New LA River Hangout: Frog Spot Café

The weekend pop-up lends respite to cyclists wending near the water.

Coming across a drink stand while on a hike or paddling up to a lake-close sandwich shop are two lovely but rare respites. Outdoorsy lovers generally tow along their hydration and snacks along with the knowledge that they'll need to finish their path or route to get to a place serving sustenance.

But such a sustenance-serving place has popped-up, literally, on the LA River. The Frog Spot, a wee and welcoming café, is the new hangout in Elysian Valley. It's adjacent to the river and the bike path and it doubles as a welcome center, too.

First up? The food part. Cyclists and saunterers and anyone wanting to soak up a little river-style beauty can swing by on the weekends for "light snacks, brewed and iced coffee," and, perhaps best of all, "free drinking water with ice."

Restrooms, free wifi, info about the river, shady al fresco seating, a kids' area, and the only bocce court on the Los Angeles River are also part of the Frog Spot's scene. Pumps and patches'll be available to cyclists starting on July 12.

Is it open all year long? Nope. Frogs often hop away, and the Frog Spot will, too, when summer wraps.

It's free to visit, though bring cash for food and drinks. And show with extra cash on Saturday nights, when ticketed events -- think music shows -- leap, with amphibian-like energy, into the Frog Spot.

Now, where to find it, exactly? Go for the Glendale Narrows area of the river and you're there.

The Scene

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

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Truly, it's nice to see nature with our nature, but the occasional helpful hub, full of edibles and information, only serves to help the traveler along her or his merry, adrenaline-raising way.

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