At Home on the PCT

Overnight at Cienaga Creek Cabins on the PCT

Cienaga Creek Ranch rests at 8,250 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains. Nice. But even better: The ranch is smack dab on the Pacific Crest Trail, 8 miles southeast of Big Bear!

This secluded 50-acre retreat has seven rental cabins to choose from—the smaller with faux-frontier facades and names like Mountain Sunset and Wild Rose—each with a barbecue grill, fireplace, kitchen, and bedrooms with slit skylights and a jacuzzi tub. Romantic and idyllic for sure—plus two great day hikes are possible right from your front porch.

The northward hike on the PCT climbs 1,000 feet over 5 miles to Onyx Peak—there was once an active onyx mine on its slope. The southward hike, a 6.6-mile (round-trip) out-and-back to Coon Creek Cabin Group Campground, is a bit more scenic. Near the gateway sign for Cienaga Creek Ranch, walk south along a rough dirt road for half a mile to a dry wash. Here a narrow footpath diverges—take it. (Don’t worry; you’ll see a PCT marker.) The trail traverses a sparse forest of juniper and mixed pines (including limber, piñon, and Jeffrey), but shade is minimal, so shield yourself accordingly. It’s a remote stretch of trail, so you might be alone for miles. You’ll rise about 600 feet over rocky terrain to a ridge, then dip down to the dry Coon Creek, where a dirt road intersects the trail. A steep, treeless drop-off nearby offers deep views southeast into the sunbaked Coachella Valley. Primitive, notched-log Coon Creek Cabin, just up the dirt road, has fallen into disrepair, but the area is still pleasant for picnicking. Return whence ye came.

Take the I-10 to Redlands and exit onto N. University Street. Head north, then turn right onto E. Lugonia Ave. Continue east for 36 miles on CA-38/Mill Creek Rd. Turn right onto Rainbow Ln. to enter the ranch. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View