While Lakeside was first named for the presence of the small, natural lake it was founded around, it is now home to a trio of large reservoirs in Lake Jennings, El Capitan Reservoir and San Vicente Reservoir.
Lakeside has long held a reputation as a "cowboy town" and "rodeo town," due to the rural setting, the prevalence of ranches and the abundant horse ownership in the area.
Today, protection of the town's history falls to the Lakeside Historical Society, which works primarily to retain and preserve the buildings in the historic former downtown along Maine Avenue, now removed from the central business hub