Inland Empire

Inland Empire Overview

The Inland Empire includes a mix of farmland, large industry, towering mountains, small communities and large metropolis. The Inland Empire consists of Riverside County and a portion of San Bernardino County, the largest county in the United States. The Inland Empire is more recently becoming known for its wine production and luxurious indian casinos. The mountains surrounding the Inland Empire are the playground of the entire L.A. basin.

Also known as the "Nine-Oh-Nine", in reference to the region's telephone area code (909).

National Parks
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None in this region.

State Parks
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Mt. San Jacinto is the second highest peak in Southern California and features pine forests, mountain meadows and granite rock formations. A hiking trail connects the awesome town of Idyllwild to the San Jacinto Peak and Palm Spring Tram. MORE DETAILS

Silverwood Lake includes hiking trails, swimming beaches, boating, water skiing and fishing. The lake has trout, large-mouth bass, catfish and bluegill. There is a launching ramp at the marina where they also rent boats and equipment. MORE DETAILS

Chino Hills is a 12,000 acre park on the edge of urban development. Popular with hikers and mountain bikers, trails lead over rolling hills and through oak shaded creek beds. MORE DETAILS

Lake Perris offers activities like swimming, boating, sailing, water skiing, biking, camping and fishing from shore, pier or boat. MORE DETAILS

Theme Parks
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Pharoahs Lost Kingdom Water Park is a smaller park with a lot packed into a small area. Park includes an adventure park, midway park and water park. MORE DETAILS

Entertainment
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California Speedway is the southern California home of NASCAR, INDY, CART and NHRA. MORE DETAILS

Snow Skiing/Boarding resorts are found throughout the mountains that border the Inland Empire. Between Mountain High, Big Bear and Mt. Baldy there are 5 major resorts with full snow-making capabilities. MORE DETAILS

Skydiving over Lake Elsinore. Take a tandem dive from a perfectly good airplane and freefall over the Elsinore Valley. Videographers are available to record your experience on DVD and digital photos. MORE DETAILS

Casino Morongo includes a casino with machines and table games, a four-star hotel, a restaurant and bar & grill. MORE DETAILS

Pechanga Casino includes a casino, luxury hotel, several restaurants offering Chinese to steakhouse, a 1,200 seat theatre and a grand ballroom which hosts championship boxing. MORE DETAILS

Hyundai Pavilion is the nation's largest amphitheatre and is situated in Glen Helen Regional Park. Top rock bands perform here April through October including Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Ozzy and more. MORE DETAILS

Shopping
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Victoria Gardens offers a collection of more than 200 stores and restaurants including Coach, Oakley, Macy's, Apple Store, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and more. MORE DETAILS

Ontario Mills is a collection of more than 200 stores and outlets. Stores include Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet, The Disney Store Outlet, Cost Plus World Market, Vans, Movado and more. MORE DETAILS

Galleria at Tyler features nearly 200 stores and restaurants including Abercrombie & Fitch, The Disney Store, Hollister Co., Lane Bryant, Macy's, Nordstrom and more. MORE DETAILS

Montclair Plaza offers nearly 200 stores and restaurants including Ann Taylor Loft, Hot Topic, Vans, No Fear, Macy's, Nordstrom and more. MORE DETAILS

Miscellaneous Recommendations
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Wineries can be found in the fast-growing wine region of Temecula. Here you can find names like Callaway Coastal, Miramonte and Stuart Cellars. MORE DETAILS

Temecula Wine Country Tours offers tours through Temecula wine country on horseback, bike, Hummers and more. Other excursions include Hollywood and Palm Springs. MORE DETAILS

Lake Gregory is a hidden gem in the pine trees of the San Bernardino National Forest. This small lake offers boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking and many other activities. There's even a waterslide that plunges into the lake. MORE DETAILS

Oak Glen is a picturesque small town known for making one thing to perfection… APPLES. Visit in the Spring to view the apple blossoms or in the Fall for fresh apples, apple pie, cider and much more. MORE DETAILS

Idyllwild is a quaint mountain community situated on the second highest peak in Southern California. Rustic cabins and tent camping are plentiful here. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, shopping and sightseeing. MORE DETAILS

Museums of the region include the March Field Air Museum with historic warbirds, several art museums, a Native American Indian Museum and more. MORE DETAILS

Yucaipa Regional Park Voted #1 picnic spot in the Inland Empire, Yucaipa features 885 acres for camping, picnicking, fishing, swimming, pedal boating and more. A small lake is stocked with trout, catfish and bass and offers a swim lagoon and 350-foot waterslides. MORE DETAILS

Glen Helen Regional Park features 1,340 acres of hiking, swimming, fishing, picnicking and entertainment. A small lake offers pedal boating, fishing for trout, catfish and bass and a swim lagoon with a 350-foot water slide. MORE DETAILS

Prado Regional Park features 2,000 acres of outdoor activities including picnicking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, golf, target shooting and more. A small lake is stocked with trout, catfish, and bass. Playing fields are available for soccer, softball, archery and horseshoes. MORE DETAILS

Mission Inn features architecture of Spanish and Islamic influence and is a National Historic Landmark. No less than 8 U.S. Presidents have visited the Inn and it served as the wedding and honeymoon location for Richard & Pat Nixon. Amenities include a hotel, on-site museum, several exquisite restaurants, day spa and more. The Inn encompasses an entire city block in the heart of Downtown Riverside. MORE DETAILS

Mt. San Gorgonio is the highest peak in Southern California at over 11,000 feet. Mt. San Gorgonio offers camping but the main attractions are the hiking trails to the peak. MORE DETAILS

Mt. Baldy Trout Pools are teaming with trout just waiting for anglers to catch. This is a great experience for the youngsters. Rent a pole, tackle and bait and they'll clean the fish and package them on ice for transport home. MORE DETAILS

Mt. Baldy offers snow skiing and boarding in the winter and hiking, mountain biking and sightseeing in the summer. Park below the peak and take the ski lift up to the Notch Restaurant offering views of the L. A. Basin all the way to Catalina Island. A short climb to the backside offers views of the high desert and San Andreas rift. MORE DETAILS

Big Bear Lake is nestled in the pine trees at 8,000 feet overlooking the entire L.A. basin. This has long been a retreat for Los Angeles residents. Highlights include a large 7-mile long lake and major snow skiing & boarding resorts. MORE DETAILS

Palm Springs Tram drops two and a half miles from over 8,500 feet to the desert floor at 2,600 feet in under 30 minutes. At the top is a restaurant offering views of the desert community of Palm Springs and a winter adventure center for snow shoeing and cross-country skiing. The tram is only accessible on the Inland Empire side by a 17-mile hike across the San Jacinto peak from Idyllwild. MORE DETAILS

Diamond Valley Lake is Southern California's newest reservoir and reaches depths of 260-feet. Lake activities include fishing, boating and hiking. No swimming or waterskiing is allowed on the lake but an aquatics center offers a large swimming play area that includes a waterslide. Also onsite is a marina and museum that displays some of the bones of mammoths, mastondons and sloths that were found during the excavation of the lake. Wildflower viewing is popular on the trails surrounding the lake during Spring. MORE DETAILS

Golf Courses are situated in unique locations throughout the Inland Empire, from abandoned rock quarries and thriving winery resorts, to the thin, high-altitude air of the San Bernardino Mountains. Find all of the public courses from Rancho Cucamonga to Temecula, including Riverside and Big Bear Lake. MORE DETAILS

Camping is possible at many locations throughout the Inland Empire. Choose from the ever popular mountain communities of Big Bear and Idyllwild, or some of the lesser known County parks like Prado and Lake Skinner. MORE DETAILS

Hiking trails are availble throughout the mountainous borders of the Inland Empire as well as the foothills of Chino and Riverside. Climb to the top of San Gorgonio, the highest peak in Southern California. Ride the tram from Palm Springs to San Jacinto State Park at over 8,000 feet above sea level, or just enjoy a leisurely stroll through fields of spring flowers in Chino Hills State Park. Our Hiking pages provide detailed maps, directions, website links and trail information. MORE DETAILS

Skydiving is available in the skys about Perris and Elsinore. Services are available for beginner to experienced skydivers. Try an indoor skydiving tunnel for a risk-free thrill. MORE DETAILS

Horseback Riding is available through multiple stables and ranches in the Inland Empire. Head to scenic vistas in Big Bear, secluded trails in Idyllwild, through vineyards in wine country or along riverside trails in the flatlands. MORE DETAILS

Major Airports
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Ontario International airport offers convenient access to all of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties as well as Los Angeles County, Orange County and the desert communities. MORE DETAILS

TIP: This is a large, international airport with few crowds. It is one of the most convenient and usually inexpensive airports in the Southern California region.

Other options to consider would be Orange County, Long Beach, Los Angeles International or Burbank airports.

Traffic & Transportation
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10, 60 & 91 freeways are the East to West freeways linking Los Angeles and Orange County with the Inland Empire and the desert regions. Watch out for these freeways during rush hour traffic. Especially going West in the mornings and East in the evenings. Friday evenings can be especially conjested going eastbound.

15, 215 & 71 freeways are the North to South freeways linking high desert and mountain communities with the Inland Empire and San Diego County. Interstate 15 runs all the way from San Diego to Las Vegas and beyond. The 15 northbound can be especially conjested on Friday evenings with Vegas goers and Sunday evenings southbound when they return.

Highways 18 & 38 travel upward into the San Bernardino Mountains and Big Bear Lake & Resort. These are extremely windy and dangerous two-lane roads. In the winter they are the most crowded with skiers & boarders and snow chains are often required.

Public transportation is fair in the Inland Empire.
Riverside County has the RTA (Riverside Transit Agency) bus system.

San Bernardino County has the OmniTrans bus system.

Metrolink trains link the Inland Empire with Ventura, L.A. and Orange Counties.

Check out our Resources page for links to rental car companies. Amtrak train depots are located throughout the Inland Empire with the exception of the mountain regions. Any areas not accessible by train are usually accessible by Greyhound bus transfer.

Weather
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Winter brings average lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's. Mostly rain and rare hail storms occur. Snow begins to fall in the upper elevations above 4000'. Lower regions are susceptible to fog and flash flooding can occur during heavy rains.

Spring brings average lows in the 60's and highs in the 80's. Rain showers can occur through May. Fog is common in lower regions.

Summer brings average lows in the 80's and highs in the 100's. Upper elevations rarely reach 90. Once or twice a year, Santa Ana winds blow in from the desert reducing humidity and increasing the heat. Summer brush fires are common. Thunderstorms are a common occurrence.

Fall brings average lows in the 50's and highs in the 70's. Thunderstorms increasing with hail and moderate flash flooding. Early snow fall in the upper elevations above 4000'.

NOTE: See our TIPS page for precautions on flash flooding.

Local Events
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Feb 11-14, 2010 - NHRA Winternationals at the Fairplex in Pomona. This historic racetrack, hosted NHRA's first official event in 1953. Today, it still remains a leader in dragster, funny car and pro stock drag racing. WEBSITE

Feb 21, 2010 - NASCAR Racing at the Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) in Fontana. Local racers as well as the nation's top NASCAR drivers will be competing for the checkered flag. WEBSITE

Apr 10-May 23, 2010 - Renaissance Pleasure Faire is held on weekends at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. Celebrate in Renaissance style with actors and volunteers dressed in period clothing and entertaining visitors. Traditional shops, food and entertainment abound. Shops include candle makers, wood works, glass art and more. Food includes game hen, quail, sheppherd's pie, dragon eggs and of course, plenty of grog. Entertainment includes jousting, axe tossing, rat races, juggling, darts and much more. WEBSITE

Jun 4-6, 2010 - Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival is held at Skinner Lake. Over 50 balloons take part in the event as well as most of the region's wineries. Visitors are welcome to book flights in advance for a ride in one of the balloons, or just watch from below at one of the many wine tasting booths. Entertainment includes the balloon glow, where the hot air balloons are filled and lit like jack-o-lanterns, and live music from top performers. WEBSITE

Aug 28-29, 2010 - Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines offers two days of Jazz musicians, food and spirits in a forest setting. Bring your blanket, snacks and wine for this picnic event. WEBSITE

Sept 18-Oct 30, 2010 - Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest on weekends in the Bavarian town of Big Bear. Festivities include log sawing, stein holding, beer drinking contests and live music. Join the locals in this traditional celebration of beer brewing season. WEBSITE

Oct 10, 2010 - NASCAR Racing at the Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) in Fontana. Local racers as well as the nation's top NASCAR drivers will be competing for the checkered flag. WEBSITE

Sept-Nov, 2010 - Apple Blossom Festival is held in Oak Glen and rewards visitors with tree-rippened apples and everything from hard cider to apple pies. WEBSITE

Nov 9-14, 2010 - NHRA Finals Drag Racing at the Fairplex in Pomona. This historic racetrack, hosted NHRA's first official event in 1953. Today, it still remains a leader in dragster, funny car and pro stock drag racing. WEBSITE