| Vista Hermosa Natural Park | |
| Location: | Echo Park, Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates: | 34.0617°N -118.257°W |
| Area: | 10.5acres |
| Operator: | Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority |
| Status: | open |
The Vista Hermosa Natural Park is an urban public park located in Echo Park, Los Angeles, immediately west of Civic Center, Los Angeles. Vista Hermosa Natural Park sits on a former oil field of 10.5acres, bounded by Toluca Street and West 1st Street, Los Angeles.[1] [2] During construction, the polluted topsoil was removed and replaced, and a ventilation system was installed to control the flow of dangerous gases.[3] The park includes walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, a nature-themed playground, and a soccer field.
The $15-million park was opened on July 19, 2008 and was the first to open in Downtown Los Angeles in over 100 years.[4] [5] The park is managed as a partnership among the Los Angeles Unified School District, the City of Los Angeles, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).[6] In 2023, the American Society of Landscape Architects gave the park The Landmark Award, praising it for providing recreational space to a working-class neighborhood generally lacking in parks.[7]