Fields of dreams

Think of it as nirvana with a concrete face, that otherworldly edifice northwest of where the 405 and 101 freeways intersect: the Sepulveda Dam.

Maybe you recognize it from the movies “The Italian Job” and “Escape From New York,” or from music videos and car commercials. Rising 57 feet above the streambed and perched on an embankment that stretches over two miles, it was built in 1941 on the Los Angeles River.

What lies beyond is the San Fernando Valley’s quintessential playground, a place where generations of Angelenos have found their fields of dreams. The sprawling Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area is full of surprises beyond ballgames and bikes, boarding and blading, walking and jogging.

Want to take in -- or take up -- cricket? Spend a meditative moment at a Japanese garden? Take to the water with oar in hand, or simply cast a line? Draw back an arrow and aim for the bull’s-eye? Settle in at the controls of a model airplane?

This is your place.

Whether it’s a pastoral hike through a wildlife reserve or a romp with your retriever in a dog park, the region brims with possibilities, breathing personality and life into the dam itself.

In an age of state and city budget cutbacks, the area -- which includes Balboa Park, Hjelte Sports Center and Encino, Balboa and Woodley Lakes golf courses -- is surprisingly well maintained. However, since Lake Balboa is filled with reclaimed water from the nearby Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, swimming is not permitted and the water has a slight but not unbearable odor. Also, be forewarned, at Anthony C. Beilenson Park (Lake Balboa Park), the soccer fields and the golf courses attract big crowds on the weekends, so it’s best to arrive early.

Apart from the rare instances of flooding, the area is bustling with activity. Here’s a sampling of the area’s activities:

Heaven for skater kids

When the city of L.A. opened Pedlow Skate Park in February 2001, local skate rats got a facility to call their own, the first in the mid-Valley area since Skatercross in Reseda closed in the early ‘80s. Pedlow’s location in the Sepulveda Basin seems only appropriate, since the banks of Sepulveda Dam and the Encino Velodrome served as outlaw skate spots in the late ‘70s.

While Pedlow, with its mild banks and faux street terrain, may seem relatively tame to more adventurous skaters, the park’s summer camp director, Rob Harrington, says there are plans to up the ante with a pool, a snake run and a kids’ section in the near future. For now, Pedlow (one of six skate parks operated by L.A.’s Department of Parks and Recreation) seems to serve the park’s younger visitors -- such as 11-year-old volunteer teacher Corey Minderhout of Sherman Oaks, and 7-year-old student Lily Moffet of Woodland Hills -- just fine.

Says Lily’s father, Scott, “I bring her here every Saturday morning for lessons. She loves skating and loves the staff here. We come early at 8 a.m. and there are one or two kids. At 9 a.m. there’s like 30 kids here, so she gets good individual treatment.”

Contemplative moments

A hidden jewel, the Japanese Garden is billed as “an oasis in the San Fernando Valley.” Dr. Koichi Kawana, who designed similar facilities in St. Louis, Denver and Chicago, is the mastermind behind this site, which opened in 1984 and shares its address with the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.

The garden, which is available for weddings, receptions and photo sessions, features docent-guided tours through a dry Zen meditation garden, waterfalls, lakes and streams.

Filmmakers have also used this site as a location. It’s been seen in such films as 1993’s “Rising Sun.” In addition, the office building at the Japanese Garden was seen in “Bio-Dome” and served as the Star Fleet Headquarters in the “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” TV series.

Gentlemen, start your wickets

Cricket -- popular in England and such nations as Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, with a history dating back to the 1300s -- is played regularly on Woodley Park’s four fields. In fact, the cricket fields at Woodley, maintained by the Southern California Cricket Assn. and the Parks and Recreation department, are considered among the best in the United States.

Strangely, even among cricket enthusiasts, the fields remain something of a secret. “I was in L.A. for seven or eight years before I found out that cricket was being played at Woodley,” says Mihir Gandhi, a native of India, a Placentia resident and treasurer of the Southern California Cricket Assn.

“We have players from every cricket-playing nation,” says Sanjay Gupta, 32, of Reseda. “India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, Australia. You see a whole ocean of players [at Woodley] and you can feel the international charm of this game.”

The cricket season at Woodley runs from April through October, with games held every Saturday and Sunday. Gupta and Gandhi say that their passion for the game helps them put up with the sometimes triple-digit temperatures.

Gandhi notes that the sight of players dressed in white uniforms, with odd-looking bats, hitting a red ball does attract its share of gawkers.

“We have a lot of spectators who come and wonder just what the hell these people are doing running between the sticks and hitting the ball all over the place, with two people being chased by 11 people on the field,” Gandhi says.

“In fact, Robin Williams said cricket is like baseball on Valium. We do have to explain some things to some of the spectators that don’t know anything about cricket. They get excited, because we don’t have protection on our hands like baseball mitts, and the ball is a lot harder than a baseball.”

They’re ready for takeoff

The air traffic from the nearby Van Nuys Airport and the birds aren’t the only things in the sky. It’s also home to the Woodley Park Apollo 11 Model Aircraft Field, on the west side of Woodley Avenue between Victory and Burbank boulevards. Machines flying in the airfield range from intricately detailed model planes, jets and helicopters to low-budget remote control planes constructed from old plastic foam trays.

Carsten Baumann, 37, of Studio City has been visiting the airfield for about a year and a half. “I was interested in the sport because I did it as a kid in Germany, and when I moved over here I went to a local hobby store and they told me about this place,” he says while he works on his Mustang P-51 plane. He now visits the field up to six times a month. “It’s nice to hang out, because you share the same hobby,” he says. “People do not necessarily volunteer to help, but as soon as you ask, they tell you everything.”

Some model aircraft enthusiasts spend more than $1,000 on their planes, and there are risks. “I lost one plane myself,” he says. “Somebody hit me. Typically you see one or two crashes a day.”

For Jose Soriano, 31, of Burbank, it’s all about the crashes. He favors the low-budget planes made from lunch trays and held together with cellophane tape. “The really cool thing about these planes is that I can smash this thing into the ground and be up flying in about a minute,” he says.

Target practice

Founded in 1984, the Woodley Park Archery Range is in the most secluded part of the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, between Woodley and the 405, east of the Japanese Garden and the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. It includes an 18-meter short range for beginners and a full International Archery Federation-qualified long range (20-90 meters).

Tori Schroeder, 39, of Sherman Oaks visits the range daily because it’s “the closest and the best” for Valley archers, she says. “It’s a nice, beautiful park to shoot in, minus the freeway.” Although the hum of traffic from the nearby 405 is constant, Schroeder says it fades into the background as you concentrate on hitting your target.

The range offers several free classes, including use of bows and arrows, so beginning archers can develop their muscles before shelling out money for the proper gear.

Take a hike, right in the city

The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, east of Woodley, west of the 405 and north of the L.A. River, may be the best-kept secret in the Valley.

The reserve re-creates the natural habit for birds and other wildlife with native plants and vegetation, giving visitors a glimpse of what the Valley was like before it was permanently transformed by urban development.

At the entrance of the reserve, a sign promises “a symphony of sound,” and they’re not talking about freeway noise. Hikers on the walking paths can spy and hear up to 200 species of birds, including woodpeckers, goldfinches and orioles. Canada geese, ducks, herons and egrets can been seen in the wildlife lake and along Haskell Creek, and the scent of mulefat, sages and mugwort wafts through the air.

On the trails are occasional signs that identify the plant life and displays giving historical details about the area. One display tells how the wildlife lake was originally part of an area alongside Haskell Creek, dug out to collect clay to line the Van Norman Reservoir when it was under repair in the ‘70s. Each year these pits would collect rainwater during the winter and attract waterfowl. In 1991, the pits were transformed into a permanent lake for wildlife.

At another point on the lakeside trail, a stone monument that stands approximately 5 feet, 10 inches gives visitors an ominous reminder of the area’s other purpose. “At a two-year flood level, water would be at your feet. At a 20-year flood level, water would be three times higher than this stone. At a fifty- year flood level, water would be four times higher than this stone.”

Jorge Vejas, 58, of Van Nuys visits the reserve two or three times a week. “I just enjoy the scenery and all the animals around,” he says. “There are all kinds of fish, and fish-eating birds and ducks galore. Most people don’t even know it exists. It’s unusual in the big city to have this little oasis of nature.”

Something’s afoot

The 1.3-mile footpath that surrounds Lake Balboa is off-limits to bikers and skaters, although wheelchairs and baby strollers are allowed. Clint Paquin, 24, of Woodland Hills checked it out after a friend recommended the spot. “I’m just trying to get a little scenery while I’m jogging,” he says. “I want to see something besides the city, the buildings and the cars.”

Here’s what’s cooking

Between the Woodley, Anthony C. Beilenson Park (Lake Balboa Park) and Balboa Park areas, there are endless spots to picnic and also specific areas with barbecues, benches and tables. These picnic spots don’t only draw Valley-ites. Rachel Aldana, 29, of Westwood Village had a recent lunchtime barbecue for the members of her extended family alongside the banks of Lake Balboa. “We used to live in Van Nuys, and we didn’t forget,” she says. “We like the lake and the view.”

Wending your way on wheels

The basin has an approximately five-mile bike path that snakes around the area’s three golf courses, through Beilenson Park and along Balboa Park. The path runs along Woodley, Burbank, Balboa and Victory, and is, for the most part, a flat ride. Still, it has its critics. Barbara Torres, 53, of North Hills was gathered with about a dozen other members of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition on a recent Saturday, but she wasn’t exactly thrilled about riding the path.

“It’s not the greatest place to ride your bike if you want to get from here to there, because it really doesn’t go anywhere. It’s good for recreation but not for transportation,” says Torres. “The streets are cleaner and the traffic is more predictable, you don’t have children on bikes, you don’t have strollers and skaters.”

More serious cyclists might want to check out the curved, banked walls of the nearby Encino Velodrome, a facility that was the home of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Kayaks and other things that float

Nonmotorized craft, including kayaks, pedal and remote-control boats, and fishing (by patrons 16 and older with a license) are permitted at Lake Balboa, the 27-acre lake that is filled with reclaimed water from the nearby Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. The lake -- which sits in the middle of Beilenson Park -- is monitored by L.A. city lifeguards, who oversee the pedal boat rentals and a kayak fitness program. Aquatic facility manager Onnig Bulanikian, 26, says of the latter, “It’s 25 workouts for $30. Instead of jogging and walking around the lake, we encourage the patrons to come and kayak.”

Games people play

All the traditional sports can be played at Balboa Park, both in organized leagues and pickup games. The Balboa Sports Center includes a gym, 16 lighted tennis courts, four lighted baseball diamonds, two lighted outdoor basketball courts and 13 soccer fields. There are also additional fields at the nearby Hjelte Sports Center, as well as facilities operated by Encino Little League (on Hayvenhurst), Mid-Valley Little League (on Oxnard Avenue) and the Valley Christian Athletic Assn. (on White Oak).

On a recent Saturday, Ana Rodriguez beamed as her 8-year-old son Edson scored a goal for the St. Patrick soccer team. Across the parking lot at one of Balboa Park’s baseball diamonds, the Shadow Ranch 11-to-13-year-old all-stars battled the Knapp Ranch team.

Although his team was getting shelled 11-0, Shadow Ranch coach Andy Wiggins had plenty of positive things to say about Balboa. “I love this park,” he says. “I coached here for five years before I went to Shadow Ranch. It’s right in the middle of the Valley, it’s always clean, and it’s safe.”

For your best friends

One of six dog parks operated by the city of Los Angeles, the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park includes a five-acre area, as well as a half-acre area reserved for small dogs.

Several choices for teeing it up

With the Encino and Balboa courses and the nearby Woodley Lakes, the Sepulveda Basin has the greatest concentration of golf courses in Los Angeles. While such public jewels as Rancho Park and Griffith Park’s Wilson and Harding might be better courses, the three Sepulveda Basin 18-holers are usually easier to score a time on through the city’s automated reservation system.

Balboa and Encino, which make up the Sepulveda Golf Complex, date back to the 1950s, and they have tree-lined fairways with plenty of shade to provide relief from the summer heat, a consolation prize of sorts for those who tend to hook or slice their drives. The two courses share a starter, making the facility a favorite of walk- ons who come to play without reservations, since, at least theoretically, you can double your chances of getting a tee time.

Woodley, built in 1965, is wide open with considerably less shade but a lot of ducks and geese around to enjoy the course’s water hazards. The bad news about the birds is that they leave their droppings on the fairways. There is also air traffic to contend with from Van Nuys Airport to the north and the model airport to the south. Although the model aircraft pilots are told the golf course is a “no-fly” zone, it appears not all, particularly the model jet pilots, follow the rule.

Driving ranges are also available, but Woodley is the only city-operated range that allows golfers to hit off real grass instead of synthetic turf.

Salute!

The Air National Guard and Army National Guard of California have facilities and a recruiting office smack in the middle of the Sepulveda Basin, and the area also attracts other military units for occasional training sessions.

On a recent Saturday, you could see Rafael Melendez, 43, of McFarland, Calif., leading his unit -- the Sherman Oaks-based 420th Movement & Control Battalion -- through physical training exercises, including push-ups, sit-ups and running.

A photo lasts longer

Newlyweds and others frequently use the area surrounding Lake Balboa as a scenic backdrop. On a recent Saturday, Yamilet Oliveros of Arleta and several friends piled out of a Cadillac Escalade stretch limo in formal wear to celebrate Oliveros’ quinceanera, a 15th birthday.

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Where to find the fun

Pedlow Skate Park

17334 Victory Blvd., Encino. (818) 266-6991 or www.laparks.org/dos/parks/pedlowskatepark.htm

Woodley Park Archery Range

Located east of Woodley Avenue and the 405, between Victory and Burbank boulevards in Van Nuys

www.woodleyarchers.cjb.net/

Lake Balboa

6300 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys. (818) 756-9743 or www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/balboa.htm

Air National Guard of California Recruiting Office

15900 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys. (800) 860-8456 or www.goang.com/officesite.aspx?office_id=133

Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve

East of Woodley, west of the 405 and north of the L.A. River. (818) 756-9710 or www.laparks.org/dos/horticulture/sepulvedabasin.htm

Woodley Park Cricket Fields

East of Woodley and the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, west of the 405, between Burbank and Victory boulevards.

Woodley Park Apollo 11 Model Aircraft Field

West side of Woodley between Victory and Burbank.

Balboa Sports Center

17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino. (818) 756-9642 or www.laparks.com/valley/balboa.htm

Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area Bike Route

Runs along Woodley Avenue and Burbank, Balboa and Victory boulevards.

Encino Velodrome

17301 Oxnard St., Encino. (818) 881-7441 or www.encinovelodrome.org

Hjelte Sports Center

16200 Burbank Blvd., Encino

Woodley Lakes Golf Course

6331 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys. (818) 780-6886 or

www.laparks.org/dos/golf/golf.htm

Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park

17550 Victory Blvd., Encino

Sepulveda Golf Complex

Balboa and Encino Golf Courses

16821 Burbank Blvd., Encino. (818) 995-1170

Japanese Garden

6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys. (818) 756-8166

www.lacity.org/SAN/japanesegarden

Craig Rosen played T-ball at Balboa Park in the late ‘60s. Today he frequently tees up a much smaller ball across the street at the Sepulveda Golf Complex.