Exploring California's Natural Beauty: 3 Weekend Getaways from Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, the vibrant city of dreams, offers a multitude of experiences within its limits. I can’t believe I’ve lived here for almost a year now, and have yet to barely scratch the surface, and even the insane wonders of California outside of the city. If you are visiting or have lived here your whole life, within a few hours' drive from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you'll find world famous treasures of insane landscapes waiting to be seen, too. Here are a few unforgettable weekend trips that promise to immerse you in the beauty of California's wilderness.
Big Bear: A Mountain Escape
Distance from LAX: Approximately 2.5 hours
Where to Stay:
Big Bear always shocks me when I visit because it’s a pretty easy drive from Los Angeles being only 2 or so hours, not including traffic. You go from city to mountain town instantly. And while it’s sunny and 60s-80s in Los Angeles, this drive up the mountain can give you many inches of fresh snow, and plenty of winter activities during the winter season. If you plan to visit in the winter, here’s what I would do:
Day 1: Arrive in Big Bear and settle into your stay. If this is winter, I would not recommend camping as it can be extremely cold and snowy! Spend the afternoon exploring the village with plenty of cute shops and restaurants, and take a stroll along the lake shore for sunset. Note that many of the parking lots surrounding the lake can be closed off for winter months.
Day 2: I am a sunrise girl through and through, so if you are up for the adventure explore the lake or hike a trail like Castle Rock Trail for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Fuel up with breakfast and coffee at your stay or at Cafe Crepe. Relax and enjoy your stays amenities for the afternoon, then hop out into town for some bowling at The Bowling Barn or if you’re visiting in Sep/Oct/Nov, head over to Oktoberfest.
Day 3: Let’s get adventurous! If you’re visiting in the summer months, indulge in some water activities at Big Bear Lake. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and spend the day hanging out enjoying the lake vibes. They also have mountain biking trails, rock climbing and zip lining! If you are visiting in winter, challenge yourself to the amazing winter wonderland of Big Bear Mountain Resort. Ski your day away or head over to go tubing. you’ll most definitely have a blast here in the colder months. Fun fact: They also have an alpine slide and bobsledding at Snow Play!
Other things to do or know about Big Bear:
My Personal Fave Coffee Spot: Start your day with a coffee and a crêpe from Cafe Crepe.
No matter when you visit, you’ll get the best of each season! You can see the leaves change for fall, and the flowers bloom for spring, too.
Be safe going up to the town, as the mountains do get landslides, or big snowstorms often. In the winter months its required you have tire chains in your car at all times.
Mammoth Lakes: Nature Lover’s Paradise
Distance from LAX: Approximately 5 hours
Where to Stay:
Camping on BLM Land *. Convict Lake Campground or Browns Owens River Campground.
My favorite spot to BLM camp is by the Rock Tub Hot Springs. All the backroads up at down Whitmore Tubs rd are available for you to camp at up to 2 weeks. Make sure you are in a pullover spot! Note these places do not have a bathroom, and some spots have DIY fire pits, but make sure you have a fire permit before starting a fire, and that the fire danger is low that day. Or if you want an amazing view from your tent, head to Hot Creek Geologic Site and keep driving to Bree’s Lookout. These are camping spots all along the backroads!
Airbnb or Vrbo. These are going to be more simple, and in the actual town of Mammoth Lakes.
Hotels like Mammoth Mountain Inn. You really can’t go wrong with stay at a cozy, mountain resort-style hotel. Treat yourself!
Mammoth might be a bit farther from the rest of the locations here, but it had to be on the list. It might be (so far) one of my favorite places in California. It is truly stunning, from warm, natural hot springs to a crazy backdrop of snow covered mountains to famous ski resorts and incredible views all over. It’s a must-see when heading into the Sierras. There’s honestly SO much to do here, you can spend a few weeks here and not get bored, but I’ll try to keep it compact to 3/4 days only.
Day 1: Arrive in Mammoth Lakes and acclimate to the high altitude. Take a scenic drive along the Mammoth Scenic Loop for breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks. Settle into your stay for the night, assuming you arrive later in the day.
Day 2: Spend the day hiking among the mountains. There’s full-on backpacking routes like Minaret Lakes to more chill, enjoyable walks like Convict Lake loop. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy the stunning lakes here! Alltrails is perfect for exploring and finding your perfect route for the day. Watch the sunset at Hot Creek Geological Site at Bree’s Lookout and enjoy the trail down to the creek. No swimming here! It’s way to hot!
Day 3: Treat yourself to a day of relaxation at one(or a few, I won’t judge) of Mammoth Lakes' hot springs. I got to Wild Willys Hot Spring at about 6am (the sun rose at 7) and there was people ALREADY THERE on a weekday! So keep that in mind when heading out for a trip to the hot springs. There’s also Hilltop Hot Springs, Shepherd Hot Springs, and so many more! Do a bit of research to find the ones you like best, and remember you’ll probably be sharing with others, so sharing is caring and always leave no trace. These places are all public, and can quickly become not public and we’d have to start paying to enter if these become trashed overtime, so take care of our nature, please!
Other things to do or know about Mammoth Lakes:
Best Coffee Spot: Enjoy locally roasted coffee at Black Velvet Coffee. SO GOOD and such a cute spot. So many floors too so you have lots of space and can get some work done here, if needed. It’s also women-owned!
Coming in the winter? Enjoy some skiing on Mammoth Mountain!
Joshua Tree: Desert Oasis
Distance from LAX: Approximately 2.5 hours
Where to Stay:
Camping on BLM Land * is my favorite here! You really can’t go wrong finding dispersed land to camp on. Try Cottonwood Campground for amenities, and if you want to be directly in the park. There are plenty of campgrounds throughout, so do some research and reserve ahead.
So many amazing places on AirBnb! From unique, luxury stays or airstreams, you can really get creative. Try out HipCamp too for unique stays.
Joshua tree might be super overrated to people, but I think it’s a really cool place to see once in your life, and to just get away from the city. It really feels like the middle of nowhere, and the town is really small town vibes, which is comforting. Plus, the stargazing at night is insane! From the cholla gardens to rock climbing to shopping to just hanging out by your fire in the middle of a bunch of boulders, there is so much to do here.
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Joshua Tree and explore the unique shops and in the town. Grab a smoothie from Natural Sisters Cafe, and head to the park to catch the sunset with the Joshua Trees in the foreground. Anywhere you pull of in the park is bound to be a great spot for sunset!
Day 2: After heading to the park in the middle of the night to see the milky way and stargaze (and capture some astrophotography if you fancy), rise early to beat the heat and embark on a hike or two through Joshua Tree National Park. Explore iconic trails like Hidden Valley and continue taking a scenic drive along Park Boulevard. Head to the Cholla Garden (about 1-2 hours before sunset! The sun goes behind the mountains quickly) to watch the succulents turn a beautiful color as the sun sets.
Day 3: Spend your final day in Joshua Tree enjoying your stay, or if you aren’t leaving until later or are keen for another sunrise trip, try out a longer hike to the Fortynine Palms Oasis. A stunning trail to a unique palm-tree filled space in the middle of the desert.
Other things to do or know about Joshua Tree:
Grab yourself a date smoothie from The Natural Sisters Cafe and a coffee from Joshua Tree Coffee Company! California grown 90% of all dates in the US, most of them coming from the Coachella Valley, so it’s a must if you’re in the area and enjoy a creamy smoothie.
OTHER PLACES TO EXPLORE
within 2-3 hours:
Solvang
San Diego
Slab City
Over 3 hours:
Big Sur
Yosemite
Death Valley
Each of these weekend getaways offers a distinctively different yet equally unforgettable experience, showcasing the diverse beauty of California's natural landscapes. So pack your bags, hit the road, and prepare to be amazed by the wonders that await just beyond the city limits of Los Angeles.
Make sure to stick around for more California blogs, or if you feeling. bit more adventurous and want to head international, check out my weekend warrior itinerary to Iceland blog post. You don’t want to miss it!
*Use https://www.blm.gov/ to find local public land to camp on. This is one of my favorite ways to travel! Note that you might have to have a permit in order to camp in certain areas, so make sure to research beforehand, and please remember to LEAVE NO TRACE!
