Ridge Route Communities Historical Society and Museum

   The histories of Native Americans and early settlers living in the mountains centered around Frazier Park, California are told through donated artifacts and family photographs. The museum is one small room. A log cabin and early gas station are located on the grounds.

   The museum is accessible. The grounds are surfaced with gravel which makes rolling around a bit difficult. The log cabin and gas station are not open to tour and can be viewed from the parking lot.

   Do not drive to the museum if you have a large RV. Park in the gravel section of the post office parking lot and follow the path or walk along the street. This is a mountain community and the streets are narrow with sharp bends. The museum lot is very small and there isn’t room to turn around.  Museum  34.81998, -118.94428

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

   A wet and cool spring produced super blooms everywhere in southern California but none match the display at the Poppy Reserve. The hills are covered with thousands of poppies and tiny goldfields.

    Seven miles of interconnected trails climb to the hilltops and circle back to the parking lot. The interpretive center has a short video and a gift shop.

    We visited on a weekday around 3:00 and didn’t wait in line very long but weekends can be very busy. Poppies also cover the hills east of the reserve and there’s room on the side of the road to stop  so that’s an option if the reserve is crowded. The poppies close about 4:00 in the afternoon and if it’s very windy or cold.

    Everything is uphill from the parking lot. A short paved section leads to an overlook. Wheelchair users may need assistance to climb the hill. We walked/rolled counter clockwise along the two mile, unpaved loop at the west end of the reserve. It starts with a steep uphill then goes gradually back down with a few rolling sections. An energetic helper is necessary. It may be easier to go clockwise. The interpretive center is accessible.

    RV and bus parking is at the far end of a gravel lot. Wheelchair users may need assistance to get to the paved trail and the interpretive center because of the uphill grade. Reserve 34.73046, -118.39185

Saddleback Butte State Park

Update 2026 - everything is about the same although the park has been a little neglected - the shelters need a new coat of stain or paint and one restroom has been boarded up.  

This little park is in the middle of nowhere and visitation is low. The trails that climb to the tops of Little Butte and Saddleback Butte are the main attractions.

 

The campground has restrooms, a dump station and potable water. Most of the faucets are not threaded. The campsites have shade ramadas over the tables. The sites are not reservable which isn’t a problem. We stayed for three nights and had the campground almost all to ourselves. The road parallel to the campground goes to Edwards Airforce Base and is heavily traveled so it’s kind of noisy.

The accessible campsite has a wide parking pad, a large “living " area, a table with an extended top, and is close to the restroom. The ground is hard packed dirt with some gravel and rolling is fairly easy.

 The 1/2 mile loop nature trail and  a portion of the Little Butte Trail are designated as accessible.The nature trail is paved for most of the loop except for one short section that’s rough gravel. We are puzzled by this as there does not seem to be a reason to leave it unpaved. The trail goes downhill so save energy for the push back up. The Little Butte Trail become loose sand very quickly and is not accessible. 

The visitor center is accessible but open on weekends only so we did not visit it. Park  34.6767, -117.8253

Prime Desert Woodland Preserve

    Joshua trees, junipers, cottonwoods, creosote bushes, and desert shrubs provide food and nesting spots for birds and animals in this little park surrounded by suburban development. The ones we saw were all common types such as hares, cottontails, quails. and mocking birds but it was still fun to see so much wildlife in one small area.

     

   About two miles of trails with interpretive signs circle through the preserve. Stop at the Interpretive Center (opened Sat, Sun, and Weds) and get a map.

  The Interpretive Center is accessible with a paved walkway to the door. The rest of the trails are hard packed sandy soil and are very accessible. All of the little washes and dips are spanned by bridges which met the paths evenly and flush.

   Small RVs will fit in the parking lot if backed up over the ground. Larger RVs can be parked on the neighborhood street near the reserve entrance.  Preserve  34.6677, -118.19384

Lancaster, California Murals

   The murals were a nice surprise for us. We spotted one as we were walking/rolling along Lancaster Blvd and then it became a hunt to find more. The murals are part of two projects – the Aerospace Walk of Honor that spotlights test pilots, and the POW!WOW! an event sponsored by the Lancaster Museum of Art and History which brings in local artists and volunteers to paint the walls. Since we didn’t have a map I know we missed some of the murals. This is the best map I could find and it may be missing the test pilots murals - Map.

    The public parking at the library on Dale Ave is large enough for any RV. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in very good condition. Murals  34.6994, -118.14043

Lancaster Museum of Art and History

  With themed exhibits that change every three months this small but dynamic museum features thought-provoking artwork. The theme during our visit was Peace on Earth which explores humankind’s impact on the natural world.

    The museum is accessible.

  The public parking at the library, one block east on Dale Ave, is large enough for any RV. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in very good condition.  Museum  34.69798, -118.14195

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

   The first inhabitants of this area of California were Native Americans who were attracted by the springs, small ponds, and abundant wild life. In 1839 it became part of a Spanish land grant and subsequently passed through a series of owners who operated ranches and farms. One of the last private owners was Elias “Lucky” Baldwin, a real-estate developer who subdivided the land but reserved a piece for his country estate. In 1947 111 acres of the estate were purchased jointly by the state and Los Angeles County. Improvements over the years have resulted in a spectacular garden.

    The garden has several dozen small themed gardens and larger gardens with plants from Africa, Australia, Madagascar, and the Canary Islands. Tropical plants and orchids fill a greenhouse. A Queen Anne Cottage and carriage house, built during Baldwin’s time, have been restored. The carriage house is opened to tour.  An Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad depot built in 1890 has been reconstructed on the property. Tours are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Parts of the garden may look familiar because many movies and television shows have been filmed on the grounds. The cottage appears in the opening scene of Fantasy Island.

   The garden paths are a mix of pavement and hardpacked sand. Most of them are accessible. The paved roads double as walking trails. The cottage is not open for tours. The carriage house has steep access ramps. We did not visit the depot.

     RVs will fit in the parking lot that parallels Baldwin Ave if parked lengthwise across the spaces. Do not attempt to drive an RV into the section closest to the entry. There’s a tight turn with overhanging trees. Garden  34.14506, -118.05038

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

   Susanna Bixby Bryant started this garden of native California plants on her family’s homestead in 1927. The remote location of the ranch hindered visitation by the public and researchers so in 1951 a decision was made to move the garden to Claremont California. The main purpose of the garden is to preserve plants from all of California’s ecosystems, especially the rare and endangered ones. The garden’s collection of native plants numbers over 20,000 different kinds.

    The garden has three sections - the largest at 35 acres features southern California plant communities that are dry and hot; the Alluvial Garden has palm trees, oaks, wildflowers and cacti; and  Indian Hill Mesa, the most cultivated, has display gardens and a children’s area. Pick up a map at the entrance booth because it’s easy to get confused by the intertwining paths.

                                                                                                                                                                              

      

   The garden is fairly accessible. The asphalt paths are cracked and crumbling in places but they are still usable. The sand paths are hard packed and smooth. The narrow gravel trails are rough. Follow the signs for a long ADA compliant ramp to the mesa.

    RVs will fit in the lot if backed up over the landscaping or parked lengthwise across the spaces. Garden  34.11044, -117.71558