PHOTOS: The bucolic corner of L.A. County known as The Lakes
Margarito Moreno of Lancaster and his son Angel, 4, fish on the shore of Elizabeth Lake. The possible sale of part of the lake and adjacent property has residents worried. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
A sign welcoming visitors to Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake. It’s a community rich with tales of stagecoach stops, bandit hideaways -- even legendary lake monsters. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
A turtle suns itself near the shore of Elizabeth Lake. The area’s wetlands, marsh and riparian forest provide a habitat for more than 138 wildlife species. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
A bee navigates the terrain around Elizabeth Lake. Swimming, fishing, kayaking and bird watching are common at Elizabeth, the largest natural lake in Los Angeles County. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
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Louisa Stephen, an artist and conservationist who has lived in The Lakes region for six years, paddles her kayak on Elizabeth Lake. She is president of the Lakes and Valley Conservancy, which is seeking nonprofit status and researching ways to raise funds to purchase the lake property itself. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
Margarito Moreno of Lancaster adjusts a plastic lure as he fishes at Elizabeth Lake. The lakes western half belongs to the U.S. Forest Service, which bans high-impact activities such as hunting, jet skiing and the use of motorized vessels of more than 10 horsepower. (Jake Danna Stevens / Los Angeles Times)
