Whether you’re planning a family vacation or a romantic getaway, you’ll find no shortage of things to do in Lake Arrowhead. There is hiking — we’ve ranked the top hiking trails in Lake Arrowhead — along lakeside relaxation and scenic dining spots. There is even a wine bar. A wine bar in the mountains? Sign us up!
Known as “The Alps of Southern California,” — given its high altitude — Lake Arrowhead is one of the best kept secret on the West Coast. Located just a 2 hour drive east of Los Angeles (without traffic) and 3 hours north east of San Diego, this is an easy weekend escape in southern California.
We just got back from spending 4 days in Lake Arrowhead and loved this itinerary — perfect for a long holiday weekend. The itinerary includes a nice mixture of hiking, biking, animal encounters and some good o’l relation. Okay, maybe not THAT much relaxation. We’re not ones for sitting around. As with any of our itineraries, they can easily be scaled back. We’ve included the timing of each activity that can be simply chopped off.
Check out our full itinerary below and soon you’ll see why we’re so in love with Lake Arrowhead.
Day 1: Friday, Best Things To Do In Lake Arrowhead, Arrival Day
- 10 AM, Depart Los Angeles for Lake Arrowhead (roughly a 2 hour drive).
- 11 AM, Arrive at Glendora Public Market in the San Gabriel Valley.
- Sure, you could drive straight through. But where is the fun in that? The Glendora Public Market was once a Wonder Bread factory. In 2018, construction began, converting the space into a modern food hall. The market opened during the middle of COVID (yikes!), but it has managed to find its footing after a bumpy start. We highly recommend stopping in for some boba tea.
- 12 PM, Depart for Lake Arrowhead. This is a gorgeous (and nauseating) ride all at once. The road up to Lake Arrowhead has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.
- 1 PM, Arrive at Lake Arrowhead Airbnb.
- We stayed at a beautiful Lakeside Cottage on Airbnb (starting at $302 a night). This was the perfect place for our family given the separate floors where Kevin and I could have our own space away.
- 1-2:30 PM, Spend time unpacking, enjoying the cabin. Or head out grocery shopping. We spent this time relaxing with the kids.
- 2:30 PM, Depart for Sycamore Ranch Winery and Vineyard (located nearby in Crestline).
- 3:00-4:30 PM, Wine and Cider tasting at Sycamore Ranch Winery and Vineyard.
- This spot is fantastic and incredibly relaxing. The winery was founded by Richard and Elizabeth Krumwiede, who discovered the Ranch in 1999, located in an area known more for its apple and cherry orchards. A leap of faith led them to plant Zinfandel and Syrah vineyards.
- The tasting fees are $25 for a wine flight of 5, or $15 for a hard cider flight of 4 pours. We recommend splitting a wine and cider tasting for some variety.
- For reservations email: reservations@sycamoreranch.com or call (909) 338-1725.
- 5 PM, Drive back to Airbnb and order pizza from Lou Eddie’s.
- 6 PM, Pick up pizza from Lou Eddie’s to enjoy at Airbnb.
- Note, Lou Eddie’s is an incredibly popular spot in Lake Arrowhead, so we suggest calling ahead and ordering the pizza 1 hour before you want to eat. Trust us, things move a little slower (um, a lot slower) up in the mountains!
- 7 PM, Enjoy a movie at Blue Jay Cinema. We love movies, and we were incredibly excited that we didn’t have to drive down the mountain to go see one. It isn’t a big theater, but was still very nice.
Day 2: Hiking and Animal Encounters in Lake Arrowhead
- 9:00 AM, Depart for Dogwood Campground Loop (5 minute drive)
- 9:15-10:30 AM, Hike Dogwood Campground Loop (easy 3.3 mile hike)
- Must park outside campground (no guest parking).
- This is a wonderful hike to do with the kids. Read our full review here.
- 10:30 AM, Drive to Lake Arrowhead Village where you can enjoy a well-deserved lunch at Jettie’s Waterfront Kitchen.
- It opens for lunch at 11 AM on the weekends. We got there early and enjoyed the lakeside view.
- 11 AM – 12:00 PM, Lunch at Jettie’s.
- 12:30 PM, Depart Lake Arrowhead for Wild Haven Ranch (15 min drive), an animal sanctuary.
- 1:00-3:30 PM, Wild Haven Ranch, animal encounters
- We joined their Bear Watch and Eagle Walk program, which allows participants to closely observe their bears and other animals participate in training exercises. We also opted to help feed the bears, which is an additional cost.
- Full disclosure, the overall experience was a little odd. But overall, the animals seemed well taken care of.
- The bear program is $35 per person and $25 per person extra to feed the bears.
- Advanced reservations are required. Bookings can made online here.
- 3:30 PM, Drive to downtown Crestline, where you can enjoy some brownies from Espie Bakes (get the gooey fudge brownies and thank us later). Or a coffee from Paradise Mountain Coffee right in downtown Crestline.
- 4:30-5:30 PM, Take a stroll around Lake Gregory (2.3 miles)
- If it isn’t a busy holiday weekend, we suggest parking at the Goodwin and Sons grocery store parking lot. But do keep in mind on the busier holiday weekends, they are known to tow the cars.
- This is a wonderful walk, and you can ready our full review of it here.
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- Insider tip: Before leaving, make sure you go inside Goodwins and Sons grocery store to see the soda fountain. It’s pretty cool.
- 5:30-6:30 PM, relax and freshen up at the Airbnb.
- 7 PM, Dinner at The Grapevine
- Great little wine bar in Lake Arrowhead Village. If it’s warm, grab a spot on the back porch overlooking the lake. At night time, we prefer to sit indoors. Order the wine flight, which is served so dramatically. We love a good dramatic display!
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- We also recommend the tomato soup and cheesy bread. A nice filling snack on a cold night.
- 9 PM, Head back to the Airbnb and enjoy some time relaxing, reading or watching a movie. You’re on vacation, right?
Day 3: Active Outdoors Day (i.e. Exhaust my Husband Day!)
- 10 AM, Arrive at Sky Park at Santa’s Village in Lake Arrowhead.
- You could easily spend your entire day here. The big draw is the wild mountain bike paths.
- The SkyPark Mountain Bike Trail System is an extensive set of professionally designed bike trails that traverse through dense Alpine forest, natural jumps, wall rides, ladder bridges and obstacles.
- Each trail at the bike park is designed to prepare you for the next, slightly more challenging trail. My husband and I are NOT skilled bikers. But we managed not to end up in the hospital. Know your limits if you’re like us. I considered riding my bike over the “teeter totter” but had a vision of ending up in the ER on our vacation!
- 10 AM – 2 PM (or longer), Biking and outdoor fun at Sky Park at Santa’s Village.
- Cost: This is pretty pricy at $60 per person.
- If you’re biking, we suggest bringing your own mountain bike if you have it. Otherwise, it’s an additional $100 per person including all of the gear. With that all said, this was one of our favorite activities all weekend.
- Be sure to try out the ax throwing, archery and stop by the cute little bakery in a gingerbread house.
- 2 PM, Depart Sky Park for Action Tours Zipline in Big Bear
- If I had to re-do this part, it would be here. There is ziplining at the Sky Park in Lake Arrowhead. I’d probably just stay there to do it (rather than make the trek to Big Bear). With that said, we did enjoy the activity and checking out Big Bear.
- 3-6 PM, Zipline with Action Tours
- Location: 40957 Big Bear Blvd. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
- Fly through the forest at speeds up to 35 mph on 9 high-speed zipline runs that gradually become longer, faster and higher off the ground as you go. Catch amazing views of Johnson Valley and the highest peak in Southern
California, Mt. San Gorgonio. - Cost: $138 pp (tip recommended: $10 pp, per website)
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- After ziplining, head into downtown Big Bear and wander the streets. It’s much busier in Big Bear and has a lively shopping district.
- 7 PM, Drive back to Airbnb (1 hour)
- 8 PM, Unwind at the Airbnb. I ended up making us some fondue and we watched the movie The Sweetest Thing on Netflix, which was one of the worst movies ever made. No joke. At least the fondue was good.
Day 4: Final Day in Lake Arrowhead
- 8 AM, Wake up and head outdoors to enjoy one last hike in this gorgeous place. We recommend Mill Peak Trail (3.4 miles long).
- 9-10:30 AM, Hike Mill Peak Trail (located about 20 minutes east of Lake Arrowhead)
- If you’re looking for a more strenuous trail, look no further than the Mill Peak Trail. You’ll definitely want to follow along on the All Trails app. Though keep in mind that cell service is pretty limited on most of the trails around Lake Arrowhead.
- Parking is pretty limited at the trailhead with tiny parking spaces located on both sides of the main road. So arrive early for the best parking options.
- For a full review, read our feature story here.
- 10:30 AM, After wrapping up your hike, head back to the car and make the side trip to Keller Peak Fire Lookout (15 minute drive to arrive around 10:45 AM).
- During our visit, the lookout tower interior was closed due to COVID-19. But it’s still worth making the journey to chat with the lookout ranger and hear what it takes to be a volunteer.
- You’ll spend about 20-30 minutes here tops.
- 11:30 AM, Backtrack (30 minutes) towards Lake Arrowhead where you can grab some Mexican food with a view at Hortencias at the Cliffhanger.
- We sat down and saw a mountain climber right outside the window. I was amazed and thought it was the coolest thing ever (while Kevin hoped she didn’t plunge to her death before our very eyes). Yikes, dark Kevin…Someone get this guy some chips and dip to put a smile on his face!
- 1-3 PM, After lunch, we headed back into Lake Arrowhead Village, where we did some last minute shopping and enjoyed relaxing at the coffee shop.
Sadly all good things have to come to an end. But what a wonderful time away with the family. Looking for other ideas of things to do in Lake Arrowhead? Check out our recommendations for a first-time visitor to Lake Arrowhead. Like road trips? Visit our top picks for a weekend in Joshua Tree for your next vacation in lockdown. Finally, check out all of our quarantine ideas including a drag queen, sangria-making class.
