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Elizabeth Lake
Elizabeth Lake sits quietly in the northern edge of Los Angeles County, nestled in the Sierra Pelona Mountains. At first glance, it looks like any peaceful mountain lake. But hidden in its still waters and surrounding hills is a deep well of stories—from earthquakes and aqueducts to legends of monsters and wagon trails.
The lake itself is a sag pond, formed when the earth shifted along the San Andreas Fault. It’s one of three such lakes in the area—alongside Hughes and Munz Lakes—and it has a history of disappearing during dry years, only to return with the rain. Locals are used to its moody nature.
Long before roads or ranches, Native tribes such as the Tataviam, Kitanemuk, and Serrano lived in the area. They fished, hunted, and likely gave the lake a name of their own. Then came the Spanish explorers. In 1780, missionaries called it “La Laguna de Diablo”—Devil’s Lake—because of strange stories and unsettling feelings surrounding the place. Others later called it Rabbit Lake or named it after a local rancher, Chico Lopez.
But no name stuck harder than Elizabeth Lake, and with it came one of California’s strangest legends: the lake monster. Some said it was a winged beast with leathery skin and a stench that would knock a man down. Ranchers in the 1800s told of hearing eerie noises at night or finding livestock missing with no tracks to explain it. The stories spread far enough that people avoided the area altogether—just in case the creature was real.
Despite the fearsome lore, settlers did come. One of the earliest was Samuel Frakes and his nephew Frank, who built a ranch nearby and became leaders in the small pioneer community. In 1869, the Frakes family helped start a school that would be the only one for miles—stretching all the way between Los Angeles and Bakersfield. These folks were tough, living where the land was beautiful but never easy.
Elizabeth Lake also sat along key travel routes. During the Spanish and Mexican periods, the old El Camino Viejo passed nearby. Later, the Butterfield Overland Mail line rolled through, carrying mail and passengers across the wilds of California before the Civil War.
In 1911, something incredible happened underground. A tunnel, five miles long, was completed right beneath the lake. It was part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct project, moving water from Owens Valley to the thirsty city far to the south. At the time, it was one of the most ambitious engineering efforts in the world.
Today, Elizabeth Lake is a quiet rural community. The lake comes and goes with the weather, and the monster hasn’t been spotted in decades. But the stories remain. Whether you believe in dragons or just enjoy a good tale, there’s no doubt this spot along the fault line holds more than just water—it holds the echoes of California’s past.
Ecological Sections: Southern California Mountains and Valleys
Southern California Mountains and Valleys
This section includes mountains, hills and valleys of the Transverse Ranges and the Peninsular Ranges that are near the Pacific Ocean, but not bordering it. ...Subsection M262Bd
San Gabriel Mountains
This subsection comprises the lower and warmer parts of the San Gabriel Mountains, ... It is bounded by the Soledad River valley on the northwest and the San Fernando Valley on the southwest and extend eastward ...San Andreas Fault
Cerro Gordo
Fort Tejon
Tataviam
Kitanemuk
Serrano
Borax
Vasquez
Remi Nadeau
John Searles
Crossroads
Elizabeth Lake, California, has long been a geographical and logistical crossroads tied to several major historic travel and trade routes in California. Its location in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, along the San Andreas Fault, made it a natural corridor for Indigenous peoples, Spanish expeditions, early American wagon trains, and freight haulers. Here's how Elizabeth Lake connects with several major historic roads:El Camino Viejo (The Old Road)
El Camino Viejo was an inland route between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley, used during the Spanish and Mexican periods. It passed through the western Antelope Valley, generally following water sources and ranching areas. Elizabeth Lake, known at the time as Laguna de Diablo or Laguna de Chico Lopez, served as a key watering stop along this route. Travelers heading north from San Fernando would reach the lake area before descending toward the San Joaquin. It was a welcome oasis and a natural rest stop for ox-drawn carts and horsemen.Fort Tejon Road
Built in the 1850s to connect Fort Tejon with San Pedro and Los Angeles, this military road overlapped with portions of earlier trails, including El Camino Viejo. Elizabeth Lake was directly on the path of the Fort Tejon Road as it crossed from the Antelope Valley into the Sierra Pelona and down toward San Francisquito Canyon and the Santa Clarita Valley. The road was essential for troop movement and communication between the coast and Fort Tejon during the Civil War era and Indian Wars.Bullion Road (aka Remi Nadeau’s Road)
In the 1870s, freighter Remi Nadeau built a freight route to haul silver bullion from Cerro Gordo to San Pedro. While the core Bullion Road passed to the east through the Mojave Desert, some variants and connecting trails angled southwest through the Antelope Valley. It’s likely that wagons or mail routes from the Bullion Road passed through the Elizabeth Lake area to reach San Fernando or link with routes into the San Joaquin or Los Angeles basin. Some regional spurs may have intersected with Fort Tejon Road in or near Elizabeth Lake.Borax Road
The “Borax Road” isn’t a single route but a general name for haul roads used in the late 19th century to move borax from desert mines—like those near Death Valley—to the railheads. These routes, particularly those tied to the Harmony Borax Works or Searles Lake, mainly traversed the eastern Mojave. However, as with the Bullion Road, connecting trails from borax operations—especially in later years as transportation systems expanded—would often intersect with known corridors like Fort Tejon Road. Elizabeth Lake’s position made it a logical funnel point before loads descended to the Los Angeles basin.Summary
Elizabeth Lake’s historical importance stems from its role as a natural pass and water source along a network of evolving trails, freight roads, and military routes. From Native trade paths and El Camino Viejo to the strategic Fort Tejon Road and freight spurs connecting to silver and borax trails, it stood as a key waypoint in California’s inland transportation history.