This spot is such a hidden gem. I love that not everyone knows about it. The little stream flowing into the pond is super relaxing, plus you've got orange trees, turtles, ducks, koi fish, and fun little trails to wander. Huge thanks to CSUN for creating such a peaceful escape right in the middle of the city. read more

CSUN Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Unfortunatley the food canister was broken. As we approached the larger pond with most of the turtles, they started climbing the rocks and approaching the edge. We tried several different quarters, but the food wouldn't come out. None of the quarters went all around (imagine a gumball machine). My 1-yr old nephew was quite disapponted that we didn't stick around the area. But quite honestly, he was disappointed that he couldn't jump in with them. There were ducks in the area too. Online it says that you can take a fruit from the citrus tree, but they weren't quite ripe, so we didn't bother. My nephew enjoyed running over the bridge and checking out the HUGE Koi fish. Needless to say, he was also disappointed that he couldn't jump in with them either. Please don't bring your own food to feed the animals. Here's What I Think...The next time we come back to the area, we'll have my sister, a current student, check to see if the food canister is working. read more

CSUN Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Such a beautiful space kind of hidden within CSUN that a lot of people don't know about. It's situated among the orange groves by Lindley and Nordhoff. I love walking here. I love to visit the ducks, turtles, and fishies. For those that do come here and are looking to feed them there are signs posted that tell you what you can feed them.....please read them beforehand. Please don't just feed them anything. Let's keep them beautiful and healthy! They are so cute! :-) read more

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A quaint place to relax and meditate for a bit. Worth the visit. The pond area is quite small but the good vibes surrounding it are massive read more

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Nice little pond to walk my dog to. Cute and peaceful when I need to feel close to some nature. read more

CSUN Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Charming pond in the midst of CSUN's magnificent orange grove. A surprising number of turtles roaming the pond and some fairly snappy ducks -- so keep a close eye on your quackers. read more

Excellent and clean place to relax and unwind after a long day of studying. Everything is well maintained, lots of seating areas, and an overall relaxing environment. read more

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I didn't know about this lovely pond inside CSUN until I changed my walking route. They have plenty of turtles, ducks, ducks with ducklings and koi fish. It is a good place to rest and watch the animals. As well as the families spending quality time with their kids. They have an orange groove nearby too. And when you walk around the campus, it is so nice to see the Cherries when in bloom. read more

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Great pond with turtles and ducks to see. There are several benches to sit and relax, enjoy the great weather, or simply to have lunch. It's located towards the back (behind the orange trees off of Nordhoff St). There is also a trail path, and a small bridge. Every peaceful and pleasant atmosphere. read more

Guys, do you know this place already? I discovered not long time and I went for the first time today. It is a hidden gem in our neighborhood. Perfect place to grab two chairs, your coffee and enjoy the peaceful vibe of the place. Really nice the university has a place like this for everyone. Just don't give food for ducks. read more

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Very cool place .My daughter made me aware of it. They have so many turtles, it's fun to watch

Even in the city, there are places to get away to tranquility, nature, and water. CSUN's duck pond, located near the orange groves off of Nordhoff and Lindley, is beautiful, pastoral, and a perfect escape from the hubbub of day-to-day life. The duck pond is large with tons of ducks, geese, and a huge family of turtles. The turtles must have just hatched new baby turtles because there are so many that it's impossible to even count them. The duck pond boasts small waterfalls, winding walk paths, rows upon rows of orange groves,and even an astronomy observatory. I do not know if the observatory is open to the public; I will need to research it and then update the review. There are benches to sit on, grass, and plenty of space to have peace and quiet and watch the ducks swim. The duck pond is beautifully manicured, and it's a lovely spot to quietly read, write, or even have a sweet little picnic. This is a very pretty spot for dogs and children too. Parking can be a bit challenging. You may have to walk a block or two, find one of CSUN's metered lots, or pay for one of CSUN's visitor lots. However, it's worth it. For years now, this is been one of my favorite getaways for an afternoon. It's one of the valley's hidden gems. read more

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Great place to picnic and bring the littles! The kids love the pond and it's inhabitants, running among the trees or playing in the gazebo. There is street parking and parking in CSUN. Easy to social distance and still be outside. Orange Grove Bistro is closed. We will be back for our next play date! Cons: Pond is a bit dirty, little shade by the pond and lots of duck poop. read more

I took my kids here on a Wednesday after they got out of schooL. This was our first time here. I was surprised to see so many turtLes. It wasn't crowded at aLL. And the weather was nice. I beLieve I paid $2 for parking. It's a nice hidden gem in the VaLLey. read more

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My husband and I stumbled upon this beautiful pond while walking our dog around CSUN one day and fell in love with it! We now come here often and just enjoy time walking around and seeing the turtles and ducks. The pond is packed with turtles and they love to swim up to you when you walk up to the pond. It's very tranquil and peaceful. The pond is surrounded by orange trees, which makes it even more beautiful. read more

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Probably my favorite mini retreat within civilization's concrete jungle! Peaceful swatch of joy nestled within CSUN. Hosting a tranquil orange grove and pond filled with ducks and turtles. Today was a special treat! A bird I haven't ever seen here in the past 3 years. read more

CSUN Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love, Love, Love the CSUN Pond. I've heard about this place but never had the opportunity to go until last week and I'm sooo happy. The duck pond is so cute, lovely beautiful ducks with cute little turtles swimming happily waiting for you to feed them. They even have a duck feeder that you can purchase food from. The pond overall is just a nice beautiful habitat, my son had a great time looking at the ducks and feeding them. We even saw a cute lil bunny rabbit that was playing with my son, my son kept chasing after it and the bunny would stop and than run away as he would get closer it was too cute, wish I had my camera rolling. Overall the CSUN pond is a great place to come and relax and have fun feeding the ducks. read more

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Awesome relaxing place set amidst the orange trees grove on campus, a little further past the bookstore complex if you keep walking until you see the oranges on the ground and the orange trees. Turtles! Ducks! Aggressive duck approaching a girl trying to get her sandwich! It has everything you need. read more

CSUN Pond - CSUN pond - come here daffy duck! - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

So many ducks and turtles and dragonflies at this pond! We went during the Covid pandemic, and it was pretty crowded considering, though people did a good job of keeping their distance. You have to pay for parking which is a bummer, there were parking enforcement when we went there. It could be hard to find, but if you see a bunch of orange groves you are in the right place. Take a nice little stroll around. It's so pretty and peaceful there. We saw some people taking photos, probably for graduation since people can't celebrate with large groups these days. It's a nice little gem in the valley. read more

If you like turtles and ducks this is the place to go pond at the north end of the valley. It is on CSUN campus, there is a parking meter location right near the pond and the botanical garden. It's all free except for the Parking (: read more

CSUN Pond - Can't we all just get along like the ducks in the turtles - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The CSUN pond is very beautiful especially if you go on a beautiful day. When I went, I saw a lot of birds and turtle. It's a nice spot if you want some alone, quiet time to enjoy nature. I wouldn't say it's a great place for a picnic because flies can become a issue and of course other animals. Right now parking is free at CSUN so you can take advantage of that if you want. All the building I check were closed so keep in mind there no bathroom. read more

I had a lot of memories out here that take me back to the summer after my 9th grade when a large group of kids from my class decided we all wanted to skip Pre-Calculus in high school by taking it at CSUN. So suffer we did, bonding over doing math over the summer but also goofing around for a good portion of the afternoon after finishing our homework. I grew much closer to several of my classmates in the process, exploring the campus with them as a herd and learning about them on a deeper level. We often came down here to this pond to see the ducks and turtles. Back during this time, you could buy duck feed (I think) with quarters and feed the ducks. The most recent time I visited, however, I don't think I could find this duck feed vending machine so I'm not sure if it was removed or if I'm just getting senile. The pond is kind of smack dab in the middle of the orange grove so you can be like my friend Adam and steal some oranges. Or you could be like me and safely enjoy the daily lives of the turtle and duck families. I'm not quite sure who takes care of these animals or if they even need to be taken care of. read more

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The pond is located right in the middle of the orange grove on campus, immediately adjacent to the Orange Grove Bistro. There isn't any natural shade at the pond, so you'll probably have the most enjoyable experience if you come early or late in the day. It's a serene spot, so bring a book and kick back. read more

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What a relaxing little duck & turtle pond in the middle of CSUN's orange grove. I highly recommend this woodsy family friendly escape in Northridge. As a CSUN alumni, the duck/turtle pond is even more enjoyable. read more

I do not like living in the valley. No sir-ee Bob, I do not like it. I do not like it in the rain. I do not like it, it causes me pain. However, the night is darkest before the day, and the CSUN duck pond is that sliver of light that keeps me going. I am a CSUN alum (a matador, if you will) and for some reason, I never made it out here until after I graduated. I had heard rumors (from Pousson) that horrible things happen in the orange grove. So naturally, I thought it would be a fun date spot. Now, I was approaching the pond (unbeknownst to myself) from the Reseda end of campus, so I walked up and then through the orange grove behind the VPAC. The orange grove is a small haven of nature, surrounded by frat boys trying to score some old school FourLoko. There's tanbark, a dirt path, and many squirrels who appear to be fearless. Then, without warning, a small observatory, and a paved well lit path. Um, ok. Cool? Cool indeed. Because just up and to the right is my favorite thing about the valley (aside from daydreaming about living anywhere else). The duck pond. Now, the best way to do the duck pond is to bring your own bread. However, if you forget to do this, maybe this is an impromptu duck-venture, there is a machine that takes quarters and dispenses small round pellets that the animals seem to... accept. But bread is by far their favorite. The small bed right next to the food machine is, for the most part, turtle territory. They like to swim up to the surface and crawl all over each other and peak their neck out. Now, the ducks that come over here like to climb out of the water and waddle around. They respect that the water over here is turtle water. If you walk around clock-wise, the next major area is mostly ducks. There are a select handful of turtles that will come over and swim to the surface, but the ducks clearly have staked the place out for themselves. And the third major feeding spot is a large one, which is also mostly ducks. This by far is the largest, and easiest to gain a (duck) crowd. I have also spotted a fluffy white bunny and many angry looking frogs here. There's also one small turkey that crawls out of the bushes every so often. I have no idea what he wants, how he ended up at CSUN, or what he's doing with himself (which is actually exactly how I feel about my boyfriend- Hi OH!). But that's ok. I go here when I've had a long day, when it's nice out, or when I just need some time to myself. It's beautiful, it's fun, and it's just a great way to spend your day (if you're not busy day dreaming about living in the valley). PS- Last time I went, there were a TON of baby ducks! Don't forget to bring bread for them- growing ducks need to eat! read more

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#3 of 100- Yes, there is a pond at CSUN and it's easy to access! No matter which side you enter to reach the pond you can't miss the smell of citrus and the protected historical site of orange groves. Valencia oranges surround the pond of ducks and slider turtles and is a peaceful place to check out. Perfect place to bring your little one to chill out on a park bench, rock or grass and/or take a stroll. Picking oranges is permitted. read more

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So beautiful and peaceful!! Great place to take the kids !!! I don't have to drive to Balboa Park for the kids to feed the ducks!! Park on Nordoff street between Lindley & Zelzah and walk through the orange orchard. You'll discover the quietest, lovely, and serene landscape. The ducks are quacking loudly and waddling along in the pond. The squirrels are running and hiding in the trees. There's a little vending machine for duck food. Make sure you bring quarters. My kids absolutely loved this place. I brought lunch and we sort of had a picnic. Just be sure to pick up after yourself!! read more

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I'm so glad CSUN fixed up their pond area and made such a great place for students and neighborhood kids/families to feed so many ducks and a bunch of ninja turtles (seriously, there are probably 100 of them and a few are biiig!)! Tip: BYOF (bring your own feed). A man gave me a bag of Cheerios since he was leaving and couldn't feed the rest to the animals. Thanks kind man! Now, I have a box in the car "just in case" we have time to visit. read more

This place is awesome to have on campus. I have been here for 5 years and never knew about its existence?! I'm so excited that it is part of the school. Families come by and bring bread to eat. The animals are pretty well trained and automatically know that when they see people they start swimming over. I wish there was a place that we could leave some info about it. They was a hurt white duck and a baby duck looked like it was attacked and no longer had the use of one leg. It was awful to see them struggling. There is a machine by the pond that takes quarters to feed the turtles (.25 cents for a handful). Although it got stuck when we were there, but think someone was able to fix it. The ducks end up eating the turtle food. The orange trees surround it and you can help yourself to the oranges read more

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I always use Yelp on Mobile, so I only could add tips instead of posting reviews. Now I'm using my laptop to write a review, and there is no way I can see any tip here! What's wrong with this Yelp!!!!! Anyways.... I have been going to csun for 3 semesters, and I'd also like to come here and play with the ducks and turtles. They're not scared of people like the animals in any other pond or lake. Last week, I found out that there is a small stream that starts from the North, near the parking lot, to the pond. And in the stream, there are a lot of crawfish!!! So now we have squirrels, ducks, turtles, kois, dragonflies, frogs, and crawfish. I wonder if the gardeners can do a little work with the plants because they are overgrown. And how about putting some other kinds of water plant in? :)) read more

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The CSUN pond is a great option to go if you are feeling stressed or obnoxious. Whenever I come to this place I feel in peace and in contact with nature. This pond is like a retreat for students. I try to go once every month, because it makes me disconnect from my daily routine. It is sad that many students do not know the existence of this wonderful place. If you come to the pond, you would be able to see turtles, ducks, and some squirrels. The first time that I went, I was not expecting to see turtles. My friend and I were studying last week, and we decided to take a break and go to the pond. We were feeding the turtles, when we realized that we were there for more than two hours. However, it felt so good been able to appreciate and see how animals act when they see food. There is always something new that you can see in this pond. Whenever I go I sit in the bench, close my eyes to hear the birds, the ducks and turtles in the water, and the wind blowing the orange trees. I encourage every single student to do this. Doing this activity once in a while helps you to understand and feel in touch with nature. Coming here makes me realize that no matter how many essays I have, it is important to always take time to relax and appreciate the nature that surround us. I have to admit that the pond sometimes has a weird smell. However, that factor does not discourage me from attending this small paradise. I am also a little bit concerned about the animals. I would like to know if someone takes care of them or checks them often. You should also bring quarters to feed the animals. Please do not give them junk food, the animals do not have our same metabolism. The CSUN pond is a wonderful place! read more

CSUN Pond - Brenda Adan Csun Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's hard to give a great, lengthy review about a pond. I mean, it's just a big puddle of water. But this is a nicely landscapes puddle of water. And there's turtles and ducks in the water too so it's not just an ugly green puddle of water either. It's a nice spot to relax for a minute. But it's still just a pond. A nice pond. With ducks and turtles. A lot of turtles. read more

Wasn't able to find parking nearby, so only experienced the pond at a distance driving around the extended perimeter. We did locate it, and have a better idea how to approach it the next time we're in the area. Were scouting for a (free) place to go to hang out for a bit of time with our grandson. Now we have to make it work logistically. Am glad others have shared their reviews so we even knew it existed. Anyone have parking tips for those who aren't registered students? read more

I love visiting this part of the campus with my son. This is a great place to come and relax. During this pandemic, you can safely relax on a bench as many of them are spread out. The pond is so cute and pretty well maintained. read more

As the primary caretaker of a toddler, I'm always looking for things to do with my son. Especially free/cheap things. You need to get them out everyday (or as much as possible), and you can only go to the park or the zoo so many times while keeping your sanity. I read about the the CSUN Orange Grove and Pond on atlasobscura.com and am so thankful I read it! This is right up the road from me (more or less) and while it's not going to suck up a full day like The Zoo or something like that... it's perfect if you need to get the kids out for an hour! These are the only orange groves still in exhistance in the valley (or so I read), and you are totally free and encouraged to pick the oranges (contrary to local myth the students might tell you). In addition to the oranges, there is a nice little pond that are home to ducks, geese and (fast) turtles! My son loves water fountains, and there are a bunch of them along with a small waterfall. There is also a gazebo, which my three year old is currently a big fan of. There is a nearby cafe which we didn't check out this time, but might soon. There is a $2 metered parking lot, but also street parking on the south side of Nordhoff that is free during the daytime hours. I forget exactly when... maybe 10-4:30. Just go to Nordhoff and Lindley and there it is!!! ps. There is also an obcervatory, but it was locked, so might be for students only. There was a plaque, but that had no info on it's hours. read more

I love the CSUN pond. I like watching the ducks and the turtles swim. I sometimes like to feed the ducks. I also, like to follow the baby ducks. The baby ducks are really cute. read more

Small but nice little pond to come look at the ducks and turtles here! You can feed them they will practically take the food out of your hands! You don't know if you can but I took a turtle out of the water to show my daughter since she's never saw one personally. The pond is located between the orange trees and there also benches and tables to sit down at to relax too or have a picnic! There is also solar panels that you can charge your phone on the picnic tables too! read more

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So we the taxpayers must have spent a small fortune for this little slice of a Nat Geo microcosm aka the CSUN Pond. I for one am thankful to see California tax dollars hard at work to bring a smile to children and adult faces alike. it is a freebie to partake you just need to pay for coin operated metered parking or grab a spot on the street(that can be a challenge). On the weekends it's not too crowded or at least the times we have visited. It is a relaxing way to spend 20 minutes or a few hours depending on your attention span. The Pond is nestled inside the Orange groves, left over from the days when the Valley was filled with orchards and groves. They do have a small dispensary for duck feed but it's best to bring bread or similar to feed the various creatures that will be looking for a hand out. Geese, ducks, coy, turtles, cranes and the plethora of squirrels will all want a little something. The pond is bustling with activity. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/csun-pond-los-angeles?select=mbncxwzA7P9T3yccnUumOg#vIr7g7rTUGcPLe2aqshTyw Spring is in the air and man have the critters been procreating. Ducklings are everywhere and turtles are in nearly every size imaginable. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/csun-pond-los-angeles?select=mbncxwzA7P9T3yccnUumOg#bZG0FFOMEKlcEbp1dGtxvQ Several large coy may surprise you. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/csun-pond-los-angeles?select=mbncxwzA7P9T3yccnUumOg#RRIf4QRHd6KlMP8H8sffZg Nature on a budget and it's easy to get to as long as the summer heat is not in full effect. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/csun-pond-los-angeles?select=mbncxwzA7P9T3yccnUumOg#NwjwWaoSYKM0bq0rOM-LsQ A nice little slice 'o nature without having to navigate a huge park, zoo or the like. Nice job CSUN on getting it right. read more

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It saddens me to have to give this a 3 star rating, because if this were just 3 or 4 years ago I would have given it 5 stars. It used to be lush with clean water, and I'd love coming here with the kids and feeding the ducks. Now it has absolutely disgusting water, looks barren, and has a feeder that is ALWAYS broken, so you can't even buy any food to feed the ducks. It looks as if they've stopped caring for this pond, which is a shame as it was very well put together and was an absolutely beautiful pond before. It's fun to come here once in a while to visit the ducks but usually we would rather visit some other park or pond. read more

CSUN Pond - Parks Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Nice little duck pond located on the CSUN campus right by the orange grove. We came here when school was out so basically had the place to ourselves.There were tons of turtles and ducks, even a few babies - so cute! This is a nice place to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's not an activity that takes a ton of time but a nice place to check out if you are in the area. Easy parking on the street a block or so away. I think it was particularly easy because school was out. read more