Rock-A-Hoola: water park in stasis

Rock-A-HoolaBoing Boing posts about a run-down kiddie amusement park in Egypt and I was reminded about Rock-A-Hoola.

Rock-A-Hoola is (was?) a mostly closed-but-not-quite-totally-abandoned water park out in the Mojave Desert in Newberry Springs, CA. The park has been kicking around irregularly since at least the early-70s – I remember ads for Lake Dolores (as it was known back then) airing on KTLA in the cheap post-midnight airspace alongside Truckmaster School Of Trucking and Cal Worthington. Presumably the idea was for it to be a tourist/camping stopover on the road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I couldn’t imagine anyone being excited to to there – it’s too far for a day trip from LA and not much there to give you a reason to stay. I suppose there’s always the Vegas crowd, but it seem like they always REALLY want to get to Vegas.

Anyway, I snagged some photos of the place in October 2003. The main water slide part of the park was fenced off (and patrolled by dogs) but I got some pictures of the surrounding facilities. I still have to question the long-term viability of a water park in an area with little water and abundant evaporation, but that’s not stopping folks from dreaming.

Lake Dolores / Rock-A-Hoola on Wikipedia
Rock-A-Hoola in better days.

256 thoughts on “Rock-A-Hoola: water park in stasis”

  1. PICTURES! If you’re looking to have them posted, but don’t have a mechanism to do so, email them to my email address below…and I’ll setup a ‘Lake Deloris’ website with all of them posted.

    It’ll be cool to see all of the photos in one place!

    🙂

    comdygas@yahoo.com

    -Jerrod

  2. Hi Everybody!

    I was born in ’84 and I live in CO so I’ve never seen or heard any of the ads for it. I had never even heard of this place until I saw that episode of Rob & Big. I googled it and became captivated with it. It’s unbelievable that there are absolutely no pictures posted anywhere of this amazing place when it was up and running. I would love to see some!

    Also, I couldn’t find anything about the “accident” involving two little girls that the great-grandson talks about. I’ve only read about the one that is responsible for shutting it down.

  4. I just wish they could bring it back. They say they have guards and guard dogs at the entrance but the in that one episode of Rob and Big where they went into the park, how did they go in? was there no guards? maybe people can go in and check it out and guards will start telling that people keep going in and someone could buy it and open it up. I just hope they open it up again!

  5. !!!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I just came back from California yesterday and on my way there, the waterslides were no longer there! It was just the posts to hold up the slides, but no slides!!! Something’s about to happen to the park.

  6. I was able to get into the outside of the park sometime in November 07. I spoke with a lady (security) and she had said that the park was being looked up by several investors. The slides were still up and I was able to get a good look at the lazy river looking like ride. Everything looked in pretty good condition and the signs looked in great condition considering its age. I’m not sure if someone is going to be purchasing the park. I drove by 12/17/08 and by the looks of it everything is pretty much gone. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I’m hoping someone can come through but with the economy being so bad, I’m not sure if even a bank would invest in the property? From what I know the old WET and WILD property in Las Vegas is still NOTHING. So, who’s ever idea that it was to tear that down great job, good thinking??? Let just hope that something comes of this great place. I’ve never been there but have great intrest in places such as this. Thanks for everyones imput on this. Its much appreciated. -Jeffrey

  7. as i was driving home yesterday from las vegas, i couldn’t help notice all the abandoned towns, including this abandoned facility. It left me wondering what happened to this place, and it’s nice to see there is an actual forum on the topic… though there’s not concrete conclusion to where this rock-a-hoola is going

  10. i got kicked out yester day at night because i was trying to find something that i saw weard like someone runing away to the moutains no joke he ran all the way un till i coud not see him any more if you go thir please be caeful i dont kown who that was but he looked like he was trying to help the park people tolled me that he had slashed tiers on the trucks and cut wiers in the engens i dont kown but if you go thir a night bring a frend or buddy becaues it scared the S**T out of me he was last sean going past wear the big red slied was and has only been seen 1 time sines yester day 6:42 AM look for him he was white and had old bule panits abd a black T shirt and boots

  11. if you see him he siad somthing to me when he ran like dont tell them that i was hear. I thing he was tring to save somthing at the park that he had left from a long time ago i dont kown but he was a bit cool and nice but kreepy at the same time i when thir to day in my jeep past the park and broke in the wood gate at with my car and keept going tell i got to the lake i dont like to folow ruels of the road:) so stop at the right sied of the park and found what looked like old books by the shead near the lake one was a old diary that had dust and water damage to it but the book that was a bit strang was a book that said hole diger volume six ? dont kown but that was weard so if you would like to kown any more just ask at this page thanks just be carful and tell me anything that might have this guy in it thanks

  12. Ok Lowe Richard Lowe, who are Bob and Delores who owned and ran the lake when we were go there is the 80’s? I know them to be the founders of Lake Delores. We sure had alot of fun there before it all changed.

  13. Hey Chris & Jarrod, sorry I haven’t sent any pictures yet, all packed away and have to look for them.
    Steve – No I do not live in Havesu. I live in Montana, been here since I moved from Calif.
    As for those who are questioning Lowell Lowe – he is my nephew (my grandparents – Bob & Dee Byers great grandson). So for those unbelievers, he is related to Bob & Dee Byers.

  14. Eugene,

    If you are still interested in a possible joint venture with the cable wakeboarding please drop me an email and I will get back with you. I’m really interested in turning the park back into what it was really meant for and that’s a fun in the sun place for all to enjoy. It’s been a really long time since I have been on here and reopening the park has really sparked some interest with me. I’m willing to listen to all suggestions and really get the people involved in helping turning this place around. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you and thanks to all who have responded to this blog. To the real Rob I would enjoy talking with you as well. Email me at investsmart85@yahoo.com

  15. Hi. Just call me “Millie”. Here is the before time for Lake Dolores: I was very young when, I traveled for the first time, with my Uncle Bob and Auntie Dee and my four cousins, to their desert property. Such an adventure. It was barren and stark yet I found it beautiful. Of special interest was the little rock hill, which we decided was an old volcano, and my cousins and I would climb it looking very carefully for rattle snakes. There was nothing man made on the property but an airplane hanger which Bob had constructed for his plane. My 4 cousins and I (Dee’s other two children not yet born) slept out on old army cots. One night the wind blew so strongly that the door of the hanger nearly flew away. Every summer visit revealed many changes: The hanger evolved into a house; another house appeared for Bob’s parents; a corral with horses was constructed; a well was dug for irrigation; crops were planted, and irrigation pipe purchased. These treasured summers, I worked early mornings with my cousins in the alphalfa fields moving pipe. Every afternoon as a reward, my Aunt Dee would take us to swim in Yermo at the public pool. One memorable summer day, Dee had Bob scoup out some soil with his tractor and let water from the well flow in so we could splash around. In reality, a mud hole, but in our minds it was Lake Dolores.

    By the time the big lake was built, I had moved away and lost touch with my family. I never got to enjoy that final micraculous oasis that Dee and Bob created in the desert. To Penny, if you read this, Johnny was an especially favored cousin of mine. And to the descendant from Kim – Dee stayed at our house when Kim was born.

    My father, Merlon is the brother to Dolores. Her name is spelled as Dolores. My father was perhaps, meant to be “Merlin” but it was spelled “Merlon”. Dee’s Mother, Lola, had an odd way of spelling. (I noticed one person wanted to know the spelling of her name).

    Dolores was so sweet that her nickname was “Honey” when she was a teenager. She kept me close to her. When my brother, Merlon, was sent to a boarding school, Dee drove miles out of her way to pick me up for swimming lessons, movies, just so I wouldn’t be alone. (Before she moved to the desert). Her husband, Robert or “Bob” Byers was one of the most inovative men I have ever known. He talked my father into the paint store business. In fact, we sold our home to buy our part of the business! They had about 4 stores altogether and 3 at one time. Then they split up the paint stores and my father kept his store. Bob, with his all or nothing attitude, sold his and went wholeheartedly into the new adventure in the desert.

    The two men bought land outside Yermo, for homesteading. It was, at that time, 50 cents an acre and each year for 5 years you had to make improvements and then the land would be yours. My Mother refused to go to the desert, but Dee followed Bob’s dream (sometimes the kids called it his “nightmare”) out past Yermo. My father, Merlon, drilled the first well. My Mother “waterwitched” the area. As did Bob. Merlon was a former oil well worker and he and Bob purchased an old rig and fixed it up and then drilled for the water. My parents kept their paint stores as our land (we had purchased 80 acres) only gave us bentonite and not water so we abandoned our “shady 80” as we called it. Bob and Dee farmed their homesteaded area.

    So that is part of Lake Dolores’ past – before it became the famous slides that you all seem to cherish. My understanding is, that when the highway was widened, Bob sold off much of his land to the state and with this he developed the recreational lake dream. Bob flew small planes, could sing with a gorgeous voice, was quite a business man and a wonderful uncle. Dee is forever a part of my heart.

    As to the disparaging remarks made regarding the division of the property money after the lake was sold, well, I talked to my Autie Dee and visited her when my father Merlon died in 1999. I know that no sibling took advantage of another. After all we were always a very close family. Hope this background will be enjoyable for those who love the lake and this “As The Lake Turns” blog. Millie

  16. Thank you Millie for the history of my grandparents, I knew that they owned paint stores and sold their part and then homesteaded the land outside of Yermo. I only know parts of how everything came about at the Lake. I remember the cattle, ponies (babe & ponie boy) and the alfalfa fields and the lake with 1 slide and the big lake that I learned to waterski and the boat races and fishing for catfish, grandpa & Al Kelley always having their airplanes and taking us flying with them, and the growth of Lake Dolores from then on.
    Thank you again. Penny

  17. It’s been great to read what folks are posting on this site, and I’ve been meaning to post my own response for awhile, but I wanted to find some pictures of Lake Dolores before doing so.
    I finally found some pictures taken some time back in the 80’s, I’m not sure exactly when. Probably early to mid 1980’s. (Sorry, I don’t remember much of the 80’s) 🙂

    I’ve scanned what pictures I could find and posted them to a Flickr page.
    Here’s the link.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyroo117/sets/72157614486264219/detail/

    You copy and paste the link if clicking it doesn’t work for you.

    Lake Dolores Mountain Goats say “Baaaaaaahhhhh!”

    Take care,

    Andy
    (Hey Steve!…Hey Ed!…Hi Penny!)

  18. Hi all,
    Thanks for the interesting info. I’ve been interested in the park for quite some time. I’m working on a photography project for school about abandoned places that people loved. Does anyone know how to get into contact with the current owners to ask permission? I’m not the type to break in. If so, please contact me via my website, AnnetteReneePhoto.com
    Please no spammers or trash mail.

  19. YO FOX if you are still hear this is what i kown the guy is steve mork i think he has been sherching for a old somthing from the park that he left their when he was last thir i talk to him all the time i konw were you live at the fire houes i see you thier every day becaues i am a firefigher at the stashon my name you might kown is rick/ big ron you kown 🙂 i will hope to see you so we can find out what is happening

  20. It is wonderful to see the photographs of Lake Dolores during its “Hay Day” as I never got to see it during that time period! Thank you Andy. Penny, good to “meet” you! Your Father, Johnny, was such an acrobat when he was a young boy. He and I would cartwheel and tumble around as if we knew what we were doing. Your grandmother Dolores, loved watching us. I miss her so much. She and her sister Sybil were both very athletic. Sybil would even dive off the pier at Ventura, CA. Thanks to all for posting the great stories about the activities at the lake – which I missed out on. Love that trapeze and stand-up slide. Millie

  21. Andy, Thanks for posting those pics. Boy do they bring back alot of missing brain cells from the 80s’.

    ANDY—-Lake Dolores Mountain Goats say “Baaaaaaahhhhh!”

  22. Sweet blog. I’m 28 and have vague memories of my Mom taking me to the lake when I was little. My Gramps lived in Newberry Springs, yuck!
    I actually have a picture of me floating on a water toy, next to a 12 pack of Budweiser in the lake, its on my wall 🙂

  23. This place was a death trap. I had my teeth knocked out there. Lack of proper supervision and poorly trained life guards contributed to its downfall.
    I successfully sued them.

  24. The place still LIVES! Everybody bring your Gallons of Water and I’ll plug the drains, and blow up some tubes, and chill. There still is one slide left!

  27. In the summer of 1980 my family was planning a trip back home to kansas, my oldest son had just started working at disneyland and he would not be able to go with us, so I let him pick a place not to far from home, which was Longbeack Cal. My sister and her family was going also. I had my hair done for the trip back home and I wanted to look good. I had chosen the fashionable hair called the Geri-Curl. We had seen this commercial about Beautiful Lake Dalores,we saw all these trees and the beautiful slide and my son picked it for our trip.We all loaded up in the van and off we went to BEAUTIFUL LAKE DALORES. We couldent see much from the highway. We paid our dues and went to find more trees, there were none!!! our shade consisted of a bush and we had to rotate our blanket around the bush to keep up with the shade. This was the fourth of july weekend and we would be able to shoot fireworks and this was good for us kansas folks who had grown up with firworks this was great!! after a few hours of getting over the shock of there was only three big trees and the lake was a big pond and it was HOT!HOT! HOT!, I went to the bathhouse, I looked in the mirror and my hair had turned into a bushal of hay, I mean it was dry as the place where we were at. I was horrified, I still had to go home to Kansas and Missouri and there I was look like I had a bushel of hay on the top of head for hair. After a few choice words “unprintable” We along with other campers we all deceided to make the most of it we still had our fire works. The only other plus was the silenc, the ability to see the sky and the stars, no smog. It became known as THE SUMMER TO REMEMBER FOREVER!!!

  28. In the summer of 1980 my family was planning a trip back home to kansas, my oldest son had just started working at disneyland and he would not be able to go with us, so I let him pick a place not to far from home, which was Longbeack Cal. My sister and her family was going also. I had my hair done for the trip back home and I wanted to look good. I had chosen the fashionable hair called the Geri-Curl. We had seen this commercial about Beautiful Lake Dalores,we saw all these trees and the beautiful slide and my son picked it for our trip.We all loaded up in the van and off we went to BEAUTIFUL LAKE DALORES. We couldent see much from the highway. We paid our dues and went to find more trees, there were none!!! our shade consisted of a bush and we had to rotate our blanket around the bush to keep up with the shade. This was the fourth of july weekend and we would be able to shoot fireworks and this was good for us kansas folks who had grown up with firworks this was great!! after a few hours of getting over the shock of there was only three big trees and the lake was a big pond and it was HOT!HOT! HOT!, I went to the bathhouse, I looked in the mirror and my hair had turned into a bushal of hay, I mean it was dry as the place where we were at. I was horrified, I still had to go home to Kansas and Missouri and there I was looking like I had a bushel of hay on the top of myw head for hair. After a few choice words “unprintable” We along with other campers we all deceided to make the most of it we still had our fire works. The only other plus was the silenc, the ability to see the sky and the stars, no smog. It became known as THE SUMMER TO REMEMBER FOREVER!!!

  29. Just drove by it today….All of the slides are gone and only the metal supports remain…such a shame! 🙁

  31. I have a model of a water slide I would like to have it in a real popular water park please email if you know how to. My email is devray97@gmail.com. Thanks alot.

    Sincerely yours,

    D. Rayner

  33. Michelle, thanks for not having any personal responsibility, and then suing. People like you are why we dont have places like this anymore. C-U-Next-Tuesday

  34. Hey this is were the big bopper and other slides ended up. There at a waterpark outside Vancouver BC Canada. There is even a video showing the big bopper now called colossal canyon. This is kinda neat. http://www.cultus.com

  35. It was in the late 70’s, on a Long Beach Church youth day excursion to the Lake Delores. A bus load of about 40 kids and adults…and off to a fun filled day…. Hot, Hot and Hot!! That day was, too young to know a good drink when really needing one. After the day of trapeze swings, and the slides… yes, rode down (sitting down) on the Steel Slide…. then it happened..

    As I was sitting on the edge of the lake with the Steel Slide, prepping the return bus ride home… the call out for a lifeguard was heard. As I stood nearby the woman lifeguard, (she was busy removing her gold chains and bracelets and rings) she then walked into the lake to help find a slider who had fallen / hit her head on the slide as she was riding down. I remember, one of the guys dove in… came up for air.. yelled out couldn’t see her due to the murkie water…he dove back down to feel for her and he found her ankle and pulled her up….It was about 10 minutes. The girl was blue as they brought her to the shoreline… I remember there wasn’t any grass…is was dry. Always remembered the Lifeguard lady.. she didn’t do anything… just stood over the body of the girl as the guy and a few other guests trying to resesatate the young girl…. my church companion. When we returned to Long Beach to the church… we were told that the girl died. There was quiet, we prayed for her and her family. I don’t remember her name today…but we were all about 10 years old at the time. Ahh the memories of Lake D….never a pleasant memory, but curious of what became of it.

  36. Wow! Its is so nice to find somewhere where people are still talking about lake D. My papaw was Joseph (joe)Byers. Bob’s brother I remember when i was a kid my dad (David Byers) decided to move from Tennessee to California to work for uncle Bob at the park. We had so much fun, well at least my brother and sister and me. That was the best summer of my life. I learned to ride a bike and to swim. Uncle Bob and Aunt D where the best! I Loved them like they where my own grandparents. They are truly missed. My dad has also passed on now to. Lake D was a awesome dream that came true for the Byers family. It did bring our family together every summer,and i’m sure many others. To all my family in california I hope you all are doing well. Amy Byers Granddaughter of Joe Byers

  37. like everyone else, i see the park everytime i go to vegas and i’ve always wanted to stop

    it says on the wiki that its patrolled by guards and dogs, but i was wondering if this is true.

    also, do you have to jump a fence to get in there, or can you just walk right in?

  40. I have a copy of a brochure with a discount coupon I could show you but I don’t know how to add a picture. Maybe someone should start a Yahoo Group about Lake Dolores instead of this blog as it would be much easier to download pictures.

  42. I drove down to lake dolores yesterday. Not one car in parking lot. it was crazy, dog bones everywhere in the parking lot, big ones! so i approached the front gate. bombarded with no tresspassing songs. A minute later i approach the video zone which was a grafitiis aretist paridise it looks. this was approx 15 yards from entrance…anywayz, there were 2 machines in the corner stripped and ripped away. One was after burner (circa 1991) and the other one look like madden footbal or something. no screens, just sides and whatever else. small and hot. Shortly after I stared walking out and 3 dogs ran up to me ( i did hear dog barks when i got there too from farr away)_i shut the door behind me with a old rubbermaind table with spider webs and grafitti. 2 grey hound/pitts? and one alaskan whatever were about 60 feet away near the floating river entrance (it also had a brand new looking sign untouched, very cool.. i was approached by a stubby fat man who looked, very somewhat enthuised about working were we does. I told him i’m making a documentary for a short ifc film, he told me hold up and used a cell to call someone. I WAS FREAKING OUT thinking i was gonna go to the barstow jail or something.. minutes passed a golf cart showed up and gave me a tour around the whole spot in a quick (real quick) tour. i was enjoying it, they told me if i ever come back i will be sited with tresspasing one for private and one for public (lake dolores park, and lake dolores resovoir..or something. i didnt have my camera or my board with me because i was scoping out the place. YES I WAS GONNA FILM AFTER I NEW THE COAST WAS CLEAR. out of the whole thing i found something funny, inside the coke machine (the giant one on the hill) looked like at one time it was a jail cell or security quaters at one time with a desk and an old refrigerator motor. i did see in the short period of time, niceley carved wood signs still intact, some old gas tanks converted into squirt things. everything was rusted and old and dented or vandalized. it was sad because in the 80’s i used to go there when it was ‘LAKE DOLORES LAKE” A CAMPGROUND and little lake with swings and i think 1 waterslide. It was really campy, I remeber all my dads friends drank alot of beer and drove trucks in the dirt. IT WAS WAY COOL. When I was leaving I saw 3 cars in the parking lot so it’s definitley a haven for some. I didnt mention before appraching rock a hoola me and my buddies were riding motorcyles about a mile away. our only goal was to make it the coke sign off the freeway. OUR CARS WERE PARKED BEHIND LAKE DOLORES (WHICH LOOKED LIKE A spooky campground. the entrance still looks cool driving in the parking lot because of the cool rainforest looking trees that are actually real. when u walk down the sidewalk of the park there are weeds and bird shit. bird shit is everywhere. its a flocking ground for birds. i tryed to make it in the lake as a child i beleive i swam in but there was barb wire on the tops like the city owned it or something. there was also alot of lines in the parking lot on the ground , makers as if they are gonna start digging or something. the number had ft and elevation and stuff on them. I got a real cold vibe when i entered the parking lot. IT WAS WEIRD..

  44. Actually, there is some truth to what Ron said.
    The place is patrolled by dogs and minimal security at the moment.
    I’m heading to Vegas next week and plan on checking the place out before it’s all gone.
    We’ll see what happens.

  45. This is getting more sad by the day. Well, it looks like its going to be just another memory for some. When I was there the security guard pulled up in a truck and she was really nice and told me a bit about the park and they had to have it patrolled because of the amount of water that lies on the property. I have not been by there in about a year now but from this forum it sounds sad but I enjoyed looking at the slides that are now painted blue and in Canada. Just really sad we could not of saved them somehow. I would like a peice of that propery at about any cost. Its going to be obsolete in no time. Sad sad times all over.. -Jeffrey

  46. just talked bout lake D with my brother. we laughed so hard just talkin bout our memories there. well, we were there many times during the 80s. drinkin, drugs and crazy slides was what it was all about. a couple people died while we were there. place got crazy day and night. they stopped letting the Downey crew in after awhile. ahh the memories! its sad that it has closed.

  47. Hey Gerald, How come people died while you were there what happened, what did they did of? I just passed by this the past weekend and would love to hear the “Crazy Stories” of what took place there.

  49. jasmine back in the late 70s and 80’s LD was known as a place to do pretty much anything without having to worry about getting in trouble. the outside law enforcement were never called in except when there was a death at least that i remember. on one occasion, a young man got beat to death for stealing, someone drowned, not sure if intoxicated or drugs. there were wet tshirt contests, bands, y more. it’s a tragedy that people did die. i’m not sure how many did back then , but i tried to google the number , but came up with nada. got many stories of that place.

  50. Wow, Thats crazy beat to death huh? Wow, sounds like for the most part it was a good time, and a bit dangerous. For the most part a family place with a grown up night life. Thanks for the info, if you remember any others please feel free to share, I am sure everyone would love to hear them. Thanks again

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