Adventures in Southern California: big falls

Showing posts with label big falls. Show all posts

Oak Glen California: Apple Blossom Festival, April 16-17

Apple Orchard, big falls, Oak Glen, orange county festivals, san bernardino

Oak Tree Village in Oak Glen California

As winter draws to a close in Southern California, it’s about time for the Apple Blossom Festival in Oak Glen. This year’s Apple Blossom Festival will feature gem panning, an outdoor picnic, colonial games, a treasure hunt, queen competition, live music, petting zoo, Native American dancers, crafts, art workshops, fishing, horse rides and more. The festival takes place April 16^th and 17^th with most events running from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you’ve never been to Oak Glen before, this is probably the perfect time to check out Southern California’s 'apple country'.

Oak Glen? Never Heard of It

Believe it or not, Southern California does have seasons. While the temperature in Orange County and Los Angeles may only drop by 10-15 degrees in the winter months, the mountains in San Bernardino County are a very different story. It’s not unusual to see annual snowfall totals in the mountains which reach 8 feet or more. The colder climate in the foothills of these huge mountains allows farmers in Oak Glen grow crops that you might not expect to see so far south, everything from grapes and blackberries, to apple and cherry trees. As you travel around the five-mile loop in Oak Glen, you can explore dozens of local farms, ranches, orchards, bakeries, shops and wineries. Oak Glen is arguably the best place in all of Southern California to grab a homemade apple pie or a jar of apple butter. It’s a totally different world than Orange County or LA. Oak Glen really does feel like a country town you would expect to find in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

Hawk's Head

My favorite stop on the loop in Oak Glen to grab a bite is at the Hawk’s Head at Riley’s Farm, a colonial style restaurant which is modeled after an 18^th century tavern. They specialize in comfort food and they’re probably most famous for their pot pies. The waitresses at the Hawk’s Head dress in colonial costumes, the portion sizes are huge, and the homemade apple cider is served in chilled pewter tankards. The $10 appetizer of fried sausage and apples was so large that our party of 5 was able to share it with some to take home afterwards. I’m determined to go back to the Hawk’s Head and try the hard apple cider next time I’m in town. We happened to catch a re-enactment of a revolutionary war battle that was being held outside on the farm for a group of local school kids. They do reenactments pretty regularly at Riley’s Farm and you can always check the calendar for any other upcoming events. The kids all seemed to be having a blast and it made for great after dinner entertainment. Riley’s Farm also has a period-authentic bakery where you can pick up homemade bread and pies just like they used to eat in the colonies.

Revolutionary War Demonstration at Riley's Farm

Other highlights along the 5-mile loop in Oak Glen include Apple Annie’s at Oak Tree Village, the Snow-Line Orchard and Winery, the Stone Soup Farm and Heritage Orchard, and the Serendipity Ranch Bed & Breakfast if you’re looking for a place to stay. If you visit in July, you can also check out the Colonial Faire which has food, crafts, live music, reenactments and overnight camping.

Oak Glen California

Hiking Near Oak Glen

Oak Glen is located at the foot of San Gorgonio Mountain. With a height of 11,503 feet, it’s one of the largest and most prominent peaks in Southern California. The entire mountain range in this area is designated as a National Forest and there are enough great hikes in the area to fill and entire book. For those of you who are in the area and want to do some hiking, you can make a scenic half hour drive from Oak Glen up the mountain on route 38 to see one of the best waterfalls in Southern California, Big Falls. With all of the snow we’ve been getting this year, the falls should be better now than they have in years.

Switzer Falls, La Canada Flintridge California

big falls, big tujunga waterfall, Los Angeles Waterfalls, Waterfalls in Southern California

Lower Switzer Falls

Switzer Falls is one of my favorite hikes in the Los Angeles Area. Most people just hike to the lower falls, but you can actually climb the lower falls and head upstream to the base of the upper falls which is among the best waterfalls in the Los Angeles area. The entire hike is around 7 miles round-trip to the upper falls, but it can feel tougher than that because the return trip is mostly uphill.

To reach the trailhead from the 210 in La Canada Flintridge, take the

Big Falls, San Bernardino National Forest

big falls, ontario California, redlands ca, San Bernadino National Forest, southern California hiking, valley of the falls drive, Waterfalls in Southern California

Big Falls, Valley of the Falls Drive California

Big Falls is a high priority Southern California day trip. The 5-tiered waterfall is located in a beautiful mountain canyon filled with giant redwood trees. The park itself has a picnic area and plenty of gentle eddies in the river to swim and relax. The falls are located near the small mountain hamlet of Forest Falls California in the San Bernardino National Forest. The drive only takes about 30 minutes from the I-10 in Redlands and the hike is relatively easy. The falls are less than a mile from the parking lot. The hike requires a few easy stream crossings with a moderate elevation gain. The last 300 yards to the falls entails some tricky rock hopping, but you can keep your feet dry if you watch your footing. From the parking lot, you hike uphill, following small river trail for 1/2 mile. On a busy day, people will be swimming and having picnics at various spots on the river. You will see a tributary on the far side that feeds the river. Find a suitable place to climb down the riverbank and cross over to the other side. During a high flow, you may really want to keep a lookout for a good place to cross. Follow the small tributary creek up the narrow canyon. The path disappears at random places where you have to rockhop. The canyon is filled with giant redwood trees that leech water from the creek. There are a few absolute giants that look to be at least a few hundred years old. The creek leading to the falls cascades down through the canyon. Make sure to take some photos along the way. It’s one of the most picturesque areas I’ve ever been to in my life. It reminds me of Lothlorien from the Lord of the Rings. The canyon ends ½ mile upstream at the falls. The bottom tier is 70 feet tall and it usually has a heavy flow of water. It’s most impressive when the snow starts melting in the springtime.

If you’re adventurous, you can climb further up the mountain and see 3 additional tiers of the falls, but the climb gets more perilous as you get higher up. The upper tiers are completely secluded and as beautiful and serene as any place that you’re likely to visit in your entire life. I’ve never made it to the very top of the falls, and would highly recommend against trying it without the right gear and a good guide. A word of warning, the temperature at this elevation is very different from the bottom of the mountain. It can easily vary by 50 degrees. Storms can roll in extremely fast. You don’t want to get caught in a freezing cold rain storm half way up the side of a fully exposed mountain.

To get to the falls from Redlands CA, take 38 North and follow it up the mountain for approximately 13 miles. Turn Right at Valley of the Falls Drive and Follow it another ten miles through the small town of Forest Falls. You can purchase supplies in Forest Falls. Valley of the Falls Drive ends just past Forest Falls at the parking lot for Big Falls. Ordinarily, the drive is quick and easy, but route 38 can be very busy on the weekends during the summertime. I’ve heard of traffic jams that wind all the way down the mountain.