A DAY IN THE PARK

Chatsworth Park, North and South

22360 Devonshire St. (North), 22300 Chatsworth St. (South)

Size: 105 acres

Facilities: Community building, indoor gymnasium, baseball diamonds, hiking trails, equestrian trails, picnic area with barbecue pits, Homestead Acre and historical site.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Information: (818) 341-6595

In 1886, the Hill and Palmer families purchased 213 acres of homesteading land in the Chatsworth hills. Today, the area is Chatsworth Park, with natural rock formations, pictured above, and secluded picnic areas that are reminiscent of what it might have looked like more than a century ago.

The park is ideal for horseback riding and hiking, and on the first Sunday of every month, the Chatsworth Historical Society opens the original Hill-Palmer cottage in Chatsworth Park South to the public. The 1911 one-room building is furnished as it was 80 years ago. Adjacent to the cottage, visitors can visit the historical society museum. Tours for groups of 10 or more may be arranged by special request.

“Chatsworth Park is a beautiful oasis in the middle of a congested Valley,” said Sheila Watts, president of the Chatsworth Historical Society. “The train runs through the park and it’s a very relaxing place to get away from it all.”