The LA County Parks and Recreation Junior Lake Lifeguard program tryouts are now open! Join us for a fun, unique opportunity like no other to get active, make new friends and learn crucial water safety skills this summer! Serving as one of the most successful water safety training programs in Los Angeles, the popular co-ed program provides a challenging and exciting open water environment for kids ages 9-17 who live many miles away from the coast to partake in water activities on calm freshwater lakes.
The three week program offers 2 sessions (morning or afternoon) daily, Monday through Thursday, at three LA County freshwater lakes located at Castaic Lake Recreation Area, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park and Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.
The program is overseen by trained, certified lifeguard staff who serve as mentors and impart their experience by leading hands-on activities that introduce youth to water safety, athleticism, teamwork and a career in aquatics. Youth participants learn from a variety of activities that range from first aid, CPR, water related rescue skills and more!
And since it's been a minute since we've been swimming, this year practice dates have been made available to those interested in trying out, but need to build back the muscle memory. On April 8th & 15th from 8:00am to 12:00pm, prospective participants can practice at Norman Johnson Aquatic Center or Castaic Aquatic Center with no prior registration required.
And that's not all! This year, prospective Jr Guard applicants can apply for scholarships that will cover all program costs of the Junior Lake Lifeguard Program. Scholarships are awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Submission of a scholarship does not guarantee awarding of a scholarship, nor a spot in programming. Applicants can apply by filling out a scholarship application here or at the button below.
Youth participants are required to try out for the program (unless they participated in the 2022 sessions) and must pass to register. FREE tryouts will be held at two locations and pre-registration is required at http://reservations.lacounty.gov.
For more information, please visit https://parks.lacounty.gov/juniorlifeguards/
About Jr. Lake Lifeguards
Established in 1990, the LA County Parks Junior Lake Lifeguard Program has grown into one of the most successful water safety training programs in Los Angeles. Each year hundreds of Junior Lake Lifeguards participate in the program and obtain the skills to become a real lifeguard. Past participants have gone on to use the skills and training learned as Junior Lake Lifeguards in careers as lifeguards and even to provide vital first aid to family members.
About LA County Parks and Recreation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation manages 183 parks and operates a network of 70,079 acres of parkland, 475 sports amenities such as futsal, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling and multipurpose fields, 42 swimming pools, 15 wildlife sanctuaries, 10 nature centers that serve as a refuge for over 200 animals, 14 lakes – 3 of which are boating and
swimming lakes, 5 equestrians centers, more than 210 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses. The department also maintains four botanical centers: The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, the South Coast Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens, and Virginia Robinson Gardens. The department also owns and operates the iconic Hollywood Bowl and John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, which are jointly managed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, providing County residents with valuable entertainment and cultural resources.