Martha McLean – Anza Narrows
Encyclopedia
Martha McLean – Anza Narrows is a 40 acre (0.1618744 km²; 0.0625000552608714 sq mi) regional park located along the Santa Ana River
in Riverside, California
, United States. The park is operated by the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District. A plaque in the southwest corner of the park marks the point at which the Juan Bautista de Anza
party, the first Europeans to traverse the Riverside area, crossed the river in 1774 and again in 1776.
The park is located at a section of the Santa Ana River referred to as the Anza Narrows, in reference to the crossing point where the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition crossed the river in 1774 and 1776. A marker in the park commemorates the crossing, which is part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
that stretches across Southern California
.
The landscape, which includes a mix of shaded picnic areas and open turf, terminated at the bluffs that drop to the 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...
in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, United States. The park is operated by the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District. A plaque in the southwest corner of the park marks the point at which the Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a Novo-Spanish explorer and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire.-Early life:...
party, the first Europeans to traverse the Riverside area, crossed the river in 1774 and again in 1776.
History
The park was named for Martha McLean, an activist who worked with her friend Ruth Anderson to save the Santa Ana River from being paved, as proposed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s.The park is located at a section of the Santa Ana River referred to as the Anza Narrows, in reference to the crossing point where the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition crossed the river in 1774 and 1776. A marker in the park commemorates the crossing, which is part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
thumb|325px|MAP: [[Juan Bautista de Anza]] National Historic Trail routes in [[Arizona]] and [[California]].The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a National Park Service unit in the United States National Historic Trail and National Millennium Trail programs...
that stretches across Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Amenities
The park contains picnic facilities, hiking, bicycle and equestrian trails. Group picnicking with reservations is available. The 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) park sits atop a shady bluff along the Santa Ana River with sweeping views of the river.The landscape, which includes a mix of shaded picnic areas and open turf, terminated at the bluffs that drop to the river.