Discovering Averill Park ~ San Pedro’s Hidden Gem

By Dianne Gowder

If you live in San Pedro, as I do, you have probably discovered Averill Park with it’s pretty waterfall, meandering stream and ever fascinating ( to me anyway) duckpond. In spring you’ll see ducklings and all year round there are Mallards, Muscovy ducks,wood duck and visiting herons. The Muscovy ducks think they own the place and are often seen patrolling the perimeter of the pond. If you look closely you might see turtles and a couple of huge koi fish, I don’t know how they got there! Many long time residents tell stories of catching crawdads in the pond when they were young. Please don’t feed the ducks.

I visit the park year round but my favorite time to go is in May when the jacarandas are in bloom, with their gorgeous purple flowers and wonderful fragrance. On a clear day you get a great view of the harbor and beyond.

The park was created by Herbert Averill an early developer of the Vista del Oro area of San Pedro, and was deeded to the city of Los Angeles in 1920. It has remained a peaceful oasis for local residents ever since. I love to wander the paths and enjoy the magnificent trees and have close encounters with very bold squirrels!

Averill Park is very popular spot for Wedding and Quinceanera photos, and most weekends you will find people posing on and around a lovely old stone bridge that spans the stream. The
ducks and herons like it too.

There is plenty of room to set out a blanket and have a picnic, or there are picnic table and barbecue pits too. A nice way to spend a sunny day, and lots of room for children to run and play.There is even a gazebo for those special occasions.

I always walk from my home to the park. I can make a nice 4 mile round trip and on the way I get to enjoy some beautiful homes and stunning flowers, but I am always awed by the beauty of the park

I hope you have enjoyed our visit to the park, as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.

I am now going to give myself a shameless plug… If you enjoy my photos and you head out for a walk in the park why not stop at the Omlette and Waffle shop on the corner of Gaffey and 11th streets for a delicious brunch and have a look at some of my photos that are displayed on the wall there.

Thank you.

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Dianne Gowder Bio:

Here is a link to my Facebook photography page

https://www.facebook.com/Walking-About-Photography-by-Dianne-Gowder-105661514321435/

Also I can be found on Instagram @dgbrit

Originally from England, but now long time San Pedro resident..

Credit for bio picture: Arturo Garcia Ayala

Dianne loves to walk and she tries to do at least 3 miles every day before she heads out to work. Her love of photography evolved from her walks.

“ I have always been amazed by scenery here and more and more I found myself stopping to capture the beauty of my surroundings. As I shared my work I realized that very few people were even aware of what they have on their doorstep!”

Dianne has made it her mission to share the beauty through her photographs and she takes her friends on walks as often as possible.

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