Introduction
Welcome to Idyllwild. At 5,300 feet, it's a mile high. It takes just one hour to get to Palm Springs, and 2 hours will get you to Los Angeles or San Diego. And yet, this tiny town of appxroximately 4000 full time residents has no stop lights, no chain stores or restaurants, no mail service (everyone goes to the post office for their mail), and no trash service (everyone takes their trash to the dump). And yet, Visitors swell to around 10,000 on weekends, holidays and summertime. It's like stepping back in time, with a bevy of conveniences that make it a unique place to visit.With a multitude of flora and fauna, a world class arts school, miles of hiking trails, and outstanding mountain biking and rock climbing, Idyllwild is the choice for people wanting to escape the hub-bub of city life and willing to slow down and smell the pine trees.Idyllwild's history can be separated into three main periods. The first was the age of the Cahuilla Indians which lasted approximately 2500 years. The second phase runs from the 1850's until the early 1900's, where miners looked for riches, ranchers grazed their herds, and lumber men cut the trees for the railroads and emerging cities down the mountain. The third phase began in the 1890's when folks looking to escape the summer heat and pitch a tent started visiting the mountain and this phase is still going on today.The town has no formal government (it's an unincorporated area of Riverside County), and no official organization to handle the throngs of visitors who come each year. We do have a multitude of volunteer organizations that make the town tick, and a small town feeling that brings people back year after year.
IDY Park
The park site was the original site of the Idyllwild Sanitorium that burned to the ground in 1904. The 2nd building, a single story lodge named The Bungalow before being renamed Idyllwild Inn, opened in 1905 and also burned to the ground in 1946. The property then sat vacant for the next 16 years. The Chamber of Commerce brought in kids play equipment, but then it was turned into Eleanor Park, named after the current owner's wife Eleanor Johnson. She built the initial rock walls and landscaped the park. She added a fountain in the park that was finished just prior to the filming of Kid Gallahad with Elvis Presley in 1961. In the years to come, Eleanor's husband Jerry Johnson added a hot dog stand and and ice cream stand. Eventually that hot dog stand morphed into a restaurant which stood for the next 32 years.In 2017, Dave & Loie Butterfield purchased the restaurant and the land it sat on, demolished the restaurant and rebuilt the walls and returned the site back to a park. They named it IDY Park and dedicated it to the men and women of the armed forces and first responders. They pay to maintain it to this day. This is the site of several annual events such as the Halloween Carnival and the Christmas Tree Lighting.
Tree Monument
Originally, a totem pole was carved by local Bill Butler in 1946 and stood in front of the 3rd Idyllwild Inn which is where Pure Bean Coffee is today. That original Totem Pole was taken down in 1977 when the Idyllwild Inn was demolished and sold to someone in Pine Cove. You can still see it in a very delapitated state along Hwy. 243 near the gas station.In 1989, Artist Jonathan LeBenne carved a giant Totem Pole in the center of town. This totem pole lasted until it had to be taken down for safety due to dry rot and insect infestation in 2006. It had images of different aspects of Idyllwild, including a likeness of Ernie Maxwell, the creator of the Town Crier newspaper.In 2012, artist David Roy was commissioned to carve a replacement monument. It took him 5 years to carve it out of 4 separate trees. It was named the Harmony Monument which is ironic due to the fact that a dispute over the carving caused our Chamber of Commerce to dissolve and it has never been ressurected. It is still the most photographed site in town. It was made by gluing 4 different trees together with Gorilla Glue, then turning it upright where it was carved in place. You can see an amazing video on Youtube if you seach for Harmony Monument, Gorilla Glue.
Idyllwild Inn
Today’s Idyllwild Inn has a long and storied history. Its origins trace back to the Idyllwild Sanitarium, built where the present-day Idy Park is today. The sanitarium primarily served tuberculosis patients, but it also accommodated paying guests to help cover expenses. After the sanitarium closed, the building operated solely as an inn until it burned to the ground in 1904.A second structure was built in 1905 and operated as the Bungalow Hotel. Through changes in ownership, it was eventually renamed the Idyllwild Inn, but this building also burned down in 1946.The third iteration was constructed across the street from the park, on the site of today’s Pure Bean Coffee shopping area. Several rental cabins were located to the right of this inn. When the main building was torn down in 1977 after being condemned by the county, the cabins remained in use as rentals. An office was later built on the site, forming the Idyllwild Inn that exists today.
The Fort
You are looking at what locals call “The Fort.” The builders originally named it The Center of Idyllwild, as evidenced by the wood carving by Jonathan La Benne on the side facing the highway. Locals, however, quickly dubbed it “The Fort.” When it opened in 1992, the nickname was not meant as a compliment, but as a reflection of how imposing—and to some, monstrous—the building felt as it rose.Along with the park in the center of town, this parcel of land has undergone more changes than nearly any other location in Idyllwild. When the Idyllwild Sanitarium was built in 1901 where the park is now, this property served as the adjacent commercial center. A small rock building housed a generator that operated from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., providing power to the sanitarium and later to the Idyllwild Inn, which stood where the park is now. The road in front of the Fort, Park Lane, was not originally a road at all, but the driveway to the Inn.Around this time, a general store and post office were added, transforming the area into the hub of town life and marking the beginning of tourism in Idyllwild. People stopped to buy groceries, pick up their mail, and catch up on local news.When Claudius Emmerson purchased the Idyllwild Inn in 1917, he began developing his holdings to attract summer visitors. He built “The Plunge,” a concrete swimming pool next to the general store. Emmerson went bankrupt in 1936, and in 1941 the store, post office, and power building burned down.The pool survived, and a recreation center called Sportland was eventually built beside it, featuring bowling lanes, a snack bar, and an amusement center. That building burned down after just one year but was rebuilt soon afterward. Nineteen years later, the sports facility—including the pool—was demolished and replaced by an upscale restaurant called the Carriage Inn. Ten years later, in 1976, the Carriage Inn was also torn down. The property then remained vacant for twelve years, until the building now known as “The Fort” was finally constructed and opened in 1992.
The Plunge
If you are looking at "The Fort", you are looking at the location of the original "Plunge" community pool. It was built by Lee Emmerson in 1927 after he purchased the Idyllwild Inn and the adjoining properties. It was built next to the general store and post office, and the town generator was in the back. This building burned to the ground in 1941, but the pool survived. Sportland was built next to the pool in 1947 and the area was primarily an amusement area with horseshoes, pool, bowling alley, soda shop etc. In 1966, the Sportland building was turned into an upscale restaurant called Carriage Inn and the pool was closed and filled in due to the fact that the community didn't want kids anywhere near a restaurant that served alcohol. The town has never had a community pool since.
First Fire Department
In the early 1900's, there were many devastating building fires in the newly forming Idyllwild. In 1904 the Idyllwild Sanatorium burned to the ground, to be followed by the post office and general store where the FORT now stands in 1941, and the 2nd Idyllwild Inn where the park is today burned again in 1945. It was 1946 when the town voted to have their own Fire Department, led by a Chief and a full time crew of 4. They were supported by a volunteer force of 15 men in the community who would answer the wail of the siren whenever there was a fire. The very first Fire Station was located in the building that now houses "Stop Light Thrift Store" on Hwy 243 next door to the Lumber Mill restaurant. It was manned until 11 pm each night. The siren is still there today, so as you're driving by, look up and see the the little cupola at the top of the roof on Stop Light Thrift Store. The Fire Department didn't move to its current location until 1980, so for 36 years, our fire department operated out of this tiny building.
The Gas Station
The Idyllwild Garage and gas station has been around at least since the mid 1930's. It's been in the same place, the same size, with the same garage attached to it. From the look of the cars, it was most likely built in the mid 1930's.
Butterfield Amphitheater and Playground
In 2008, Dave and Loie Butterfield gifted a 5 acre parcel of land to the Idyllwild Community Center to build a future Community Center and Community Playground. It took the community 4 years to raise the funds for the playground, and 4 days to build it. The playground was completed in 2012. In 2016, the Butterfields began preparations to build the amphitheater below the playground, with plans for an eventual community center to be constructed next to the playground, overlooking the amphitheater. The amphitheater was completed in 2018 and is home to the Summer Concert Series. In 2025, the Community Center building was dedicated 17 years after the initial gift of the land was given to the community.
Red Kettle
The Red Kettle building was built most likely in the 1940's. It was originally a store that sold miscellaneous supplies, ice cream, soda's etc. Eventually it became a full time cafe and restaurant and went by such various names as The Coffee Cup & Jan's Red Kettle. It has been a staple here in town for close to 80 years.
Post Office
In the late 1800's when logging was the main industry in Idyllwild, George Hannahs & his wife Sarah opened a general store about where the entrance to Idyllwild Arts is today. This location was the entrance to what was known at the time as "Strawberry Valley" from the dirt toll road (today's Tollgate Rd) up from Hemet that people on horseback and stagecoaches took to get here. In 1893, the very first post office was established by Hannahs inside this store and named Raynetta after his son Ray. Hannahs and his wife had been operating a sawmill near what is now Strawberry Shopping Plaza, and they operated a tent camping area where the current day Harmony Monument is, called "Camp Idylwilde".When a group of businessmen purchased the "Camp Idylwilde" property and built what they named the Idyllwild Sanitarium, the post office was moved from the Hannahs' store down near present day Idyllwild Arts, to the Sanitarium in 1901 and officially renamed Idyllwild Post Office.After the Sanitarium burned down in 1905 and was rebuilt as the Idyllwild Inn, Lee Emerson built a new post office and general store in 1917, where the Fort is today. This post office burned down in 1941.After the fire, from 1941 - 1961, the post office operated out of what is today the Candy Cupboard store on North Circle. The right side where the hair salon is, was the original Forest Service.In 1961, a new post office was built across the street from "Eleanor Park" (today the Idy Park in the center of town) where Fratello's Restaurant is. It was finished just in time for the filming of Elvis Presley's "Kid Galahad" movie where it served in the movie as a church.In 1978, the Strawberry Shopping Plaza opened and the Post Office soon moved over to its current location so it could be central to the pharmacy and grocery store. One thing is for sure....things are always changing in Idyllwild.
Idyllwild Community Church
In the 1920’s people met to attend Sunday Church services by visiting pastors in an outside bowl, where the Butterfield Amphitheater is now. A pump organ was hauled down to the bowl which was next to Strawberry Creek, every week. In 1925, locals who attended these church services built the manse to your right for visiting pastors and preachers. Sunday services continued to be held in the outdoor “Bowl” until 1950 when the current congregation built the building you see in front of you. There were many different religions represented in the congregation and the new building was named the Idyllwild Community Church.
Silver Pines Lodge
In 1929, the building in front of you was built as a place to manufacture rustic furniture. Custom furniture made out of local pine was very popular and several craftsmen on the hill made furniture to sell to local tourists who were quickly purchasing lots for vacation homes. Eventually, a tavern and a gas station were added to the “Rustic Shop & Tavern” and General Patton would come up the hill from his training site in the desert to play poker at the tavern. In 1948, a couple who thought the town needed it’s own movie theater purchased the tavern and turned it into the Rustic Theatre. In room #12 in the lower right hand corner of the building, the old ticket window still exists. Patrons would enter through the right side, buy their ticket, and proceed through the double doors into the old lodge room to watch the movie. In 1952 the owners built a new movie theater in the center of town, but it’s still called “The Rustic Theatre” after the original theatre housed here.After the movie theater moved out, it became a lodge and was named “The Hillbilly Lodge”. A number of people owned the lodge over the years, and during that time, one of them decided too many people asked if the lodge had running water, so they changed the name to Silver Pines after gazing at a particularly pretty moon-lit evening. It celebrated 100 years in 2025.
Town Hall
Town Hall was built by the community in 1946. The whole town closed for the day and everyone came out to help lay the foundation. It was built on a lot given to the town by the Johnson Family for “recreational purposes”. Title to Town Hall was held by the Chamber until it dissolved in 2016 due to a law suit. The building reverted back to the Johnson Family who then wanted to sell it. Two benevolent benefactors, Dave & Loie Butterfield and Tom & Dorothy Hawthorne, purchased the building, completely refurbished it, and gave it back to the town, title held by the organization Idyllwild Community Center.It is used for all sorts of activities including an after-school program, Jazzercise, plays, town meetings, festivals, etc. It is also available to rent for special occasions.
Historical Museum
The Idyllwild Historical Museum was originally a vacation cabin built in 1929. The Butts family used the cabin for 60 years. It now serves to house historical artifacts from Idyllwild, Pine Cove, and the surrounding area. The Idyllwild Area Historical Society (IAHS) was formed by a dedicated group of localsto preserve the history of Idyllwild and neighboring communities in the San Jacinto Mountains; to maintain artifacts thereof in a manner accessible to the public; and to promote public awareness of local history for the enrichment of visitors and residents.”The Museum was opened in 2003. The old garage building on the back side is an administrative office, and the new building in back is our Archives building which is temperature controlled and houses all artifacts that are not currently on display in the museum. The museum is manned by volunteers and is open on Saturday and Sundays from 11 am - 4 pm. The gardens around the museum are open all day, every day.
Creekstone Inn
Creekstone Inn was built as a residence and a market in 1947. The upstairs served as a private residence for the family who ran the Fern Valley Market downstairs. A soda fountain was added, and eventually the market closed and it was an italian restaurant for a time from 1976 - 1986. It closed for several years until it was reopened in 1994 as a 9 room boutique Bed & Breakfast. It has been an Inn ever since.
Town Crier Building
In the early 1920, Idyllwild had a one page, weekly News sheet called the Idyllwild Breeze. It was published by C.L. Emmerson who owned the Idyllwild Inn. In 1946, Ernie Maxwell and his wife Betty published the very first edition of The Town Crier from their living room. Ernie, who was Born in 1911, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art and philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. After graduation, he drew cartoons for the New Yorker and Esquire magazines. Starting in 1939, he gained newspaper experience writing and cartooning for Copley News Service and the Los Angeles Times. In 1944, he and wife Betty purchased a lot in Idyllwild, and built their home in 1945. In 1946 they published the first Town Crier which they exclaimed came out “semi-occasionally”. They published the Crier for the next 26 years. The Town Crier is still in publication today.
Humber Park
Humber Park, 2.7 miles from the center of town, is a 10 acre parking facility and the trailhead for 2 popular hiking trails; The Devil’s Slide Trail and The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail. Humber Park sits at 6500 feet, approximately 1000 feet higher than the center of town. It is the highest point in Idyllwild that you can drive to. No overnight camping is permitted in the parking area and an Adventure Pass (Parking Pass) is required to park. No hiking permit is required to hike the Ernie Maxwell Scenic trail, but a hiking permit IS required to hike the Devil’s Slide trail.Pacific Crest Trail hikers often come off the PCT down into town via Humber Park. It was named after Rollin Humber who was a Real Estate agent in the 1940’s selling tracts of land in Idyllwild for vacation cabins. After his death in 1955, the company donated 10 acres at this location for a hiking trailhead. It is now owned and operated by the U.S. Forest Service. There are pit-bathrooms in the parking lot.
Idyllwild Elementary School
In the late 1800's, the town's population was very small, mostly loggers, and most residents were only summer time residents. In 1917 when the Lee Emmerson bought the Idyllwild Inn, school was being taught out of a borrowed cabin. Emmerson hired someone to build a one-room school house where the courtyard building is today behind the Mobile Gas station for the dozen or so children attending. In 1929, the old Saunders homestead land down at the corner of Saunder's Meadow Rd. and what is today Highway 243 was selected to build a new school. It lasted for 20 years before it became too small and the current day school you see today was built. Today, appx. 300 students from Kindergarten - 8th grade attend this school. For high school, kids must travel down to Hemet to attend Hemet High School.
Astro Camp
The meadow part of Astro Camp was originally the site of one of Idyllwild’s first Golf Courses in the early 1920’s. It was originally named Idyllwild Golf Club, and later renamed Mount San Jacinto Golf Club. When the depression hit, the Golf Club went bust. In the summer of 1943, a private school down near the Salton Sea run by the Elliott family, came up to Idyllwild and ran a summer camp out of the closed down Clubhouse. By 1946, the school operated at this location full time, and it became a boarding school. In 1951 it added high school courses. Many famous movie stars such Frank Sinatra, Peter Sellers, Fred Astair, Art Linkletter, and the Lockheed Family sent their children to this boarding school, now known as Elliott-Pope Preparatory School. In 1990 the school closed it’s doors, and it was purchased that same year by Guided Discoveries as a camp for middle school kids who attend 2-3 day science camps during the regular school year, and a summer camp for kids of all ages in the summer who are interested in space & astronomy known as “Astro Camp” The “Clubhouse” still exists today on the Astro Camp grounds and is a beautiful WWII era building.
Idyllwild Arts
Idyllwild Arts Academy and Summer Program is a hidden gem in the town of Idyllwild. It has been an integral part of the community for 78 years. It was started in 1946 by husband and wife Max & Bee Krone, 2 music professors from USC in Los Angeles. It was a summer camp for adults, in fact, USC students could get college credit for attending classes. The teachers that taught in the early years were world famous; Ansel Adams(Photography), Bella Lewitsky (Dance), Pete Seeger(Music) & Lora Woodhead Steer (Ceramics).After operating as just a summer program for the first 40 years, the school had to figure out a way to use the campus during the other 9 months. USC had owned and operated the school from 1964 - 1983, and they were getting tired of supporting it. So in 1983 the Idyllwild Arts foundation took it back from USC and started using the original name Idyllwild School of Music and The Arts (ISOMATA). In 1983, under the direction of a new executive director from a boarding school in Las Vegas, Bill Lowman convinced the board to create a boarding high school. It is to this day one of only 3 private performing arts boarding high schools in the nation, and the only one west of the Mississippi (the other 2 are Interlochen in Michigan, and Walnut Hill in Massachusetts). In 1995, the name was changed from ISOMATA to Idyllwild Arts to encompass both the Academy and the Summer Program.Today, Idyllwild arts, which sits on 205 pristine acres at the end of Tollgate Rd. has an enrollment of 279, with students from 30 different countries. These students go on after high school to attend some of the most prestigious colleges in the country such as Juilliard, Tufts & USC. The students attend classes 6 days a week, with most of their academic classes in the morning and their "art" in the afternoon. The cost to attend Idyllwild Arts is approximately $73,000 per year, and about 65% receive some type of scholarship. Approsimately 8% of the students are "day students" which means they live off-campus. Of the 279 students, 52% are from the United States, and 48% are international.The Summer Program is open to anyone ages 5 years to 100 years. They offer a multitude of classes that can be found on their website. One of the greatest benefits to our community is, most ALL of the performances in music, drama, dance, creative writing, film, visual arts & fashion are open to the public. To find out if anything is happening that you can attend, check out the weekly schedule on Good Morning Idyllwild. All performances open to the public will be listed there each week.
