Best Things to Do in Crestline, California
Being from the midwest, every winter I find myself drawn to the idyllic charm of a cozy winter cabin getaway. We rarely see weather under the 60 degree mark here in Southern California, so it can be a real treat for us Angelenos to experience a somewhat snowy mountain experience. And the best part about LA is that we are in no short supply! There are several towns just a few hours outside of Los Angeles that offer that small town feel if you know where to look.
I would say the most popular area for an LA winter playground are the San Bernardino Mountains, just a few hours northeast of Los Angeles. Home to bigger towns such as Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, these mountains also offer a ton of smaller towns to explore, like Crestline.
A group of friends and I recently spent a weekend up in Crestline and had the best time hanging out together in our beautiful Airbnb and wandering the area. If you’re in the market to explore a new small town in SoCal, I would highly recommend Crestline! Any time of year, this town offers locals and vacationers a great experience while also being a short distance from the city (only about 1.5 hours from Pasadena). Here are some of the best things to do while visiting Crestline… Enjoy!
WHERE TO STAY
In my opinion, the only way to experience a small town like Crestline is to stay in a cabin with a group of family or friends. We stayed at this beautiful Mid-Century Winter Retreat which was in a perfect location with easy access into town and a wonderful forest view! Crestline had gotten a snowfall a few days before we arrived which was perfect timing because we got to see snow on the ground but all the roads and walkways had already been plowed, which was good news for us less-than well equipped city folk.
This A-frame style home had two bedrooms, two baths, and a pull out sofa located in a private den room which was perfect for our group of 3 couples. The host did a wonderful job decorating this eclectic space and the floor to ceiling A-frame window overlooking the private deck was definitely the highlight.
A few other magnificent looking A-frame cabins that are worth looking into are Honey’s House, located a quick walk from the towns most notable attraction, Lake Gregory. Or The MTN Cabin with an amazing wood-paneled interior and a peaceful feel.
If you are visiting the area with fewer guests, this Modern Treehouse Cabin looks like it would be the perfect romantic weekend getaway spot. Or The Pines Cottage if you’re looking for more rustic charm and complete with an outdoor hot tub! Wildwood Cabin is located within walking distance to town and you know I’m a sucker for cute home decor :)
Things to Do
As previously mentioned, the towns most notable attraction would have to be Lake Gregory. In the warmer months, the lake hosts tons of exciting activities like fishing, nature trails, an inflatable water park, a water slide, kayak and boat rentals, and e-bike rentals. Because of the colder weather when we visited, we did not get to partake in any of these activities but I would love to come back in the warmer months to try out some of these experiences!
My favorite activity that we did in Crestline was the Heart Rock Trail hike. This was a very moderate hike that only took us about an hour or so but we got to experience some beautiful scenery! The majority of the trail is paved but then there is a tiny sign (keep an eye out for it, it’s easy to miss!) directing you down to the “Heart Rock” which is a slightly more treacherous incline down to the stream. And at the very bottom you’ll find the trail namesake, the infamous heart rock. It’s no Grand Canyon by any means, but it’s a fun adventure to climb down the rocks.
Another fun aspect of the hike is that the hike starts next to the entrance to Camp Seely, which is a mountain camp complete with a lodge, kitchen, dining hall, and cabins that can be reserved for groups to stay for summer camps, getaways, or for weddings/events. And if it looks familiar to you, that’s because it is! This was the iconic filming location for “Camp Walden” in the 1998 The Parent Trap :)
A nice benefit to staying in Crestline is that you get the relaxing peaceful small town feel but you’re only about a 15 minute drive away from the much busier tourist attraction, Lake Arrowhead Village. So we drove into the village one evening for dinner and decided to check out the waterfront! This is a great place to visit if you’re in the mood for dining or shopping, but be prepared for much busier crowds.
If you want to explore Lake Arrowhead some more via boat, they offer the Lake Arrowhead Queen Boat Tour with several departure times throughout the day. This would be a great way to learn more about the history of the lake and to see some of the beautiful lakeside properties up close!
Personally some of my favorite moments on a mountain retreat are spent playing games with friends in our cabin, or taking in the peaceful mountain air on our private deck. But if you’re in the mood for other attractions out and about, a few other ideas are:
Checking out a new release at Blue Jay Cinema (in nearby city Blue Jay)
Antique shopping around the main road, Lake Drive. We found some fun antique items at a shop called “The Goods” (23930) while waiting for our name to be called for brunch at the Crestline Cafe
Rim Bowling & Entertainment Center
Food & Drinks
And without further ado….the best part of vacation is the food, is it not? And what better way to explore a new area by trying out some of the local restaurants and bars.
If you’re looking to start your day with some caffeine, we loved Higher Grounds Coffee. Housed in a former gas station building, they have a variety of great coffee drinks and a nice outdoor patio area. Crestline Cafe is the perfect option if you’re looking for that small town casual dining experience complete with biscuits & gravy and country fried steak.
A few other breakfast spots that we didn’t have the time to experience (but will definitely check out next time) are The Bear House Family Restaurant, Lulubelle’s Coffee House & Bakery (in nearby town Running Springs), and Belgian Waffle Works (Lake Arrowhead).
We were only in town from Friday evening to Sunday morning, so we only had a few nights of meals to enjoy, but we certainly made the most of it. The first night we stopped on our way into town at LouEddies Pizza (Skyforest). It was our mistake for not calling and ordering ahead of time because the wait was almost 2 hours for pizzas at that time of the night (7:30pm on a Friday night of a holiday weekend!) but they luckily had an option to pick up frozen pizzas so we took some of those to go and made them in the oven at our airbnb, they were delish!
Saturday night, we started off the evening checking out Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company, which is an awesome craft brewery located in a converted warehouse with a huge outdoor seating area. Next, we put our name in at a restaurant for dinner, and while we waited we grabbed a glass of wine at The Grapevine, which had the coziest interior. And then our name was called and we headed over to The Lakefront Tap Room Bar & Kitchen which had a great menu with items for everyone and we were even seated right in the window overlooking the lake!
A few other spots we definitely want to check out next time are Cedar Glen Malt Shop (Lake Arrowhead) for burgers & milkshakes, Dogwood Tavern (Blue Jay), and Hortencia’s at the Cliffhanger for Mexican food — which we saw on the drive in and the location looks amazing basically hanging right off a cliff overlooking the most incredible view! (We thought we should probably come back when it was a bit warmer to experience the outdoor patio views).
All in all we had a wonderful weekend with friends exploring this adorable mountain town and can’t wait to visit again! Have you been up to the San Bernardino Mountains? If so, what is your favorite town to visit?
xo Rachael
