Oak Glen

Oak Glen is a small farming community in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, between 4,000 and 5,000 feet up. Enoch Parrish opened the first apple orchard here in 1876, and shipping fruit out has nearly ended: growers now make most of their money from people who drive up. Apple season gets the attention, but the growers' association says cider is pressed all year and most restaurants and bakeries stay open through the winter, when the trees are resting.

What's Worth Seeing

The Oak Glen part of Oak Glen Road is about five miles of farms, shops, bakeries and cideries, so pick a couple of stops and drive between them.

Snow-Line Orchard at 39400 Oak Glen Road dates to 1898. Its mini cider donuts are made with the farm's own cider in the batter and come out hot with cinnamon sugar. It also pours its own wine and hard cider, sells apples in the store when it has them, and has picnic grounds with an old Italian chestnut tree.

Oak Tree Mountain is a 14-acre family stop with a petting zoo, gem panning, a slide and Apple Annie's Bakery, which is known for its Mile-High Apple Pies. Some of these run on weekends only, so look at its site first.

The growers' association puts apple season at Labor Day through Thanksgiving weekend, with U-pick and other activities at the farms. Winter can bring enough snow for a snowman, the blossoms come in spring, and the Apple Blossom Festival marks them. Heirloom apples like Arkansas Black and Glen Seedling grow here too. The association asks people to contact each farm about hours and what's available, and its farm list has the numbers.

How to Get There

Oak Glen Road is a winding loop of about 20 miles off I-10. It leaves the freeway in Yucaipa, climbs through Potato Canyon and Wilshire Creek Canyon, and comes back down to I-10 in Beaumont, so you can start from either end. The association's Where Is Oak Glen page describes the route.

Nearby

• Los Rios Rancho is a working apple farm on the same road, planted by the Rivers brothers starting in 1906, with U-pick, a bakery and a barbecue cafe.
• Oak Glen Preserve at the same address covers 909 acres of trails and picnic areas, with free admission. Fires of any kind and charcoal grills aren't allowed.
• Riley's Farm is the first farm on the right coming in from the Beaumont side, an apple orchard with U-pick and living history programs.