A few miles past dusty Barstow and just a stone’s throw from the whizzing cars on Interstate 15, which runs from Southern California to Las Vegas, a strange sight seems to arise from the surrounding Mojave Desert.
An empty lazy river gathers the desiccated remnants of palm trees, plastic waterslides crack further with each passing day and decaying arcade buildings seemingly melt into the Calico Mountains behind them. Improbably, this site — where the former manmade Lake Dolores and the Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark once thrived — is said to have been one of America’s first water parks. But there’s no plaque denoting that here, out in the baking sun. These days, it’s primarily layers upon layers of graffiti, abandoned buildings and empty pools.
Update- An abandoned oddity in the Mojave Desert, Lake Dolores is now a subcultural paradise
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