Spending The Day In The San Bernardino Mountains

Traveling up to the San Bernardino Mountains for the day is recreational and economical for Southern Californians who want to spend time in nature. People always wish they could go on a vacation to some exotic port of call, but did you know people from all over the world actually make trips just to come to many places in Southern California? I feel very fortunate to live in a place that people love to visit, and makes me appreciate it all the more. These days I live in the city, but I grew up in the San Bernardino Mountains, and will always enjoy spending time up there.

If you are a photographer or artist, the San Bernardino Mountains can serve as wonderful inspiration for your artwork. Spend the day walking around with a digital camera, and take a few pictures. Many local artists take a lounging chair with them, and simply begin drawing a landscape once they find a place to pull of the road. There are so many creative opportunities here in Southern California, and people forget this region is not all about Los Angeles and movie stars. Actually, many movie stars used to build houses up in Lake Arrowhead to get away from LA for a few days, so you can see why it is quite a retreat.

Over the last few years I have used my mountain as inspiration for art projects. The pictures I take are often used as reference photographs for my sketches. On the April morning when I took these pictures, I especially enjoyed looking at all the trees and mountain ridges in the distance. The cerulean blue color of the sky is always stimulating, and a vibrant contrast to the verdant color of the fores. There is nothing quite as invigorating as spending a spring day up in the San Bernardino Mountains.

So how do you get to the San Bernardino Mountains from the Los Angeles area? The map below will help you plan your trip from any Southern California city to the San Bernardino National Forest, which is the location where I took most of these pictures.

On trips to the San Bernardino Mountains, I highly recommend having a digital camera that takes both video and pictures. There are so many beautiful sights that you will want to capture to enjoy again, and again.

The video above shows the views on a walk in the San Bernardino Mountains in late April.

Walking around the forest up in the San Bernardino Mountains is a phenomenal way to see beautiful landscapes right here in Southern California. There is no need to travel when you have all of these beautiful vistas right here in your own backyard.

Walking along the forest trail can lead to great adventures, and you never know where you might end up. Try to walk with a friend in the forest, and do not go off by yourself.

I video above shows more of the beauty of the San Bernardino Mountains.