The Best Things to Do in Idyllwild, California

Idyllwild is such a cool little vibey mountain town that’s perfect for a weekend nature escape from Los Angeles. There are so many fun things to do in Idyllwild, California for a weekend trip (or longer!). Keep reading to plan your perfect getaway to this special spot.

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How to Get to Idyllwild, California

Idyllwild is located in the San Jacinto mountains right above Palm Springs, and is a great location for a weekend getaway if you live in Southern California. See below for the driving times:

Los Angeles to Idyllwild: ~2.5 hours
San Diego to Idyllwild: ~2.5 hours
Palm Springs to Idyllwild: ~ 1 hour

If you don’t live in California but still want to visit, your best bet would be to fly into LAX, SAN, ONT, or PSP, rent a car, and hit the road! I always use DiscoverCars to find the best deals.

Best Time to Go to Idyllwild

Idyllwild experiences all four seasons, so honestly, any time of year is a great time to go depending on what you’re looking for! I went in late May and the weather was perfect, with highs around 70 and lows around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. It can snow there in the winter, but nothing crazy or unmanageable. I can imagine it would be the coziest, chill winter vibes there! And it would be great to visit in the fall too to see the colorful leaves. (Now I’m wanting to plan another trip back there already to experience the area in another season!)

Best Place to Stay in Idyllwild

There are plenty of great, affordable options of places to stay in Idyllwild, from lodges to A-frame cabins!

Lodges in Idyllwild

Affordable: Root Stone Lodge: This is where we stayed, and absolutely loved it! It’s perfect if you’re traveling with just two people and want the feel of being in a house/Airbnb, but on a budget. This lodge is basically a big house with 5 rooms that are rented out separately. Each room has it’s own bathroom ensuite and a balcony with a view. The living area/kitchen is a shared space. It’s located right on the Strawberry Creek and there’s a nice deck to hang out on with forest views and a hot tub! The host lives nearby and was so nice and helpful if we needed anything. She even made us homemade gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins on our last morning before checkout! This place really just had the best vibes and was the perfect spot to relax after a day spent exploring Idyllwild.

Luxury: Grand Idyllwild Lodge: This tranquil spot has a spa and sauna on the grounds, as well as a hot tub and mini golf course. It has great reviews!

VRBOs in Idyllwild

If you’re visiting Idyllwild with a group, there are plenty of unique vacation homes, from cute A-frame cabins to funky geodesic domes, like this dome cabin with a private hot tub that sleeps 10 people!

Fun Things to Know About Idyllwild, California

The town mayor is a Golden Retriever! His name is Mayor Max. If you’re lucky, you might get a sighting of him in town! He’s normally in town to meet people on the weekends in a pickup truck parked next to Wooly’s (near the Rustic Theatre)
Suicide Rock is the iconic rock formation centered in the forest surrounding the area. You can see it from the heart of town, and can get more up-close views on a hike (people climb the rock itself, too!) The name originates from a local legend about a Native American princess and her lover.
Idyllwild was originally named “Strawberry Valley” because of all the wild strawberries that grow there!

Best Things to Do in Idyllwild, California

It’s definitely a relaxing escape when you are visiting Idyllwild, where you can slow down, smell the fresh mountain air, and just enjoy the vibes of this small town. However, even though it’s a relaxing trip, there are still plenty of things do in Idyllwild!

Walk Along Strawberry Creek

One of the most popular things to do in Idyllwild is to walk through the woods along Strawberry Creek, which flows through the center of Idyllwild. Many of the lodges are set up right against the creek (ours was!) Often, it is faster (and obviously more scenic) to get to town by walking alongside the creek instead of walking on the road. Once you check in to your lodging, start making your way into town via the flat walking trail adjacent to the creek, surrounded by towering pine trees.

Explore the Town

best things to do in idyllwild california

One of the best things to do in Idyllwild (and in any new town that you are visiting) is to simply walk around and explore the shops and restaurants. There are some funky vintage stores, boutiques, bars, and restaurants to check out in town! Here are a few of my faves:

Cute Shops in Idyllwild:

Wild Idy: funky trinkets and gifts
Owl Pine: vintage store in an old house
Hunky Dory Records: super cool record shop!

Best Coffee Shops in Idyllwild:

Black Mountain Coffee Roasting: They roast their own beans here, and you can even do a coffee tasting to get a taste of all the different kinds! If you want to do the tasting, you have to reserve your spot ahead of time. We loved the coffee here so much that we bought some beans to take home with us!
Pure Bean Idy: right in the middle of town, this spot has a nice seating area inside if you need to get some work done!
Alpaca Coffee and Tea: I didn’t have a chance to go to this one, but I’ve heard great things about it too!

Best Breakfast in Idyllwild:

Mama’s Egg House : you order at the counter and then pick a table on their expansive outdoor patio! The food is delicious
Raven Hill Bagels: I love the vibes here. They have great open-face bagel sandwiches and coffee/matcha, and the most beautiful, tranquil patio. It’s right next to the Speakeasy Bookmarket if you want to peruse after your breakfast

Best Spot for Daytime Drinks in Idyllwild

Idyllwild Brewpub: Nice views from the back patio, and they have good food too!
Middle Ridge Winery: When you walk inside, it looks like an art gallery/jewelry store. Order a glass of wine from the bar and then take it outside to their back patio! They normally have live music out there too.

Best Spot for Dinner in Idyllwild

Cafe Aroma: I didn’t have a chance to visit this place myself, but it has great reviews and is known to be one of the best restaurants in Idyllwild!
Manzanita Cantina: This spot is a little on the outskirts of town, so I imagine it’s more of a “locals” restaurant. We ordered takeout from here, and it was fantastic! The enchiladas were some of the best I’ve ever had!
Ferro: This spot has great reviews and, along with Cafe Aroma, is known as one of the best spots for dinner in Idyllwild. I wish we would have gone here! (will have to go back!)
Gastrognome: We ate dinner here. I liked the vibes on the outdoor patio, and it’s right in the heart of town. HOWEVER, the food wasn’t very good in my opinion.

Hike

One of the best things to do in Idyllwild is to go for a hike! The town is nestled in the San Jacinto mountains, which are the mountains that are just above Palm Springs. There are plenty of great hike options to choose from. I’ve listed a few below, in order of easiest to hardest:

Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail

Length: 4.8 Miles
Elevation Gain: 849 ft
Type: Out & Back
Estimated Time: 2 hours

This is the hike that we did. It a nice, easy trail that meanders through the forest with peek-a-boo views of Suicide Rock along the way. You don’t have to do the whole thing if you are short on time, even just going a little ways in before turning around is worth it! It’s definitely a family-friendly trail, too. There are two different areas to park to start this trail, at either end of the trail:

Humber Park

This is the more “official” place to park. It’s a parking lot with restrooms. However, you need to obtain a parking pass in order to park here. You can get the “Adventure Pass” for $5 at a few places in town, like the ranger station or the store called Nomad Ventures. OR if you have an annual national parks pass, you can use that as your trailhead parking pass.

Tahquitz View Drive

The other end of the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail is right off the road at Tahquitz View Drive. When I typed in “Ernie Maxwell Scenic Hike” into my Google Maps, it automatically took be to this trailhead. You park right along side the road. For this side, you do not need a parking pass!

Devils Slide Trail

5.1 miles
1,692 ft elevation gain
Estimated time: 3 hours
Type: Out & Back

This trail is one of the most recommended hikes in Idyllwild. People say it’s a steady incline but nothing too crazy, and you have great views of Suicide Rock along the way. The trailhead starts from Humber Park, just like the Ernie Maxwell Trail.

San Jacinto Peak via Devil’s Slide Trail

14.5 miles
4,353 ft elevation gain
Estimated Time: 10 hours
Type: Out & Back

San Jacinto Peak is one of Southern California’s “Six Pack of Peaks”. A lot of hikers travel to Idyllwild just to do the San Jacinto Peak hike! It’s definitely a time commitment since it’s such a long hike, so if you’re wanting to do several of the best things to do in Idyllwild on this list, you may not have time for them all if you do this hike! Might be better for your second Idllywild trip, but I had to include it on this list since it’s such an iconic, bucket list hike!

Relax

For many people, the purpose of planning a weekend trip to Idyllwild is to escape the city, sit back, relax, and breathe in the crisp mountain air. One of the best things to do in Idyllwild is just that – find a peaceful spot just be still. Listen to the birds chirping, the leaves blowing, and soak in the views of the forest. Many of the lodging options include a nice patio deck and/or a hot tub. We had such a great time in the early evening at Root-Stone Lodge, sipping wine by the hot tub surrounded by pine trees!

Watch the Sunset

One of my favorite things to do in Idyllwild (and any place I’m visiting!) is to find a great spot to watch the sunset. There are two good spots that I know of in Idllywild:

Inspiration Point: this is probably THE BEST spot in the area for catching the sunset, and it’s just a 10-minute drive from the heart of town (just put “Inspiration Point” in your Google Maps!). You can simply pull up and park there and hop out at the viewpoint.
The open field on Tahquitz Drive (near Root Stone Lodge) with the view of Suicide Rock. You can’t see the actual sunset here, but the golden hour lighting against the iconic Suicide Rock makes for great photos

Check Out Lake Fulmor

One of the best things to do in Idyllwild is to hang out at Lake Fulmor in the afternoon! It’s just a 10-15 minute drive from the center of town. You aren’t allowed to swim in this lake, but you can take a walk around the flat trail surrounding the lake, go fishing, or set up a picnic and chill!

Got questions about the best things to do in Idyllwild while planning your trip? Drop a comment below!