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Recommended Reviews - Idyllwild Nature Center
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Another family fun snow trip! Was a little worried that we came too early as there wasn't much snow on the drive up like last year in March, but there was way more than enough for the kids to have fun for an hour and a half. We opted to park across the street and play on that side instead of fighting for parking and the crowds. Thank you for sharing a piece of your town with us!
Definitely an amazing place to go hiking. One of my favorites in so cal. It's only a couple hours away from San Diego and we'll worth the drive. Leashed pups are allowed. Beautiful sights. Just a luscious forest.
Beautiful nature center with a few small trails, bird watching deck and a scenic viewpoint. Small little museum , tiny rock maze , amphitheater and barely there creek. A small puppet show interactive displays. Great for the family but clearly needs more volunteers to have better service. Most activities are on your own.
The nature center itself is beautiful and the trails are very well kept. Five stars for that! The reason for a star drop is due to a few things: - The only map is on the side of the building so a quick snapshot with the iPhone is all you get. Difficult to read on the phone while hiking and the map itself isn't very descriptive. We ran into a couple other groups of people trying to find trails but going the wrong way frustrated. Would much prefer a printed map to carry along to see all trails at once and hold the right direction for our travels - There are apparent markers with numbers on the trails but nothing to reference them to. I'm sure there was a lot of history and things to learn but we had no idea where to get that info - Entering the park the fees are well marked but nobody at the booth and confusion by a few people trying to figure out where to pay. I found a sign taped to another sign that said pay at the Nature Center and helped the other couple that was confused. - Entering the nature center I expected a warmer welcome. I popped in and said "Hi, is this were we pay?" got an expressionless "yeah", was asked if I wanted my receipt and I said only if it's need to put in the car for parking, "no" was the response. I asked if there were any maps besides the one on the exterior wall and again, one word, "no". There were a lot of cool things, stuffed wild animals and books inside, but we didn't feel very welcome so just took to the trails. That part was beautiful, though finding the trails we wanted to take was confusing and we just sort of gave up and wandered through the park. It's not very big so a great place if you don't want to hike longer than an hour or so.. There are lots of other fantastic places in this area, so we will likely try another place to hike next time we are in the area.
This nature center is a wonderful place to hang out and be with nature. It offers a wide variety of trails, different lengths and climbs, basically you will probably be able to find something that would fit your level! This nature center has trails that connect to many other different trails in the area. Come explore! The center's visitor center is not opened for viewing, but they are opened with a ranger there daily to give you pamphlets and info on the center and nearby area. They also have local items for sale. Everything you purchase will help fund the center and the people so please be generous. There are also fees when you visit, you can also donate more than the fees. It really helps keep the center and the animals and people who are taking care of the place! This center is so beautiful, many variety of trees and you can get a pamphlet and follow the loop to read up on all the markers of all the historical information of the area. I love the manzanita trees in Idyllwild, I think this is one of the many beautiful signature of this town. You will also run into plenty of wild animals here since it is their natural habitat. Lots of squirrels and chipmunks. We saw a couple deers and many beautiful birds. Normal birds feeding time is not operated right now because they cannot afford to have full staff, but please don't feed the animals any of your leftovers.. And please pick up your trash too! Lastly, the public restroom is surprisingly very clean and well ventilated. Masks required. Overall I would really recommend anyone in Idyllwild to come check this beautiful place out!
One of our favorite spots to hike. Trails for every age and fitness level. Perimeter trail is moderate but does have some steep climbs/descents. Nature trail is easy and good for kids. Summit trail is short but climbs quite a bit. My 6 & 10 year olds are able to finish with a little help from me in a couple spots. Views from the Summit Trail are amazing. You can see for miles in both directions from the top. There are several downed logs and large rocks on the trail if you need a break or just want to sit and enjoy the fresh mountain air. The Nature Center is also very cool. There's a lot of history about the area and a few live animals for viewing as well. There are events fairly regularly which just enhance the activities for kids and adults. Parking is located very close to the nature center and trail heads. Great day trip for the family.
Come here on the snowy days. Definitely recommend for families with children as it offers parking and is a lot safer to be on the trails to play in the snow. Parking was $20 and worth it. There's a lot of great views of mountains and trees. Always so much fun coming here!
We came here on both days that we were in town. We were lucky to arrive on a weekend of the snow storm and went sledding at this park while it was snowing flurries! So beautiful. Lots of little hills inside for sledding and it's a scenic walk. Not many people when we came on Saturday (found a parking space in the lot) but it was super packed on Sunday (you can park on the side along the main road). Fun times!!
I would highly recommend you start your Idyllwild trip here! They have nature trails for you to explore, and an indoor nature center with fun displays of local flora and fauna. There are maps and the staff there can answer any questions you may have about the area. They also have a large picnic section right by the parking lot with tons of shade. It is also very dog friendly! Dogs on leash can explore the outside trails and even the indoor center. A small entrance fee is totally worth it!
Everything you need right outside of downtown. We enjoyed our morning exploring all over the nature center. The gentleman working inside was super friendly and gave us great recommendations. Be sure you pack lots of water and are wearing good shoes. The hikes can get HOT when there is no shade around! Gorgeous area and so glad we got to explore most of it!
One of the most beautiful trails in Southern California. My review is on the South Ridge Trail... No parking lot. Parking is on the dirt mountain and must use your gps to find. This is a lovely hike and will test your endurance and patience the beginning 1.5 miles be used it's steep. It seems like your going up and up, just go slow and at your pace. Lots of trees and boulders. Lots of stunning views and area for a small picnic. Dogs are allowed on trails with leash and pls remember to pick up after their poop. Many different variety of plants. Enjoy this lovely trail.
3 years ago
Came here with family during Memorial Day weekend because they had an event showing for the kids. It was pretty awesome to see their displays of local flowers and wildlife. Everything was set up nicely and they even had cool activities for the kids (microscopes for looking at local flowers). Enjoyed our short time here. Volunteer staff was extremely friendly and informative. Would love to stop by next year ! read more
6 months ago
The actual center has local animals in taxidermy and some live ones as well. They also have a variety of plants and bugs on display which helps to learn about the area. The lady working was knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely stop by. read more
Another family fun snow trip! Was a little worried that we came too early as there wasn't much snow on the drive up like last year in March, but there was way more than enough for the kids to have fun for an hour and a half. We opted to park across the street and play on that side instead of fighting for parking and the crowds. Thank you for sharing a piece of your town with us! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Definitely an amazing place to go hiking. One of my favorites in so cal. It's only a couple hours away from San Diego and we'll worth the drive. Leashed pups are allowed. Beautiful sights. Just a luscious forest. read more
Beautiful nature center with a few small trails, bird watching deck and a scenic viewpoint. Small little museum , tiny rock maze , amphitheater and barely there creek. A small puppet show interactive displays. Great for the family but clearly needs more volunteers to have better service. Most activities are on your own. read more
1 year ago
The nature center itself is beautiful and the trails are very well kept. Five stars for that! The reason for a star drop is due to a few things: - The only map is on the side of the building so a quick snapshot with the iPhone is all you get. Difficult to read on the phone while hiking and the map itself isn't very descriptive. We ran into a couple other groups of people trying to find trails but going the wrong way frustrated. Would much prefer a printed map to carry along to see all trails at once and hold the right direction for our travels - There are apparent markers with numbers on the trails but nothing to reference them to. I'm sure there was a lot of history and things to learn but we had no idea where to get that info - Entering the park the fees are well marked but nobody at the booth and confusion by a few people trying to figure out where to pay. I found a sign taped to another sign that said pay at the Nature Center and helped the other couple that was confused. - Entering the nature center I expected a warmer welcome. I popped in and said "Hi, is this were we pay?" got an expressionless "yeah", was asked if I wanted my receipt and I said only if it's need to put in the car for parking, "no" was the response. I asked if there were any maps besides the one on the exterior wall and again, one word, "no". There were a lot of cool things, stuffed wild animals and books inside, but we didn't feel very welcome so just took to the trails. That part was beautiful, though finding the trails we wanted to take was confusing and we just sort of gave up and wandered through the park. It's not very big so a great place if you don't want to hike longer than an hour or so.. There are lots of other fantastic places in this area, so we will likely try another place to hike next time we are in the area. read more
This nature center is a wonderful place to hang out and be with nature. It offers a wide variety of trails, different lengths and climbs, basically you will probably be able to find something that would fit your level! This nature center has trails that connect to many other different trails in the area. Come explore! The center's visitor center is not opened for viewing, but they are opened with a ranger there daily to give you pamphlets and info on the center and nearby area. They also have local items for sale. Everything you purchase will help fund the center and the people so please be generous. There are also fees when you visit, you can also donate more than the fees. It really helps keep the center and the animals and people who are taking care of the place! This center is so beautiful, many variety of trees and you can get a pamphlet and follow the loop to read up on all the markers of all the historical information of the area. I love the manzanita trees in Idyllwild, I think this is one of the many beautiful signature of this town. You will also run into plenty of wild animals here since it is their natural habitat. Lots of squirrels and chipmunks. We saw a couple deers and many beautiful birds. Normal birds feeding time is not operated right now because they cannot afford to have full staff, but please don't feed the animals any of your leftovers.. And please pick up your trash too! Lastly, the public restroom is surprisingly very clean and well ventilated. Masks required. Overall I would really recommend anyone in Idyllwild to come check this beautiful place out! read more
One of our favorite spots to hike. Trails for every age and fitness level. Perimeter trail is moderate but does have some steep climbs/descents. Nature trail is easy and good for kids. Summit trail is short but climbs quite a bit. My 6 & 10 year olds are able to finish with a little help from me in a couple spots. Views from the Summit Trail are amazing. You can see for miles in both directions from the top. There are several downed logs and large rocks on the trail if you need a break or just want to sit and enjoy the fresh mountain air. The Nature Center is also very cool. There's a lot of history about the area and a few live animals for viewing as well. There are events fairly regularly which just enhance the activities for kids and adults. Parking is located very close to the nature center and trail heads. Great day trip for the family. read more
Come here on the snowy days. Definitely recommend for families with children as it offers parking and is a lot safer to be on the trails to play in the snow. Parking was $20 and worth it. There's a lot of great views of mountains and trees. Always so much fun coming here! read more
3 years ago
We came here on both days that we were in town. We were lucky to arrive on a weekend of the snow storm and went sledding at this park while it was snowing flurries! So beautiful. Lots of little hills inside for sledding and it's a scenic walk. Not many people when we came on Saturday (found a parking space in the lot) but it was super packed on Sunday (you can park on the side along the main road). Fun times!! read more
I would highly recommend you start your Idyllwild trip here! They have nature trails for you to explore, and an indoor nature center with fun displays of local flora and fauna. There are maps and the staff there can answer any questions you may have about the area. They also have a large picnic section right by the parking lot with tons of shade. It is also very dog friendly! Dogs on leash can explore the outside trails and even the indoor center. A small entrance fee is totally worth it! read more
Everything you need right outside of downtown. We enjoyed our morning exploring all over the nature center. The gentleman working inside was super friendly and gave us great recommendations. Be sure you pack lots of water and are wearing good shoes. The hikes can get HOT when there is no shade around! Gorgeous area and so glad we got to explore most of it! read more
One of the most beautiful trails in Southern California. My review is on the South Ridge Trail... No parking lot. Parking is on the dirt mountain and must use your gps to find. This is a lovely hike and will test your endurance and patience the beginning 1.5 miles be used it's steep. It seems like your going up and up, just go slow and at your pace. Lots of trees and boulders. Lots of stunning views and area for a small picnic. Dogs are allowed on trails with leash and pls remember to pick up after their poop. Many different variety of plants. Enjoy this lovely trail. read more
5 years ago
Oh my goodness we stopped here to have a picnic breakfast and ended up staying for 4 hours! We hiked the nature trail, hillside and summit trails! The summit/hillside loop was great and scenic! A good amount of elevation gained and some great rocks to stop and enjoy the view on. We enjoyed the nature center and got lucky enough to go Birding with Ranger Steve! That was a highlight! If you come, bring binoculars and enjoy all the birds there are to see! From chickadees to the beautiful acorn woodpeckers! The bird deck on the side of the nature center is so beautiful and a fun place to see some birds. read more
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Love this place such a relaxing atmosphere great place to get away and relax best hiking trails and especially great for kids! Highly recommend read more
2 years ago
This is a nice, quiet little place with several hiking trails. The center itself (where you walk in to pay a small fee) has some stuffed animal exhibits and a little turtle cage outside. I think there was also a compost class today and I saw a small tour group. Aside from that, the trails were clear on a Saturday morning. We went at 9:00 am, right when they opened and were able to enjoy the nature trail and perimeter trail by ourselves. There are lots of squirrels and lizards, which my dog would try chasing. The trail is clearly outlined and hard to miss, but it is quite dusty around this time of the year. It probably looks better during winter! Nice weather today and pretty shady thanks to the trees. There are two water fountains close to the center as well as restrooms. The nature trail and perimeter trail is good for beginner hikers. Those are the ones we took, since my dog is a lazy oaf. He still managed to carry our two water bottles, his poop bags, and collapsible water bowl, and still had the energy to bust through the trails and sneer at me huffing behind him. If you're more active and have a dog with you, try the more difficult trails. Idyllwild is a great dog friendly vacation spot. I have a nervous, fear reactive dog, so it's difficult to take him to places. I'm so glad we found this little town! The nature center was awesome since the trails were nice and quiet. Perfect for my pup. read more
7 years ago
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This was a nice little excursion in Idyllwild. It is small but filled with lots of interesting things to look at. There is a lot of taxidermy if you are into that kind of thing. There are also tanks of live animals, including several snakes, turtles, tarantula, and (my favorite), hissing cockroaches. It's super kid friendly. There are lots of books and puzzles for the younger set. Older kids will enjoy the displays of skeletons, baskets, mortar/pestles, and dioramas. One of our favorite displays was of the paw prints and poop (called scat) of local wildlife like deer, coyote and raccoon. Yea, we do have a real warped sense of humor. They have soda, water, and snacks for purchase. Outside, there were numbered markers for different plants, trees, and cacti. However, there were no placards with descriptions. We received a map when we paid for admission but it only listed hiking trails and didn't provide any info on the marked trees and plants. ???? We must have missed something there. Oh well. We did venture on one of the trails and it was very easy to walk along (nice because I was just wearing sandals). It was relaxing being among all the trees, and there were benches along the way to just sit on and breathe in the fresh mountain air. There are several picnic tables right by the center so if you are so inclined, bring your lunch and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We stayed for about an hour and a half and even though our visit was short, it was very satisfying, fun, and educational. read more
This place was pretty awesome to come and hike a bit. A way to get out of the city and just enjoy nature. Dog friendly also and pretty nice trials they have paved. There is a camp site and a nature center with some great history. Worth the drive and the weather up here is awesome. Fresh air smells so goooood!! Please bring your dogs here as it is so much fun!!! Be responsible and pick up after your four legged friends. read more
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More info about Idyllwild Nature Center
25225 Hwy 243
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Directions
(951) 659-3850
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Outdoor Amenities
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Ask the Community - Idyllwild Nature Center
I understand it's dog friendly on leash 🐕👍🏼💕 however - Which hikes or trails would be recommended or Suitable for dogs?
It looked to me all of them would be except maybe the 6 mile hike near the entrance is supposed to be more "difficult". The "Perimeter Trail" is short with only a few mild hills, well groomed and would be easy for your pup
Review Highlights - Idyllwild Nature Center
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