Really, this is the best place to have a picnic.
The timeless ambiance, great views of southern Redlands, and fortunate abundance of oaks and elms (when will southern Californians get that palm trees are hideous?!) totally beat up the stereotype that graveyards are creepy. This place is quaint and beautiful.
I first came here because of my nerdy attraction to see the gravestones of JUDSON and BROWN, the two founders of Redlands back in the day. Yup, this place has history. It's super fun to walk around the century-old plots, noting really pretty early-1900's names belonging to rich aristocracy (names that could come out of Edith Wharton books.
My second time here was spent cleaning aforementioned gravestones with a few of my friends for our high school civics project. Their initial reaction when I asked them, as they had never been to a graveyard before, was "GRAVEDIGGING?!? THAT'S CREEPY!" Haha. But they got over it as they realized we were just raking leaves and cleaning plaques. The office staff that I talked to was friendly and let us do our own thing, providing us with water and water buckets. We had a good time squirrel watching to pass the time. It was hard work but I highly recommend volunteering here, as it is for a good cause.
My third time here was equally satisfying. A picnic! Finally! My friend and I spent a peaceful afternoon of reading and eating. There was hardly anyone around, too--the only people we saw were cleaning crews but they didn't seemed to be bothered by us nor were we bothered by them. And you can get a good workout here--the grounds are expansive and you can see how the progression of gravestones reflect later lives lost.
Hillside Memorial Park is both serene, beautiful, quiet, and--unlike many public parks--safe. There are no homeless people asking for change amongst the gravestones. There are no shady drug transactions going on behind the mausoleum. There are no Ultimate Frisbees grazing your head or malevolent ducks like there are in Ford Park. It closes at dusk everyday, which is actually not a problem because people loitering in graveyards at night is way creepier than in the daytime. Because it's nestled safely within the hills of southern Redlands, you have to drive there, but it's worth it for the tranquility.
The best part about it? It's a total secret. Not many people come up here to look around, but the place is quite welcoming and steeped in history, if you like those kinds of things. It's definitely one of the best places to read a book or have a quiet date--that is, if you get over the fear of graveyards. And if you feel really helpful, volunteer! But whatever you do, don't mess this place up--awesomely free places are a rare find! read more