Bob Hope’s hope was to build thousands of homes in what is now Cheeseboro National Park.  A reservoir, capable of holding 4 million gallons of water, and a pump station, were constructed for the intended development.  The National Park Service will be demolishing the abandoned structures and hauling the rubble out of the park. Trail closures will be implemented through April and May.

Trail Closures Scheduled for Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons

Read this notice posted on the National Park Service site yesterday.  I would like to ask them why they chose THIS time of year to demo the pump station, when the wildflowers are in full bloom.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service (NPS) is advising visitors that trails at Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons will be intermittently closed during April and May due to the demolition and removal of surplus water conveyance infrastructure.

Several days of trail closures are expected, though limited to weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Visitors can find up-to-date information on trailhead signs, at www.nps.gov/samo or by calling 818-889-8996.

Triunfo Sanitation District (TSD) will be removing the Palo Comado Pump Station and the Cheeseboro Reservoir. These facilities, owned by TSD, were built in 1959 at the behest of comedian Bob Hope, who had hoped to build thousands of homes in the surrounding area as part of a master-planned community. TSD is decommissioning the facilities as part of an agreement with the NPS and other agencies.

Large trucks will be hauling salvaged materials along both the Palo Comado and Cheeseboro Canyon trails to recycling centers. For their safety, visitors are asked to refrain from using these trails when posted as closed.

Entrance to trails from Cheeseboro Canyon, Doubletree and Smoketree trailheads will be periodically closed. The China Flat trailhead and trailheads for Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve will remain open.

The NPS and TSD appreciate the public’s cooperation with this effort. Additional information is available by calling 818-889-8996.

Photo Information: The Cheeseboro Reservoir, capable of holding four million gallons of water, can be seen in the distance. Along with a pump station at Palo Comado Canyon, the reservoir will be demolished and removed during April and May. Courtesy of National Park Service

— Kate Kuykendall