I’m not sure how it took us so long to make it out to Skypark Santa’s Village but we finally made it out this past weekend and it definitely exceeded all of our expectations.
Skypark is nestled in the mountains in Lake Arrowhead. It’s a gorgeous property with lots of land, greenery and adventure. It’s a little over a two hour drive in San Diego and certainly worth a weekend trip up in the mountains (keep scrolling for our tips on where to stay).
Skypark Santa’s Village is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year. My mom told me she remembers going with her parents as a little girl (apparently she forgot to take me). The park has been completely renovated over the years and is a must visit for all ages.
What to do at Skypark Santa’s Village
This weekend was the season’s opening weekend for Santa’s Village. There’s so much to do for kids and adults of all ages and you can easily spend all day at the park with all of the activities they have for families.
For the little ones, here’s our top picks:
- Meet & great with Santa (reservation needed)
- Tricycle rides
- Mini zip line
- Puppet show
- Character visits
- Gold mining
- Magic show
- Train ride
- Playground
- Cookie decorating
- Toy making
- Letters to Santa
For the big kids, there’s plenty of adventure too:
- Rock climbing
- Zip lining
- Archery
- Ax throwing
- Bike trails
- Ice skating
Must try while there:
- Snickerdoodle gingerbread cookies (do NOT miss this)
- Peppermint hot cocoa
When to visit
Skypark Santa’s Village is open for the winter season and anytime before Christmas would be extra magical for little ones. The season runs from Nov. 21st to Jan. 10th, make sure you look into making a reservation with Santa early as those go quickly. They also have breakfast with Santa options available.
Also keep in mind that the weather gets cold up in the mountains so plan accordingly for chances of snow or rain. We went up 2 weeks after a big snow storm and were able to catch the last remains of snow piles on the group, but it was not slowing. It was high 50s during the day and the weather dropped to the 30s at night so pack those jackets!
Where to stay– Lake Arrowhead Resort
We stayed at the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa and we can not wait to go back. The resort is located about 8 minutes away from Skypark and has the most beautiful views of the lake.
We had a gorgeous view of the lake from our room where we were able to enjoy a glass of wine with a view in privacy. We saw some swans swimming early in the morning and watched the sunset over the lake with the colorful trees in the background.
The resort is also COVID friendly- here you can find my blog post on how to plan travel during COVID. There are hand sanitizing stations located throughout the resort and the jacuzzi is temporarily closed. If you plan on dining at the resort, make sure you bring layers as you will be dinning outside.
Lake Arrowhead Resort would make the perfect vacation during any season. In the summer, you can take advantage of swimming in the lake and enjoy the resort’s private beach. We will certainly be back in the summer so Danny can bring his fishing poles and fish on the side of the dock in the mornings. I also need to pack my paddle board on our next trip.
In the winter, you can get gorgeous views of the snowy mountains and adventure off to Big Bear for skiing/snowboarding, or find a nearby slope to do some sledding.
Where to dine- Bin 189
We also enjoyed all of our meals at Bin 189, which is the restaurant on-site at the resort and their dinner menu was beyond delicious. Danny got the petit filet minion with garlic mashed potatoes and it was delicious. They also have a delicious charcuterie board and a current special of Brussel sprouts with pork belly (sooo good). Make sure you leave room for dessert as they have a ton of great options. I had a creme brûlée with a blueberry tart and I didn’t even save some to share. We also ordered a strawberry cheesecake mousse and it was also delicious.
Lake Arrowhead Resort is one of the most relaxing resorts we’ve ever stayed at and we truly found it so peaceful. We cannot wait to continue this yearly tradition with the girls of making it out to Skypark Santa’s Village to feel the magic of Christmas.
Some of the most breathtaking views on the drive-up and a great way spend some relaxing family time in Southern California.
