LA County Department of Parks and Recreation

What LA County Department of Parks and Recreation does

The LA County Department of Parks and Recreation is a public-sector agency established in 1944 that manages the largest portfolio of public recreational facilities in Los Angeles County outside the City of Los Angeles. Its operational footprint includes 184 parks, 20 golf courses (described as the largest municipal golf system in the nation), more than 30 swimming pools, multiple nature centers and equestrian facilities, and cultural venues such as the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and the Vincent Price Art Museum. The department also runs specialized recreational programs including youth sports leagues, water-safety and lifeguard training (including the Junior Lake Lifeguard Program across eight lakes), senior services, and seasonal community events such as Holiday in the Park.

Name

LA County Department of Parks and Recreation

Legal name

County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation

Website

https://parks.lacounty.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The LA County Department of Parks and Recreation is a public-sector agency operating 184 parks, 20 golf courses, and 30+ pools, delivering recreation, cultural, and community programs to Los Angeles County residents since 1944.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Parks and Recreation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD), Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH), Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Municipal parks management
• Public recreation services
• Community recreation programs
• Public golf courses
• Youth aquatics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primarily funded through Los Angeles County government budget allocations, taxes, and public funding mechanisms

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LA County Department of Parks and Recreation operates and maintains 184 parks, 20 municipal golf courses, 30+ aquatic facilities, nature centers, wildlife sanctuaries, and cultural venues including the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Amphitheatre across Los Angeles County. It delivers structured recreation programming such as youth sports, junior lifeguard training, senior services, and cultural events. Operations are funded through county budget allocations and supplemented by program fees, facility reservations, and ticketed event admissions.

Product overview

LA County Department of Parks and Recreation is a government department providing a comprehensive parks and recreation system. The portfolio consists of 184 parks, 20 golf courses at 18 locations, nature centers, wildlife sanctuaries, cultural venues (Hollywood Bowl, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre), aquatic facilities (30+ pools), and hundreds of miles of trails. The department offers diverse programming including youth programs (after-school, day camps, junior lifeguard training), sports leagues, senior services, cultural events, and recreation activities. Services are delivered through physical park facilities and online platforms including Active Net for registration and a trail locator website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LA County Parks System
• Municipal Golf Courses
• Cultural Venues (Hollywood Bowl and Ford Amphitheatre)
• Aquatics Programs
• Junior Lake Lifeguard Program
• Nature Centers and Wildlife Sanctuaries
• Trail System
• Facility Reservations
• Senior Recreation Services

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, major and moderate.

• Los Angeles County Board of SupervisorscoreOthersGoverning body providing oversight and support for LA County Parks Department operations and funding
• Los Angeles County Chief Executive OfficecoreOthersCounty executive leadership providing administrative support and budget oversight
• Altadena Community GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for gardening and urban agriculture programs
• Amigos de Los RiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for community park development and environmental education
• California State ParksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for park operations and trail systems including Placerita Canyon State Park
• California Parks and Recreation SocietymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for parks and recreation industry best practices
• National Recreation and Park AssociationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional organization supporting parks and recreation initiatives
• Trust for Public LandmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for park acquisition and development
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - Parks BureaumajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw enforcement partnership for park safety and security
• Los Angeles Philharmonic AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Hollywood Bowl operations and cultural programming
• Descanso Gardens Guild, Inc.moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for Descanso Gardens operations and programming
• Los Angeles County Arts CommissionmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts programming partnership with county arts agency
• Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation AuthoritymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation authority partner for open space preservation
• Mountains Recreation and Conservation AuthoritymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for mountain recreation areas and trail systems
• Santa Monica Mountains ConservancymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerState conservancy partner for Santa Monica Mountains recreation
• San Gabriel Mountains Regional ConservancymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservancy partner for San Gabriel Mountains trails and open space
• Nature Centers Associates of Los Angeles CountymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organizations for Eaton Canyon, Placerita Canyon, and San Dimas Canyon nature centers
• Los Angeles County Probation DepartmentmoderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for youth programs and intervention services
• Los Angeles County Department of Public WorksmoderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInfrastructure and maintenance support for park facilities
• Los Angeles County Department of Health ServicesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and wellness programming partnerships
• Los Angeles County Department of Mental HealthmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health support services integration with park programs
• Los Angeles County Public LibrarymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programming and community outreach partnerships
• Boys Scouts of AmericamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerScouting programs offered through LA County Parks locations
• Equestrian Trails InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquestrian trail and riding program support
• Santa Catalina Island ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Santa Catalina Island nature center and regional park

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• King County Parks (Washington): The county-level parks system serving the Seattle metro area, operating regional parks, trails, and natural areas with a similar public-sector structure. Comparable in serving unincorporated areas and providing regional-scale outdoor recreation in a different geography.

Direct peers

• City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks: The municipal parks and recreation counterpart serving the City of Los Angeles. Operates a similar portfolio of parks, pools, golf courses, and recreation programming within the same metro, making it the most direct functional peer for LA County Parks despite serving a different jurisdiction.
• Chicago Park District: An independent special-purpose government agency managing over 8,800 acres of parks, 28 miles of lakefront, and extensive recreation programming in Chicago. Comparable scale, public-sector governance, and integrated approach to parks, pools, beaches, and cultural programming.
• San Diego County Parks and Recreation: The county-level parks counterpart operating parks, campgrounds, and natural areas in San Diego County. Comparable as another large California county parks operator managing regional parks, trails, and natural areas with county-government funding structure.
• Houston Parks and Recreation Department: Houston's municipal parks and recreation department managing more than 350 parks, golf courses, and community centers for a large diverse urban population. Comparable in scale, programming breadth, and public-sector service delivery model.
• NYC Parks: New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation, a large-scale municipal parks operator managing over 14,000 acres of parkland, recreation centers, pools, golf courses, and cultural programming. Comparable in scope, public-sector structure, and breadth of youth, senior, and aquatics programming.
• Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department: Municipal parks operator serving Phoenix with extensive desert parkland, pools, recreation centers, and golf courses. Comparable as a large Sun Belt municipal parks department operating similar climate-adapted recreation programming at scale.
• San Francisco Recreation and Parks: San Francisco's combined recreation and parks department managing parkland, golf courses, swimming pools, and recreation centers for a major California urban population. Directly comparable as a California municipal peer with similar programming breadth and equity-focused mission.

Others

• Trust for Public Land: A national nonprofit land conservation organization and active partner of LA County Parks. Comparable as an ecosystem player that funds and supports park acquisition and conservation, often co-developing projects with municipal parks departments.
• National Recreation and Park Association: The national professional association representing parks and recreation agencies and professionals. Listed as a Major strategic partner of LA County Parks, and comparable as the industry body supporting parks and recreation best practices across the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lacountyparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LACountyParks
• Facebookfacebook.com/parks.lacounty.gov
• Instagraminstagram.com/lacountyparks/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LA County Department of Parks and Recreation