Lake Sherwood is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

, in

Ventura County Ventura County () is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura. Ventura County comprises ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

overlooking Lake Sherwood reservoir. It is a body contact lake (swimming, fishing,

standup paddleboarding Standup paddleboarding (SUP) is a water sport born from surfing with modern roots in Hawaii. Standup paddleboarders stand on boards that are floating on the water and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. The sport was documen ...

(SUP), and boating are allowed), located south of the

Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valle del Conejo'', meaning "Valley of the Rabbit") is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles C ...

and city of

Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...

, and west of

Westlake Village Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County, California, on its western border with Ventura County. Upon its incorporation in 1981, Westlake Village became the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks We ...

. The lake is naturally fed by thousand of acres of open-space, watershed mountains and natural springs. While homes have been around the lake since the reservoir was created by the construction of

Sherwood Dam Sherwood Dam, known also as Lake Sherwood Dam, Alturas Dam, and Potrero Dam, is a concrete arch dam in the Santa Monica Mountains near Thousand Oaks, California. Completed in 1904, its construction led to the creation of the Potrero Lake (since ...

in 1901, the community expanded with the development of the

Sherwood Country Club Sherwood Country Club is a private, member owned golf and country club in Lake Sherwood, California set at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains just south of city of Thousand Oaks, California, Thousand Oaks. Sherwood is home to a championship 18- ...

golf course surrounded by luxury homes. The ZIP Code is 91361, and the community is inside

area code 805 Area codes 805 and 820 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of California. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes most or all of the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and the ...

. The population was 1,759 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

has defined Lake Sherwood as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.

Geography

According to the

, the CDP covers an area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (5.65%) is water.

Physical character

Lake Sherwood has approximately 660 residences and consists of a guard-gated golf-club community, three electronic-gated communities, and lake-view homes along Lake Sherwood Drive. The area is almost completely residential, most residents using neighboring Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, or

Agoura Hills Agoura Hills () is a city situated in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 20,330 as of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. Agoura H ...

for commercial needs.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Lake Sherwood had a population of 1,759. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lake Sherwood was 1,432 (81.4%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5 (0.3%)

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 4 (0.2%) Native American, 143 (8.1%) Asian, 1 (0.1%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 33 (1.9%) from other races, and 141 (8.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 121 persons (6.9%). The whole population lived in households. There were 662 households, out of which 163 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 446 (67.4%) were married-couple households, 25 (3.8%) were

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...

couple households, 107 (16.2%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 84 (12.7%) had a male householder with no partner present. 116 households (17.5%) were one person, and 57 (8.6%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66. There were 517

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(78.1% of all households). The age distribution was 315 people (17.9%) under the age of 18, 162 people (9.2%) aged 18 to 24, 232 people (13.2%) aged 25 to 44, 599 people (34.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 451 people (25.6%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 52.4years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. There were 706 housing units at an average density of , of which 662 (93.8%) were occupied. Of these, 580 (87.6%) were owner-occupied, and 82 (12.4%) were occupied by renters.

Education

The area is served by the

Conejo Valley Unified School District The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) is a school district in Ventura County, California. The district serves the Conejo Valley area, including the city of Thousand Oaks, and its neighborhood of Newbury Park, as well as the census- ...

. Students attend Westlake Elementary, Colina Middle School, and Westlake High School.

Notable people

Among the notable residents are hockey great

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

, who lived in a Georgian-style estate designed by fellow Canadian, Richard Landry. Gretzky sold the estate in 2007 for 18.5 million to another sports-star, baseball's

Lenny Dykstra Leonard Kyle Dykstra ( ; born February 10, 1963), nicknamed Nails and Dude, is an American former professional baseball center fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets (1985–1989) and Philadelphia Phillies (1989� ...

and moved to a slightly less extravagant mansion in the community. Since then, Dykstra's financial and legal problems forced him to sell the estate to a private individual and move away from the community. Dykstra declared bankruptcy, causing him to lose the property to foreclosure and in 2018 Gretzky repurchased the same property that he previously sold to Dykstra. Singer

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...

moved to Lake Sherwood in 2007 and owns multiple properties in the exclusive neighborhood.

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

lived in a lakefront retreat that was originally built in 1931. Producer/Author/Journalist Larry Garrison resides with his wife. The tennis legend

Pete Sampras Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971) is an American former professional tennis player. One of the most successful tennis players of all time, he was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the A ...

and his wife, actress

Bridgette Wilson Bridgette Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is an American former actress, singer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Teen USA 1990. She began her career in acting, playing the character of Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera '' S ...

, built a very large, modern, hilltop estate they have since moved from the house.

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

moved to the community in 2011 but recently moved into nearby Hidden Valley. Many other famous inhabitants own property in the community, however, they are only part-time residents and use their estates as a second home or as a retreat.

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

owned a lakefront hideaway that was featured in the film American Pie. Also,

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...

, who was one of the first famous residents in the area and owned property around the lake, used his estate as a vacation getaway during the 1920s and 1930s.

Motion picture and television location

Lake Sherwood lies just west of several major

movie ranch A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated for use as a set in the creation and production of motion pictures and television shows. These were developed in the United States in southern California, because of the climate. Movi ...

es and has frequently been used as a

filming location A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, instead of or in addition to using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage. In filmmaking, a location is any place where a film crew wi ...

for television shows like ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'', and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

''. Lake Sherwood was named from being the location for Sherwood Forest in the 1922 film, ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

'', starring Douglas Fairbanks. The 1938 film, ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', starring Errol Flynn, also had a single scene shot on location at "Sherwood Forest". A mock cliff was constructed for several

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, ge ...

s, the lake was often used for motorboat chases and bordering forests were used for

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

and

Jungle Jim Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...

films, and '' The Tiger Woman''. A full scale Tibetan village was built for ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by the English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by the director Frank Capra and a musical remake in 1973 by the producer Ross Hunter with music by Bu ...

'', an Italian village for Blake Edwards's '' What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' (1966) and an alien village for Jonathan Frakes's '' Star Trek: Insurrection'' (1998).

Filmography

Films shot in Lake Sherwood include: * ''

'' (1922) * '' The Long, Long Trail'' (1929) * ''The Apache Kid's Escape'' (1930) * '' The Fighting Legion'' (1930) *''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Great Meadow ''The Great Meadow'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Western film, produced and distributed by MGM with direction by Charles Brabin. The film starred Eleanor Boardman and Johnny Mack Brown. It is based on the novel ''The Great Meadow'' by Elizabet ...

'' (1931) * '' The Nevada Buckaroo'' (1931) * '' The Squaw Man'' (1931) * '' Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932) * '' The Boiling Point'' (1932) * ''

Destry Rides Again ''Destry Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Western comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Her ...

'' (1932) * ''The Gay Buckaroo'' (1932) * '' Honor of the Mounted'' (1932) * ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is an 1826 historical romance novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder'', ...

'' (1932) * '' The Man from Hell's Edges'' (1932) * ''Crossfire'' (1933) * ''Deadwood Pass'' (1933) * '' Tarzan the Fearless'' (1933) * ''

Galloping Romeo ''Galloping Romeo'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film released by Monogram Pictures, written and directed by Robert N. Bradbury, and starring Bob Steele. Plot Cast * Bob Steele as Bob Rivers * Doris Hill as Mary Kent *George "Gabby" ...

'' (1933) * ''The Red Rider'' (1934) * '' Tarzan and His Mate'' (1934) * '' Thunder Mountain'' (1935) * ''The Cowboy and the Kid'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * '' The Devil's Saddle Legion'' (1937) * '' Way Out West'' (1937) * ''

'' (1938) * ''

Billy the Kid Returns '' Billy the Kid Returns '' is a 1938 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Plot Following the shooting of Billy the Kid by his former friend Sheriff Pat Garrett, lookalike deputy sheriff Roy R ...

'' (1938) * '' The Last Stand'' (1938) * ''The Painted Trail'' (1938) * ''

Allegheny Uprising ''Allegheny Uprising'' (released in the UK as ''The First Rebel'') is a 1939 American Adventure Western film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. Based on the 1937 novel ''The First Rebel'' by Neil H. Swanson ...

'' (1939) * ''

Tarzan Finds a Son! ''Tarzan Finds a Son!'' is a 1939 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the fourth in the MGM ''Tarzan'' series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes" and the fourth of six films in which he ...

'' (1939) * '' Desperate Trails'' (1939) * ''

Adventures of Red Ryder ''The Adventures of Red Ryder'' is a 1940 American 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip ''Red Ryder'' b ...

'' (1940) * ''

Dark Command ''Dark Command'' is a 1940 Crime western film starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne and Walter Pidgeon loosely based on Quantrill's Raiders during the American Civil War. Directed by Raoul Walsh from the novel by W. R. Burnett, ''Dark Command'' ...

'' (1940) * '' Hidden Gold'' (1940) * '' The Man from Dakota'' (1940) * '' The Ranger and the Lady'' (1940) * ''

Virginia City Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, United States, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City dev ...

'' (1940) * ''

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaws. ...

'' (1941) * ''

Jungle Girl A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. A prehistoric depiction ...

'' (1941) * '' King of the Texas Rangers'' (1941) * '' Romance on the Range'' (1942) * ''

The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' is an 1894 collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...

'' (1942) * '' Silver Spurs'' (1943) * '' Wagon Tracks West'' (1943) * '' Tarzan Triumphs'' (1943) * '' The Tiger Woman'' (1944) * '' The Cisco Kid Returns'' (1945) * '' Red River Renegades'' (1946) * '' The Man from Texas'' (1947) * ''On the Spanish Trail'' (1947) * '' Redwood Forest Trail'' (1950) * '' Three Hours to Kill'' (1954) * ''

Old Yeller ''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 children's novel written by Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger. It received a Newbery Honor in 1957. In 1957, Walt Disney released a film adaptation starring Tommy Kirk, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Kevi ...

'' (1958) * '' What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' (1966) * ''

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, k ...

'' (1969) * ''

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here ''Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here'' is a 1969 American Western film based on the true story of a Chemehuevi–Paiute Native American named Willie Boy and his run-in with the law in 1909 in Banning, California, United States. The film is an adapt ...

'' (1970) * ''Another Man, Another Woman'' (1977) * ''

Doctor Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 '' The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in th ...

'' (1998) * '' Star Trek: Insurrection'' (1998) * ''

Bridesmaids Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party at some Western culture, Western traditional wedding ceremonies. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often the bride's close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a weddi ...

'' (2011)

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in California Census-designated places in California Census-designated places in Ventura County, California Populated places in the Santa Monica Mountains