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Two Chairs No Waiting 126: Return to Myers Lake

Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:21:44

Two Chairs No Waiting

Two Chairs No Waiting

The body of water called “Myers Lake” on The Andy Griffith Show is actually called the “Upper Franklin Reservoir.”  The reservoir is located in Franklin Canyon Park in Hollywood hill of Beverly Hills.

We talked about this area back on episode 13 of Two Chairs No Waiting back in January 2009.  For some reason that is one of the most downloaded and searched for episodes so I thought it would be a good time to return to Myers Lake.

Franklin Canyon Park is a public park located near Benedict Canyon at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The park comprises 605 acres, and is located in what is said to be the geographical center of the city of Los Angeles. The park features a 3-acre lake (a.k.a. Franklin Lake or Myers Lake by Mayberry fans), a duck pond (Heavenly Pond),  and over five miles of hiking trails. The park was used for the opening of The Andy Griffith Show.

The park traces its beginnings to 1914 when William Mulholland and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power built a reservoir in upper Franklin Canyon. The 1930s began the frequent use of the canyon for filming. Today about 25 films are shot there each year.

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Directions

2600 Franklin Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills, California

From the West Side, head north on Beverly Drive following signs to Coldwater Canyon. Turn left on Coldwater/Beverly Drive and turn left again on Beverly Drive , at Fire Station No. 2. The third right is Franklin Canyon Dr. continue through residential area to park entrance. At the intersection of Franklin Canyon and Lake Drive turn right to go to Franklin Canyon Ranch site or turn left to go to the Sooky Goldman
Nature Center and Franklin Canyon Lake.

From the San Fernando Valley, From the Ventura Freeway (101) or Ventura Blvd. Take Coldwater Canyon Boulevard south to the intersection of Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland Drive. Make a 90 degree right turn onto Franklin Canyon Dr. There is no street sign “Franklin Canyon.” Road signs read “Road Closed 800 Feet” “Sunset to Sunrise”; this is the park entrance. Do NOT make a “U-Turn” for this will bring you onto Mulholland Drive instead of Franklin Canyon. Stay on paved surface to reach the Sooky Goldman Nature Center and continue south of the lake for 1.5 miles to reach the Franklin Canyon Ranch Site area.

As you enter the “loop” that goes around the lake (it’s one way so this should make it easy to describe), you will have a wooden railing on the left. That railing is where Andy stopped on “The Return to Mayberry” and looked down at Myers Lake.  There is a parking area about 40 yards down on the left.

Park there and walk over to the railing just to the left of the parking area (not the railing that on the main road but the wooden “fence” that keeps folks from falling down the slope.   When you look down the slope you’ll see the path. This is where Andy and Opie walked.  There’s a wooden picnic table down there.

Related Links:

Executive Producer of Two Chairs No Waiting Episode #126: Jay Hicks

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{ 2 comments… add one }
  • Janet Anderson March 8, 2011, 10:24 pm

    Allan, you mentioned about that rock and speculated that it might be the rock that Opie threw into the lake. Well, I know how you can find out. Send it to the boys at the lab! They can analyze the rock chemically to determine its origin — that is, if somebody brought the rock in, or if it’s a local rock. If the rock hasn’t been handled too much, they might still be able to find Opie’s fingerprints on it. Wouldn’t that be great? Let us know what you find out!

  • Tim Bradshaw February 16, 2013, 11:24 am

    Always enjoy this kind of podcast Allan. I agree, this is the place to visit for any TAGS fan who visits LA, it is the most recognizable place one can visit that exists today. The only other physical place I can think of is the gate to the old Desilu Cahuenga Studios where the Taylors visited Hollywood. Enjoyed the history you talked about. Thanks

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