Lake Sherwood is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

, in

Ventura County Ventura County () is a County (United States), county in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, California ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

overlooking Lake Sherwood reservoir. It is a body contact lake, swimming, fishing, SUP and boating allowed, located south of the

Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Communities in the Conejo ...

and city of

Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tree ...

, and west of

Westlake Village Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County on its western border with Ventura County. The City of Westlake Village incorporated in 1981 becoming the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks Westlake Vill ...

. 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. Sherwood is home to a championship 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signatur ...

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 U.S. state of California. 805 was split from area code 213 in 1957. They include most or all of the California counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, plus the southernmost por ...

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

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

has defined Lake Sherwood as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(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 in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. It is in the eastern Conejo Valley between the S ...

for commercial needs.

Demographics

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Lake Sherwood had a population of 1,527. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lake Sherwood was 1,368 (89.6%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 5 (0.3%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1 (0.1%) Native American, 101 (6.6%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0 (0.0%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 9 (0.6%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 43 (2.8%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 52 persons (3.4%). The Census reported that all residents lived in single-family households. There were 558 households, out of which 194 (34.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 429 (76.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 25 (4.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 18 (3.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (2.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 72 households (12.9%) were made up of individuals, and 32 (5.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74. There were 472

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

(84.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.96. The population is spread out, with 368 people (24.1%) under the age of 18, 92 people (6.0%) aged 18 to 24, 198 people (13.0%) aged 25 to 44, 623 people (40.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 246 people (16.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. There were 593 housing units at an average density of , of which 520 (93.2%) were owner-occupied, and 38 (6.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%. 1,418 people (92.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 109 people (7.1%) lived in rental housing units.

Education

The area is served by the Conejo Valley Unified School District. 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), 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 (1989–1996). Dykstra was a thre ...

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-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

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 musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

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 Petros "Pete" Sampras ( el, Πέτρος Σάμπρας; born August 12, 1971) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating longtime rival Andre ...

and his wife, actress

Bridgette Wilson Bridgette Leann Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is a former American actress, singer, model, and Miss Teen USA award winner. Wilson began her career as an actress after being crowned Miss Teen USA in 1990, playing the character of L ...

, built a very large, modern, hilltop estate they have since moved from the house. Britney Spears 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 owned a lakefront hideaway that was featured in the film American Pie. Also,

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

, 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. The fir ...

es and has frequently been used as a filming location for television shows like ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

'', and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

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

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

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

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de H ...

'', 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, gene ...

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

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal 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 adv ...

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 J ...

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

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...

'', 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). The film ''

Bridesmaids Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditi ...

'' (2011) was filmed in the community. The Sherwood Country Club was prominently featured in the pre-wedding scenes.

Filmography

Films shot in Lake Sherwood include: * ''

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

The Fighting Legion ''The Fighting Legion'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Bennett Cohen and Leslie Mason. The film stars Ken Maynard, Dorothy Dwan, Harry Todd, Frank Rice, Ernie Adams, and Stanley Blystone. ...

'' (1930) * ''

The Great Meadow ''The Great Meadow'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code adventure 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 Elizabe ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Nevada Buckaroo ''The Nevada Buckaroo'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by John P. McCarthy. Plot Cast * Bob Steele as Buck Hurley, known as The Nevada Kid *Dorothy Dix as JoAnn *Ed Brady as Henchman Slade *George "Gabby" Hayes as Cherokee Willia ...

'' (1931) * '' The Squaw Man'' (1931) * ''

Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to * Tarzan, a fictional character * ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...

'' (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 Hervey ...

'' (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 a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. 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 ''The Man from Hell's Edges'' (also known as ''El Lobo'') is a 1932 American Pre-Code Western film starring Bob Steele, written and direct by Steele's father, Robert N. Bradbury, for Trem Carr Pictures. It was released in the United States on ...

'' (1932) * ''Crossfire'' (1933) * ''Deadwood Pass'' (1933) * ''

Tarzan the Fearless ''Tarzan the Fearless'' is a 12 chapter American Pre-Code film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 61-minute feature film which consisted of the first four chapters edited together, and whi ...

'' (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. Cast * Bob Steele as Bob Rivers *Doris Hill as Mary Kent *George "Gabby" Hayes ...

'' (1933) * ''The Red Rider'' (1934) * ''

Tarzan and His Mate ''Tarzan and His Mate'' is a 1934 American pre-Code action adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Cedric Gibbons, it w ...

'' (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'' (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 12-chapter Republic movie serial directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip '' Red Ryder''. This serial is t ...

'' (1940) * ''

Dark Command ''Dark Command'' is a 1940 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'' is the on ...

'' (1940) * '' Hidden Gold'' (1940) * '' The Man from Dakota'' (1940) * ''

The Ranger and the Lady ''The Ranger and the Lady'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers, and George "Gabby" Hayes. Plot Texas Ranger Captain Roy Colt (Roy Rogers) disapproves of the tactics of his superior, General Augustus ...

'' (1940) * ''

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

'' (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 outlaw ...

'' (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. An alternate depiction i ...

'' (1941) * ''

King of the Texas Rangers ''King of the Texas Rangers'' (1941) is a Republic film serial. Set in the years prior to America entering World War II, the plot is slightly anachronistic in that the serial features a mix of period western and modern elements, which was not un ...

'' (1941) * '' Romance on the Range'' (1942) * ''

The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a 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, w ...

'' (1942) * '' Silver Spurs'' (1943) * ''

Wagon Tracks West ''Wagon Tracks West'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton, written by William Lively, and starring Wild Bill Elliott, George "Gabby" Hayes, Tom Tyler, Anne Jeffreys, Rick Vallin and Robert Frazer. It was released on Au ...

'' (1943) * ''

Tarzan Triumphs ''Tarzan Triumphs'' is a 1943 adventure film in which Tarzan fights the Nazi Germany, Nazis. Johnny Weissmuller had portrayed the Edgar Rice Burroughs character in six films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but this was his first with the producer Sol ...

'' (1943) * '' The Tiger Woman'' (1944) * ''

The Cisco Kid Returns ''The Cisco Kid Returns'' is a 1945 American Western film. Released on April 3, 1945, it was the first of three Cisco Kid films made that year with Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and Martin Garralaga as Pancho. In this release, Cisco's real name is Jua ...

'' (1945) * ''

Red River Renegades ''Red River Renegades'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Sunset Carson, Peggy Stewart, Tom London, Ted Adams, LeRoy Mason and Kenne Duncan. It was released on July 23, 1946 ...

'' (1946) * '' The Man from Texas'' (1947) * ''On the Spanish Trail'' (1947) * '' Redwood Forest Trail'' (1950) * ''

Three Hours to Kill ''Three Hours to Kill'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Dana Andrews, Donna Reed and Dianne Foster.

'' (1954) * ''

Old Yeller ''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 children's literature, children's novel written by Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger. It received a Newbery Medal, Newbery Honor in 1957. The title is taken from the name of the yellow dog who is the center of t ...

'' (1958) * '' What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' (1966) * '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (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) * ''

'' (2011)

References

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

Geography

Physical character

Demographics

Education

Notable people

Motion picture and television location

Filmography

See also

References