NATURE & WILDLIFE

The Arboretum is a unique mountain oasis of natural beauty, open dawn to dusk 365 days a year.

Travel east on Highway 18 from Crestline to reach Heaps Peak Arboretum, a cornucopia of native plants and pollinators. Take the one-mile Sequoia Trail in June, and stroll under  blossoming Dogwood trees.

29358 Rim of the World Hwy #18, Skyforest, CA 92385

Just like the humans who flock to Crestline for its majestic trees, sparkling lake and great fishing, birds of all types do the same year-round. Winter and spring are prime seasons to spot the many feathered friends who converge on Lake Gregory in Crestline for a quick stopover or part-time living before migrating on. The iconic guidebook, Birds of the San Bernardino Mountains, by Anita K. Booth, rates Lake Gregory a “superior birding location.” It earned that rating with the help of the occasional trout fishing Bald Eagle from November to May, the Great Blue Heron (a year-round resident), Red-shouldered Hawk and elegant White Egret.

In winter, the duck population expands, dominated by Mallards, plus less common denizens like the Ring-necked Duck and Redhead Duck. Come spring, most head north, along with the goose-like Double-crested Cormorant. Some Mallards and Cormorants stay, partying together at the Lake Gregory boat landing, joined by clown-faced coots and a wayward American Pelican or two. Get out your binoculars. In spring and summer, swallows (Tree, Cliff, Barn and Violet- green) forego San Juan Capistrano to nest above Lake Gregory’s northern shoreline. You’ll also spot the bright-yellow Lesser Goldfinch, red-tufted Acorn Woodpecker and vocal Steller’s Jays.

When you visit the San Bernardino mountains, you’re visiting the forest and its natural inhabitants as well. These mountains are home to abundant gray squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, hawks, racoons, jays, frogs, lizards, woodpeckers and coyotes.

If you’re lucky, you may see foxes, bobcats, mule deer, flying squirrels, porcupines, eagles, king snakes and owls. When out hiking and exploring, it’s always best to stay alert; there are bears, rattlesnakes and mountain lions here. These wild residents generally prefer to remain hidden, and the best way to get along is to let them be. Although you’re not likely to come face to face with wildlife, it’s good to remember that the mountains are their home, first and foremost.

If you are a tree aficionado, this is your Zen. Among the mix of conifer forests and oak woodlands is the versatile pine family—from the ponderosa to the Jeffrey, sugar, Coulter, lodgepole and knobcone. Or check out Douglas fir, incense cedar and California black oak, among other non-pine stunners.

May kicks off wildflower season. Lupine shows off a range of hues from white to silver to deep purple. Bees love it! California Buckwheat—pink in summer, rust by fall—and Narrow-leaf Milkweed keep butterflies like Monarchs coming back for more.

Some native plants make tasty dinner options for humans.  In the spring, look for chickweed in moist shady places. After a quick rinse, this salad green is ready to eat. Dried leaves can be added to baked dishes.

 Vitamin C-rich Miner’s Lettuce—prized by early gold miners for avoiding scurvy—is another great salad addition. It prefers moist, shady places in spring and summer.

Stinging Nettles, found along streams, bursts with green nutrition. Wear gloves and long sleeves to gather the leaves, which are covered in stinging hairs, as are the stems. Prepare it like spinach; cooking will eliminate the sting.