With its proximity to Los Angeles and Orange County, Wrightwood is the perfect place for a day trip or weekend adventure. There is always something to do: camping, fishing, hiking, or playing in the snow. Wrightwood is the perfect place to relax and enjoy life.
Also known as the land of four seasons, the Serrano Indians originally inhabited southern California. As settlers moved in, Wrightwood evolved into a cattle ranch, apple orchard, and finally into a popular mountain resort community.
Wrightwood Hiking
For the more adventurous hiker, numerous trailheads lead to various points of interest and features, such as Mt. Baden-Powell, the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, and many other secret wonders that make up the Angeles National Forest, including places like the Bighorn Mine.
History of the Big Horn Mine
In the late 1880s, Charles “Tom” discovered a few specks of gold in a surface quartz vein while hunting for Big Horn Sheep. A tunnel was dug into the mountain, and more gold was discovered. The Big Horn Mine was operational for about ten years, but it was too difficult to transport the ore from this remote location. In 1898 the mine was closed.
In 1902, the Lowell and California Mining Company took control of the mine, built a wagon road up to the mine, and installed an onsite stamp mill. The mine operated from 1903 till 1908, employing up to 50 workers at its peak. By the time the mine was closed, tunnels had been dug into the mountainside, and a little over $100,000 worth of gold had been mined.
Today visitors can see the remains of the old wagon road, mine shafts, and an old stamp mill; the Big Horn Mine is a fantastic place to check out. The main trail offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. The mine is worth a look, and the hike is an easy 4-mile round trip. The trailhead for Big Horn Mine is located at the Vincent Gap along with Angeles Crest Highway.
Ziplines At Pacific Crest
Located next to Mountain High Resort, Ziplines At Pacific Crest is open during summer. They offer two zipline adventures, the Canopy Tour and Mountain View Tour. Both zip lines let you dangle high above pine tree-covered forest. The more advanced line features nearly 300 feet above the ground. 6014 Park Dr, Wrightwood, CA 92397. website.
Wrightwood Village
Aside from snow skiing, snowboarding and hiking, Wrightwood is also known for its relaxed downtown village comprised of various shops, restaurants, and lodging choices. The Grizzly Cafe, Blue Ridge Inn, Evergreen Cafe, and Cinnamon Bakery are popular places to eat.
Mountain High Resort
Tucked away 6,000 feet up in the San Gabriel mountains among the giant pines of the Angeles National Forest, Mountain High Wrightwood comprises three separate parks. East, west, and north.
West is the open primary park, especially when it hasn’t snowed much. It is also a skills park with plenty of jumps, jibs, rails, and boxes suitable for the more advanced snowboarder.
Surprising for its low elevation, Mountain High does get plenty of snow, but snowmaking still happens, mainly due to the warmer So Cal temperatures. But they do have night riding on the west side, which is good, although the snow tends to be slushier by then.
Wrightwood Historical Museum
Wrightwood Historical Museum is open Saturdays, 10 to 4 p.m. This small museum is an excellent place for people to visit in Wrightwood. Lots of information on local history and origins of Wrightwood. And interesting people who lived there- from early mountain men and miners to settlers and historical buildings. The museum was an early volunteer fire department. There is a restored model of an earlier fire hose truck (hand pulled to the fires) used by the volunteer firefighters of the 1930s and 40s. Website.
The east park provides more of the longer alpine-type runs and is a bit more challenging but has fewer park-type things. Most of the black diamond runs are found here as well.
The north side is the smallest of all the areas, and the runs are narrower, making it fun for beginners and intermediate riders. It also has a Family Recreation Area that includes a sledding and tubing park. Mountain High Resort offers lessons for all ages if you’re new to skiing, snowboarding, or perhaps looking to improve your already mad skills.
If you plan on camping on this trip, Table Mountain Campground features 43 campsites.
Getting There
For most of the year, this small mountain town is relatively quiet. During the snow season, it can be crowded. Wrightwood is just 90 minutes from L.A. and Orange County. With its many activities, Wrightwood can be visited year-round and is reachable via Interstate 15 from Orange County or Highway 14 from the Los Angeles area.
What would be an exciting activity on Wrightwood at this time for a senior that cant hike?
When is the besttime to see snow in Wrightwood? When is it not too crowded?
For a senior, I would say the drive up to the village might be nice enough.
Snow in Southern California mountains usually comes around December through March. Evey year is different.