Wrightwood and Big Pines

Images of America: California

by Pat Krig, Barbara Van Houten

Nestled at 6,000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains, the village of Wrightwood sits amidst a mountain range next to the finest ski slopes east of Los Angeles. This picturesque community has been a cherished mountain retreat removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, where skyscrapers give way to towering pine trees and roads run parallel to trails and ski runs. During the early twenties, the area's appeal as a gorgeous setting for hiking and other outdoor activities led the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to develop a year-round recreational facility west of Wrightwood, known as Big Pines County Park. Now a haven for commuters, Wrightwood remains a close-knit community despite the influx of more than half a million skiers and mountain lovers annually.

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book on the history of Wrightwood and Big Pines, told mainly in pictures, from the earliest days of permanent residence up to the 1970s. Things I learned:

1. Swimming Pools - There used to be a swimming pool in downtown Wrightwood where the library now stands. It apparently sprang a leak and was eventually filled in. There was also a swimming pool up at the Big Pines Recreation Area.

2. Big Pines Recreation Area. This was a BIG DEAL from about 1925 to 1940. They had both summer and winter activities including skiing, tobogganing, a dance hall and movie theater (the building still stands) and plenty of campgrounds and camping. USC played UCLA in ice hockey up here back in the day. They even bid for the 1932 Winter Olympics to be held here. Interesting.

3. Money. Los Angeles County used to run the Big Pines Rec Area until the depression and their own finances forced them to give it to the Forest Service, which retains control to this day.

[Shirley Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book in a series of old California towns and areas. We visited Wrightwood over the 4th of July 2017 and enjoyed the outing. We had to laugh at the The Twin Lakes - they were more like large swimming pools or ponds. The Town does have a wonderful history and is a beautiful setting in the mountains. Would visit again, and once again the old photos tell the history of a bit of the Old West in California.