Idyllwild: Meet Mayor Max in the mountain town
Route 74 through Garner Valley is hugged by large Ponderosa and Douglas fir pines and epic mountain views. All of the cattle and horse ranches here make it feel like Montana. Several dirt roads and trails for hiking and horseback riding offer panoramic views of the valley below.
Most of us have heard of Idyllwild but aren't really sure where it is. That is how it was for me for many years, even after some friends had moved there. The small Alpine village is a mile high and just over an hour from Palm Springs — easily reached via Interstate 10 or Highway 74. The latter, also called Palms to Pines Highway, is my preferred route.
As I do before all road trips, I first pay a visit to the best travel bookstore in the valley. I stumbled across Desert Map and Aerial Photo a couple of years back and have been a loyal customer ever since. It's located on Highway 111, on our way to the 74, and has the most extensive selection of books and maps for local travel and beyond. You'll also find books on hiking, off-roading, rock hounding and just about any other activity you'll do on these trips.
With maps in hand, I head south on the scenic byway. A few miles up the road at the base of the mountain is a visitor's center, where you can learn about great hikes (like the Art Smith and Hopalong Cassidy) and places for sighting bighorn sheep. The first few miles up the 74, full of twists and hairpin turns as you gain altitude, has been the location for many car commercials but is most famous for scenes from the 1963 film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Midway on the left is a vista point, offering a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley, from the Salton Sea at the south all the way to Joshua Tree and Little San Bernardino Mountains. The road mellows out on the backside of the mountain, running through dense Pinyon pines. I continue past the Paradise Valley Café at the Highway 371 junction — this small roadhouse is a good spot for breakfast or lunch, and if you're lucky, you'll catch the cool older gentleman who sometimes plays guitar on the dog-friendly patio. You're likely to run into hikers here, too, as the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the highway nearby.
Continuing west through Garner Valley, the road is now hugged by large Ponderosa and Doug Fir pines and epic mountain views. All of the cattle and horse ranches here make it feel like Montana. The most famous ranch is Garner Ranch, a filming location since the 1930s that was featured in Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie. I take a quick detour on one of the many dirt roads here, which leads to a stunning vista of the valley below. You'll also find several trails for hiking and horseback riding in these parts.
Back on the highway and heading toward Idyllwild, I come to Lake Hemet, where people come to camp or launch their boats or fish from the shore — the lake is regularly stocked with trout, bass and blue gill. I could while away a day here, but that's for another road trip. Soon I reach Highway 243 and Mountain Center Café, where I stop for eggs and pancakes and a cup of coffee.
Mayor Max in Idyllwild
Turning right into the town center, I am greeted by a friendly golden retriever named Mayor Max, who happens to be the official mayor of Idyllwild. After a few licks on my face from the mayor, I take to town on foot. A cool place that catches my eye is Mountain Mikes Custom Leather. Housed in a rustic shack surrounded by antiques, this shop is filled with handmade leather works, from coats and chaps to flasks and pouches, and the prices are awesome. I learn that Mike is one of the last true San Jacinto Mountain men, and a real craftsman and icon. There are no chain stores up here and keeping it local is important. I browse around some of the other great mom-and-pop shops before heading to Idyllwild Bakeshop and Brew for a locally cold-pressed juice and a homemade sweet pie pastry (mention Desert Magazine to owners Paul and Katie White, and receive 10 percent off your order — beer included!).
Hiking, climbing and mountain biking are all a big draw in this quaint mountain village. A solid granite dome — Tahquitz Peak, or Lily Rock it is sometimes called — is the most prominent natural feature. This site, a favorite among climbers, is surrounded by several trails for outdoorsmen of all levels. Humber Park is the start of two fun trails that enter the Jacinto Wilderness, and the South Ridge Trail will take you to two cool spots: a keyhole and a fire lookout, which boasts 360 degrees of oak, Chinqapin, Chaparral, pine and boulders below.
Today I am more in the mood to explore the dirt roads by truck than the trails by foot. I've been eager to check out Black Mountain Road, located a few miles north of town toward Pine Cove. This graded dirt road is suitable for any vehicle, and is about a 9-mile stretch up the mountain that passes several camping spots and reaches the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) — the intense 2,650-mile trek from Mexico to Canada that recently became more famous when it was the subject of the Reese Witherspoon film, Wild. As I explore a very small section of the trail, I meet three hikers who are breaking to cook up some beans and rice. They started at the Mexico border three weeks ago, they tell me, and are averaging about 10 miles a day right now. They plan to pick up the pace and finish the trail by September. They ask me to pass along a message: If you're near any of the PCT trailheads, leave water and food, as it is much appreciated by these hikers who must carry little weight and pay stops into town to reload.
Read the rest by heading over to DESERT magazine, part of the USA Today Network!