Strolling Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park

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Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas is a great place to take a long, flat walk by a large body of water that isn’t the ocean. The San Gabriel Mountains loom in the distance.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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The entrance to the Kikos Trail at Bonelli Park.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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A bee feeds on a mustard plant.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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The shimmering waters of Puddingstone Reservoir, a 250-acre man-made lake at Bonelli.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Puddingstone Reservoir.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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The path alongside the Puddingstone Reservoir is a popular spot at Bonelli Park.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Walking and biking are popular activities at Bonelli Park.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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A boater enjoys a cool afternoon on Puddingstone Reservoir, a 250-acre man-made lake.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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An egret overlooks Puddingstone Reservoir.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Fishermen enjoy a cool afternoon at Puddingstone Reservoir.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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The snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains loom.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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A plane takes off at Brackett Field Airport.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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A man walks along Brackett Field Airport.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Customers gab a bite to eat at Norm’s Hangar snack shop at Brackett Field Airport.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Feb. 20, 2016 7:33 AM PT

This San Dimas stroll will be too far afield for some folks, but Bonelli Park is a great place to take a long, flat walk by a large body of water that isn’t the ocean.

1. Find your way to the back side of Brackett Field Airport, at the large parking lot at 1615 McKinley Ave. After admiring quaint Norm’s Hangar snack shop (open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.), walk past the wide, green gates onto the asphalt road parallel to the runway.

2. Pass another gate, entering Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, and veer slightly left into a parking area that is home to some massive RVs. Turn right at the first corner and follow the road as it finds and follows the shore of Puddingstone Reservoir — a 250-acre, man-made lake dating to the 1920s. The park offers boating, fishing, horseback riding, hot tubbing and a beach with lifeguards. But the original swimming pool? That’s now the privately owned Raging Waters, next door.

3. Leave the RV park through another gate and begin a slight climb toward a grand Puddingstone overlook with great views of the San Gabriel Mountains and Mt. Baldy to boot. Along the shore you may note the presence of ducks, geese, herons, egrets and other water birds, as well as hawks overhead.

4. At about 1.5 miles, you’ll arrive at East Shore to find picnic tables, shaded benches and public restrooms. For the simple walk, retrace your steps from here back to the parking lot.

5. To add a loop, continue a short distance past the public restrooms to find Kiko’s Trail on your left. Take this wide dirt path as it climbs steeply up a cactus-studded hillside away from the lake.

6. At a flat intersection, walk straight ahead, leaving the wide path for a narrow trail heading down into a canyon. Stay on this trail until it winds back to the lakefront. Turn right onto the main road and follow this back to your starting point.

Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park

The stats

Distance: 3 miles (plus 1 mile for extra loop)

Difficulty: 2 on a scale of 1 to 5 (4 with extra loop)

Duration: 1 1/2 hours (plus 20 minutes with extra loop)

Details: Ample free parking. Wheelchair and stroller friendly. Open to bicycles. Dogs on a leash are OK.