With its towering pines and incense cedars, great boulders and lively creeks, Idyllwild County Park offers a family-friendly introduction to the pleasures of the San Jacinto Mountains. Such pleasures are visited via a couple of miles of trail that tour the forest and climb to viewpoints for far-reaching vistas of the stony ramparts of the range. The adventure begins at the Idyllwild Nature Center, a mile north of the town of Idyllwild.
Exhibits present the natural and cultural history of the mountains.
Many of Idyllwild's slopes, including this parkland, were logged in the 19th century, so most of the forest is second growth. The trail passes some amazing specimens of manzanita and meanders past black oak and boulders. With its soft reddish bark and stately stature, the incense cedar seems to exemplify tranquillity. About halfway along, the nature trail travels near Lily Creek and arrives at an impressive bit of bedrock where the native Cahuilla Indians ground seeds and acorns. The longer loop trail begins behind the visitor center and, after a short, modest ascent southward, reaches a turnoff for a view point.