No time to read the whole post? Here’s some quick tips.
- I consider Pine Mountain Club a hidden gem, and a great alternative to crowded Bear Big.
- Go Airbnb. I had a hard time finding a place to stay (unless camping is your thing), but did score with an A-frame cabin (YAY frame).
The Full Story…
Getting There
Hard to believe, but Pine Mountain Club is only an hour and 30 minutes from Los Angeles. We left on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and came back on Saturday. Drive was easy and the road less winding than getting to Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead. I definitely felt much further away than we were!
Hotel
I had a difficult time finding a place but came across an A-frame cabin (my favorite). It was perfect; nothing fancy, but we had everything we needed for an enjoyable stay and holiday. We lost internet for the last night, as did the whole mountain, so we were truly unplugged. We used the time to play board games and catch up on reading.
There is a gas station and small grocery store that has most items you need. We brought most of our food and stopped by the grocery store for some basics. It is a bit pricey, but not bad all things considered.
Activities/Food
Hiking, hiking, hiking! We hiked Eagle Pass Ridge Hike and Mt. Pinos.
- We did not pass any others on this hike and I consider it an easy trail.
- From the camping parking lot, walk to the gate at the far end (opposite of the dog park) and continue left.
- Great views and dog friendly.
- About a 25 minute drive from Pine Mountain Club. We passed a few others but very uncrowded.
- Lots of snow when we went (hard packed) but made for a great adventure.
- Easy flat hike and dog friendly.
Eagle Pass Ridge & Mt. Pinos
We ate most of our food in the cabin but did have pastries at Bear Claw Bakery, and lunch at Condor Cafe (to go as they are not dog friendly). On the way to Pine Mountain Club we stopped at Red Dot Vegetarian Kitchen. We opted for appetizers since the food prep time was over an hour. What we did have was great as was the food at the other places we tried. This is not as populated of an area as other mountain communities near LA, so keep that in mind when looking for things to do and places to eat. I think, however, that the charm, uncrowded hikes and peace and quite more than make up for fewer resources.
