National Park-adjacent weekend getaway near-ish LA?
October 28, 2019 4:06 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to get out of LA with my spouse late next month and am seeking a small town (like under 20k people) within driving distance that'd be good for a weekend getaway.
A few parameters:
- I'd ideally like to keep drivetime under five hours (from LA.)
- Need it to be reasonably close to a national park or someplace where we can go hiking during the day.
- While I'll have my car, if the town itself is walkable that would be nice.
- Would prefer mountains/desert over coast.
- Would like there to be a few decent places to get dinner and a glass of wine or beer.
- I do love Joshua Tree but over the years I've been plenty!
Last year we went to Three Rivers, CA near Sequoia and that was great. Was looking at Bishop and it looks nice, but I've never been and don't know anyone who has, so don't know if that fits the bill.
Thanks!
A few parameters:
- I'd ideally like to keep drivetime under five hours (from LA.)
- Need it to be reasonably close to a national park or someplace where we can go hiking during the day.
- While I'll have my car, if the town itself is walkable that would be nice.
- Would prefer mountains/desert over coast.
- Would like there to be a few decent places to get dinner and a glass of wine or beer.
- I do love Joshua Tree but over the years I've been plenty!
Last year we went to Three Rivers, CA near Sequoia and that was great. Was looking at Bishop and it looks nice, but I've never been and don't know anyone who has, so don't know if that fits the bill.
Thanks!
Bishop has the amenities, but feels “mountain adjacent” rather than “mountain town” if that’s a consideration. June Lake could work, but is a bit farther than 5 hours. How about Idyllwild?
posted by doctord at 4:31 PM on October 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by doctord at 4:31 PM on October 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love the Lake Arrowhead/Crestline/Blue Jay/Twin Peaks area. Lake Arrowhead Village only has a couple hotels* (the area is heavy on vacation homes and cabins instead of hotels, though there are a few resorts out on the lake, but only the Village area is what I'd call 'walkable' to multiple shopping/eating places), but the other three towns seem a little more villagey.
*I have stayed at the Saddleback Inn once, which is cute and the restaurant is good. We've gone up to the lake every summer for 11 years, but we stay at the UCLA conference center. There are resorts around the lake, but not a lot of freestanding restaurants or shops. Every year as I drive up there, I think "we should come up and stay in Crestline or Blue Jay some time" but we haven't yet.
It's hard, all those villages are on the side of a mountain, so there's not a lot of plaza-type flat to put a "downtown" on. Arrowhead Village is mostly a shopping center. Crestline, if you look on google maps at the intersection of Lake Dr and Lake Gregory Dr, there's a mile or two of concentrated hotels, restaurants, and shops right there, which is where my turn is, and they always have a Beer Fest advertised on a sign in front of the lake, and that's where I always go "we should come here".
Depending on where you're coming from and what traffic hell you have to cross through, it's usually 2.25-2.75 hours to get up there from LA.
I'm going on, I think, two separate friends weekends in Idyllwild later in the winter, but I've never been there.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:02 PM on October 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
*I have stayed at the Saddleback Inn once, which is cute and the restaurant is good. We've gone up to the lake every summer for 11 years, but we stay at the UCLA conference center. There are resorts around the lake, but not a lot of freestanding restaurants or shops. Every year as I drive up there, I think "we should come up and stay in Crestline or Blue Jay some time" but we haven't yet.
It's hard, all those villages are on the side of a mountain, so there's not a lot of plaza-type flat to put a "downtown" on. Arrowhead Village is mostly a shopping center. Crestline, if you look on google maps at the intersection of Lake Dr and Lake Gregory Dr, there's a mile or two of concentrated hotels, restaurants, and shops right there, which is where my turn is, and they always have a Beer Fest advertised on a sign in front of the lake, and that's where I always go "we should come here".
Depending on where you're coming from and what traffic hell you have to cross through, it's usually 2.25-2.75 hours to get up there from LA.
I'm going on, I think, two separate friends weekends in Idyllwild later in the winter, but I've never been there.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:02 PM on October 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
If Bishop is close enough so is Mammoth, which sounds like more what you're looking for. Sadly, it's just a little too late to go Reds Meadow, but you can go to Little Lakes/Rock Creek until it closes for snow, along with a lot of other nearby trails in town. Similarly, Yosemite is doable as a (long) day trip via Tioga Pass until it closes, and typically is not crowded this late in the season.
Mammoth is definitely an established mountain resort town with decent food and some bars/breweries. Walkability depends on where you stay, but the town has spruced up its trails over recent years and has some shuttle service. It has less than ten thousand people but may be more established than what you want?
Bishop is definitely a desert highway town and there is very little to do there aside from nearby climbing, hiking, etc, which can all be seen while staying in Mammoth if you're so inclined.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:45 PM on October 28, 2019
Mammoth is definitely an established mountain resort town with decent food and some bars/breweries. Walkability depends on where you stay, but the town has spruced up its trails over recent years and has some shuttle service. It has less than ten thousand people but may be more established than what you want?
Bishop is definitely a desert highway town and there is very little to do there aside from nearby climbing, hiking, etc, which can all be seen while staying in Mammoth if you're so inclined.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:45 PM on October 28, 2019
Idyllwild seems to suit your needs. Bonus: the mayor is a dog.
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 6:00 PM on October 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 6:00 PM on October 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Rock Creek is something else. Honestly the whole eastern Sierra all the way up to Susanville might be the best California has to offer.
Bishop also gives you access to the White Mountains and those ancient Bristlecone Pines.
posted by notyou at 9:44 PM on October 28, 2019
Bishop also gives you access to the White Mountains and those ancient Bristlecone Pines.
posted by notyou at 9:44 PM on October 28, 2019
I used to live in Wrightwood, and it's about 2 hours from LA. The town itself has a lot of hills, and there's a neat walking trail along Hwy 2.
posted by luckynerd at 11:11 AM on October 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by luckynerd at 11:11 AM on October 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Julian is lovely. Nearby you have Volcan Mountain, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and Mount Palomar.
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:26 PM on October 29, 2019
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:26 PM on October 29, 2019
Have you ever checked out Borrego Springs and Anza Borrego State Park? We've been spending a lot more time there over Joshua Tree, because the park is less traversed.
posted by topophilia at 3:30 PM on October 29, 2019
posted by topophilia at 3:30 PM on October 29, 2019
I haven't been there in a few decades, but Wrightwood was fantastic to visit when I was a kid and meets your criteria.
posted by eotvos at 9:32 AM on October 30, 2019
posted by eotvos at 9:32 AM on October 30, 2019
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers guys! They look great, and I am especially excited to check out Idyllwild soon.
posted by joechip at 2:15 PM on December 21, 2019
posted by joechip at 2:15 PM on December 21, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fshgrl at 4:26 PM on October 28, 2019 [1 favorite]