Back

Elizabeth Lake is a small, unincorporated mountain community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, set within the Angeles National Forest at the western edge of the Antelope Valley. It takes its name from the natural lake of the same name, which sits at an elevation of about 3,228 feet. The community lies roughly 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The lake itself is a natural perennial sag pond, one of a series formed by the motion of the San Andreas Fault, and it can dry up during extended drought years. It sits south of the western Antelope Valley, where the San Gabriel Mountains meet the high desert, giving the community a mountain-foothill setting that feels far removed from the city below. With a population of about 1,650, Elizabeth Lake is a rural, low-density place of larger lots and ranch-style homes rather than subdivisions. The community has an unusually long institutional history: in 1869, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors designated a school district for the area, establishing one of the only schools between Los Angeles and Bakersfield at the time. Local students attend schools in the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District and the Antelope Valley Union High School District, reflecting the area's rural, small-district character. The Pacific Crest Trail and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve are nearby, and the surrounding national forest provides hiking and camping. For those seeking a rural foothill home within commuting distance of the Antelope Valley and greater Los Angeles, Elizabeth Lake offers a distinctive blend of mountain quiet, a natural lake, and proximity to some of Southern California's most visited open spaces.

Population 1,651

County Los Angeles

Active Listings 64

Browse by Listing Type

attach_moneyFor Sale editFor Rent

Browse by Property Type

homeHouses apartmentCondos & Apartments holiday_villageTownhouses & Duplexes crop_landscapeLots & Land parkFarms & Ranches

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Elizabeth Lake, California?

Elizabeth Lake is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, within the Angeles National Forest at the western edge of the Antelope Valley. It sits roughly 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

What county is Elizabeth Lake in?

Elizabeth Lake is in Los Angeles County, California. It is an unincorporated community located within the Angeles National Forest in the northwestern corner of the county, near the boundary where the San Gabriel Mountains meet the western Antelope Valley.

Is Elizabeth Lake a natural lake?

Yes. Elizabeth Lake is a natural perennial lake, one of a series of sag ponds created by the motion of the San Andreas Fault. The lake sits at about 3,228 feet in elevation and can dry up during extended drought years.

What school districts serve Elizabeth Lake?

Students in Elizabeth Lake attend the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District for elementary grades and the Antelope Valley Union High School District for secondary grades, reflecting the area's rural, small-district character.

How big is Elizabeth Lake?

Elizabeth Lake is a small community with a population of about 1,650 residents as of the 2020 census. It is a census-designated place rather than an incorporated city, spread across a rural, mountainous setting.

City Guide

About Lake Elizabeth

Real Estate & Housing

Elizabeth Lake's housing leans rural, with single-family homes on large lots rather than dense subdivisions. Listings commonly describe homes of about 2,000 square feet on five-acre parcels, echoing the area's ranch heritage, along with vacant land suited to custom or weekend homes. Because the community is unincorporated and set within mountain and high-desert terrain, properties tend toward spacious, spread-out settings with open views rather than tightly packed residential streets.

Neighborhoods

As an unincorporated community, Elizabeth Lake has no formal subdivisions; it is a loose collection of homes along mountain roads and the lake's surroundings. Nearby communities in the western Antelope Valley foothills, such as Lake Hughes, share the same rural, high-desert-mountain character. Homes are spread across varied terrain, giving the area a distinct, non-uniform feel rather than a planned-town layout.

Lifestyle in Lake Elizabeth

Life in Elizabeth Lake is quiet and outdoors-oriented. The community is small and unincorporated, with no dense commercial center, so daily errands and services are reached in the Antelope Valley or the Los Angeles Basin. Residents trade urban convenience for mountain quiet, dark skies, and immediate access to trails and open space, and the pace follows the rhythm of a rural foothill community rather than a suburban one.

Schools & Education

Students in Elizabeth Lake attend the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District for elementary grades and the Antelope Valley Union High School District for high school, both small districts serving the surrounding rural foothill communities. The area has a long educational history: in 1869, county supervisors designated the Elizabeth Lake School District, which operated one of the only established schools between Los Angeles and Bakersfield at the time.

Getting Around

Elizabeth Lake sits roughly 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, in the foothills where the San Gabriel Mountains meet the western Antelope Valley. Access is by mountain and high-desert roads, with the Antelope Valley's commercial centers and the Los Angeles Basin reached by car. The setting makes for a rural, car-dependent commute rather than a transit-based one, appealing to those who work remotely or travel off-peak.

Parks & Recreation

The Angeles National Forest surrounds the community, providing hiking, camping, and backcountry access throughout the nearby mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail passes nearby, and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve offers spectacular seasonal wildflower displays within a short drive. The namesake Elizabeth Lake is a natural focal point for the area, and the broader forest and foothill landscape supports year-round outdoor recreation, from day hikes to scenic drives and camping.

MARKET SNAPSHOT