So glad to hear that, Jenn. I bet it was a blast. Thanks very much for your comments.
Kathy Blevins
We loved that place! We were there when it first opened. We’d pack food and drinks and hung out all day. I remember the first time I was on those slides. It was a hot slow walk up the hill, and a speedy flight down the slide. If you positioned yourself just right, you could actually skip like a rock part way across the lake. It was crazy!
Jaylyn
Oh that sounds like a blast, Kathy! Thanks for sharing your memories for all of us to enjoy! We really appreciate it.
Anonymous
I think since it’s much more populated up here it would be pretty busy. I would like to see it resurrected as it was before, keeping the Lake Delores name
Jaylyn
Wouldn’t that be great, Anon? It would really prove to be a destination again. Hope it happens!
Phyllis Greenwood
Great article. Having moved away from Barstow in 1967, love reading about everything Barstow, love all the desert way posts. Such great photography
Jaylyn
Thanks so much, Cheryl. We appreciate it!
Cheryl Mangin
I use to go to Lake Dolores when it first opened, it had one maybe two slides, a trapeze type swing that you jumped off a platform with and them let go of over the water below… Great fun!
Jaylyn
That sounds so fun, Cheryl. What great memories.
Johnny Rodriguez
That would be cool if some rich guy came along and reopened this water park I went there at 13 years old
Jaylyn
We’re keeping our fingers crossed too, Johnny. Thanks!
Adam
Last time I went in for filming a project. During the half of the filming, a cop came in and said this is private place, we need permission to get in. Do you know how to get the permit for this?
Jaylyn
Hi Adam. Of course, when confronted by authority about trespassing, we encourage others to feign ignorance and leave peacefully. Whether you need a film permit depends on whether it’s just a cellphone or a professional film crew. If you can find out from security who owns the property you could contact them to ask permission. Or you could reach out to the corporation from our article to see if the acquired the property and if so, seek their blessings. Film permits can be quite costly, but if you need to go that route, you may want to contact San Bernardino County at http://www.sbcountyadvantage.com/About-Us/Film-Permits.aspx for the details. Good luck with your filming project! Please let us know how it goes.
Marcie
I loved that lake. Though I know we were a little dangerous in the late 70s. It was a blast
Jaylyn
Yes, it seems like most fun things in life have a little element of danger to them. Thanks for your comments, Marcie.
Josef Novak
So nobody knows who owns the property today ?
Jaylyn
Hi Josef. We’re sure somebody owns it. You may want to go to the San Bernardino County tax accessor’s site to see if you can get info. Good luck.
Joe Wenzel
It doesn’t surprise me that it keeps failing as a Water Park. No one south of Barstow in any great numbers is going to drive out there and make a day of it when they can just keep going for another 90 mins and hit Las Vegas. There’s no population center even remotely near it. Always seemed odd to me it was out in the middle of nowhere – though from the earlier posts I’m sure locals in the area really enjoyed it.
Surprised they didn’t have insurance to cover that guy who was trespassing after hours and got injured.
James
I wasn’t trespassing. I worked there. Come on get your facts straight.
Bonnie Parker
I use to go there in 70’s and 80’s, we paid by the carload to get in and we had to sign papers in case someone got hurt, so the owners wouldn’t be held liable.My cousin broke his leg on the tram cable, he was rocking so hard and going so fast, he flew into about 3 feet of water and his leg floated up right in front of me…Mangled..It took about 45 minutes for the ambulance to get there..He had pins in his heel and leg..Always walked with a cane from then on..But Lake Dolores was the Greatest Fun I ever had as a teenager..There will Never be Any Other Place that can Compare to that Time of Fun!!!
Sarah
Hi Bonnie,
My name is Sarah and I’m a producer for ISH Entertainment, a production company in New York. We are currently developing a historical television series about America in the 70s and 80s and are looking to interview people who have been to Lake Dolores in its hay day which it sounds like you have! We’d love to just set up a call with you to talk about your experiences there as a kid with your cousins. Let me know at either sarah.spangler@ish.tv or casting@ish.tv
Thank you!!
Chris Wynne (Vatcher)
I lived in Newberry from 1951-1958 & there was no Lake Delores. I lived on Newberry Rd about 1-1/2 miles from the School. We had a Resavoir (sp) on the Woodruff Ranch to swim if we walked across the desert. The Pool at the Store was fun too. Where is Lake Delores?
Jaylyn
Hi Chris. We believe the waterpark was in its planning stage in the late 50s but development didn’t start until the 1960s. As Maxwell Smart said, “Missed it by this much.” 😉
sham singh
I remember as a kid (in the early 80s) seeing the commercials on T.V. in L.A. Thankfully my older sister finally took all of us.
The picture of the long 8 slides.. That third slide from the left, I probably ran up all those stairs and road that slide at lest 5 dozen times that day. We’d would try to make launch-ramps at the bottom of those long slides holding a couple of the inflatable sleds they sold there-yeah didn’t work, heh. How could it? You’d be hauling-butt by the time you hit the lake.
Great place; great memories.