How Do You Like Them Pumpkins?

Hike Oak Glen Preserve and U Pick Pumpkins

If it weren't for pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, we Angelenos might never know that fall has arrived. Unless you know about Oak Glen’s good old fashioned u-pick pumpkin and hiking adventure combo.  Nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains just 90 minutes outside of LA, this tiny mile-high community is ideal for a fall outing. Make a day of it by visiting the Oak Glen Preserve, a sprawling nature reserve where you can hike through an idyllic landscape and pick your own pumpkins and chestnuts afterwards. Stick to the preserve’s main loop for a 2-mile loop hike, or meander onto the spur trails to lengthen your jaunt. You'll start with a gentle stroll through the Children's Forest, shaded by towering giant sequoias. Next, it's a walk through the oak knoll, a bucolic picnic area covered with California black oaks. As you follow the path, you'll trace along a bubbling stream, climb a chaparral ridge, walk on a boardwalk through wetlands, and visit a fish-filled duck pond. See pines, cedars, sage, elderberries, sunflowers, and myriad other native California trees and plants along the way. As you reach the end of the hike, you'll see a detour road on your left that takes you across the street to Los Rios Rancho, also part of the preserve and the place for u-pick seasonal offerings—currently pumpkins and chestnuts.

BONUS: On your drive back down the hill, make a pit stop at Snow-Line Orchard. They have a hard apple cider tasting room with wines and ciders pressed on-site. People line up out the door for their made-to-order mini apple cider donuts smothered in cinnamon sugar.

Oak Glen Preserve is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (map) Trail maps are available on-site or on Oak Glen Preserve's website. Los Rios Rancho at the Oak Glen Preserve has u-pick pumpkins and chestnuts daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dog-friendly!

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