Lake Arrowhead Adventures
By: Ann Nguyen ‘22
It’s about that time in the semester when most midterms — yes, even the “Exam 2′s” that occurred after mid-semester and therefore technically aren’t midterms anymore — have passed, the essays worth 40% of your grade have been turned in, and there’s the smallest window of opportunity for a break. If you’re looking to leave the hustle and bustle of our busy city, then maybe the mountains are where you should go. Whether you enjoy hiking or just breathing in crisp, fresh air, an escape into nature is the perfect way to relax, collect yourself, and get ready for the final stretch toward finals.
I myself recently took a trip to Lake Arrowhead with my residential college, McCarthy, which has made the outing an annual adventure. To start off, here are some lovely fun facts about Lake Arrowhead:
It’s roughly 83 miles away from USC.
It was originally named Little Bear Lake and is only about an hour’s drive away from Big Bear.
The community is nestled within the San Bernardino Mountains.
The drive out to where we were staying took about two hours, but my road trip squad definitely made the time worth-while by jamming out to everything from Hamilton to Taylor Swift. Winding up the mountains, we were sure to look down upon the gorgeous city surrounding us as it lit up in the night. The first thing I particularly noticed once we settled in to our home for the weekend, however, were the lights in the sky. As we have all noticed by now, Los Angeles and its air/light pollution usually doesn’t allow us to exactly see a starry night, but out at Lake Arrowhead, stars were the only things you could see when you looked up and each one shined and twinkled so brightly. The views honestly gave me such a rush!
The night didn’t end there, of course. Though the fireplaces weren’t working, we didn’t let that stop us from (extremely cautiously and safely) making s'mores with the oven-top burners. And what’s a campfire snack without some campfire stories? Our residential faculty members told us scary stories while we finished up our smoky, delicious sweets. We heard everything from classics like "the girl with the green ribbon around her neck” to featured spooky tales from a reddit thread. Then, we were off to a good night’s sleep in preparation for a very busy Saturday.
8:30 AM — Rise and shine! After a nutritious breakfast, we headed out for a chill hike on a trail that eventually led us to the famous Heart Rock… though we definitely took our time exploring areas off-trail. It was just so calming to be out in nature and breathe in the fresh air, and it really made me feel free to live in the moment. As we slid down declines with less friction than expected, climbed rocks, walked across fallen trees, and hopped across cold rivers, I truly felt simply happy. Few of us managed to stay dry on this mere 1-mile trek, having stepped in some stream or another, but it wasn’t too much of a bother, especially since Lake Arrowhead was so nice and sunny. Our next exploration spot was Arrowhead Village, which was a fun little spot filled with shops located around the lake itself. My friends and I watched the ducks being fed as we enjoyed delicious ice cream cones. (If you ever find yourself at Village Ice Cream & Sweets Shoppe, I highly recommend Mocha Almond Fudge.)
To finish up our afternoon, we all headed to Lake Gregory for some free time to just hang out and take in nature. I opted to partake in the traditional, if not stereotypical, activity of skipping rocks across the lake, and I even convinced some friends to join in. Though my personal skip record remained at only three, one of our group members skipped a rock six times! It was pretty impressive I must admit. Lake Gregory is much less commercialized than Lake Arrowhead itself, so if you find yourself there, bring a book or a journal because you’ll have plenty of peace and quiet to do whatever you’d like! I personally went with listening to “Wagon Wheel” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” — trust me, it really fit the vibe — and taking pictures of the scenery.
We spent our evening watching the sun set, talking about ourselves and what our lives would be in alternate universes, drinking hot cocoa, and honestly getting a head-start on some homework. It was the perfect end to a really perfect weekend making new friends and strengthening bonds with old ones.
If you are looking to get out for one last weekend of relaxation and are now convinced that Lake Arrowhead is the place for you, definitely check out these helpful sites to plan your own adventure:
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