Fall Escapes
Three Weekend Getaways Worth the Drive from Burbank

There is something about fall in Southern California that makes the desire to leave town stronger, not weaker. The summer crowds have thinned. The heat has softened. The light turns golden in a way that feels specific to October and November, and the destinations within a few hours of Burbank take on a different character in that light.

None of these trips require a plane. All three are drivable on a Friday afternoon and returnable by Sunday evening. And all three are significantly better in fall than at any other time of year.

Ojai: The Pink Moment and Everything Around It

Distance from Burbank: About 75 miles, roughly 90 minutes depending on traffic.
Best window: October through mid-November.

Ojai has a loyal following among people who have discovered it, and a reputation that sometimes makes first-timers wonder what the fuss is about before they arrive. Then they arrive, and they understand.

The town sits in a narrow east-west valley in the Topatopa Mountains, and that geography creates one of the more unusual light phenomena in California. At sunset, the mountains turn a vivid pink and lavender for a few minutes before the color fades. Locals call it the Pink Moment. It happens every clear evening, and people stop what they are doing to watch it. Fall skies tend to be cleaner and clearer than summer ones, which makes the show better.

Beyond the spectacle, Ojai rewards slow exploration. The main street runs through an arcade of Spanish Colonial buildings with independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. Bart's Books, an outdoor used bookstore that has been operating since 1964, is worth an afternoon by itself. The Ojai Olive Oil Company offers tastings among the olive groves. The Ojai Valley Trail, a flat paved path through the valley, is one of the better easy walks in the region.

For hiking, the Rose Valley Falls Trail in the Los Padres National Forest is about 20 minutes outside of town and manageable for most fitness levels. Fall temperatures make it genuinely pleasant in a way that summer does not.

Stay overnight if you can. Ojai has a handful of excellent small hotels and inns that fill up on weekends. Book ahead.

Big Bear Lake: Oktoberfest, Fall Foliage, and Mountain Air

Distance from Burbank: About 100 miles, roughly two hours.
Best window: Mid-October through early November for peak color. Oktoberfest runs through November 8th.

Big Bear is one of those destinations that Angelenos use in the summer and then forget about until ski season. That gap in between, the fall window, is quietly one of the best times to go.

The San Bernardino Mountains turn in October. The aspens, oaks, and willows around the lake go gold and amber, and the weekend crowds are a fraction of what they are in summer or on snow weekends. The air is genuinely cool, which feels like a novelty after months of valley heat, and the lake reflects the surrounding color in a way that photographs well and looks even better in person.

Big Bear's annual Oktoberfest, running through early November, is one of the largest in Southern California, with live music, traditional food, and the kind of festive crowd that makes an otherwise quiet mountain town feel animated. It runs on weekends and is a good reason to time your visit accordingly.

For outdoor activities, the Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain (not to be confused with the theme park) offers a fun option for families. The Snow Summit area has hiking trails accessible before the ski lifts open. The Big Bear Discovery Center is worth a stop for anyone interested in the local ecology and natural history.

The Village, Big Bear's main commercial strip, has restaurants and shops that stay open through fall. Cabin rentals abound and offer a more comfortable base than hotels for a two-night stay.

Julian: Apple Country and Small-Town Quiet

Distance from Burbank: About 130 miles, roughly two and a half hours.
Best window: October, when the apple harvest is in full swing.

Julian is the kind of place that rewards people who did not know they needed it. A small historic mining town tucked into the mountains of San Diego County, it has built a second identity around apples, and October is when that identity is on fullest display.

The apple orchards surrounding Julian open for picking in the fall, and the town's bakeries turn out pies that have developed a genuine reputation. The Mom's Pies on Main Street is the most famous, but several other bakeries produce equally serious work. Arriving hungry is advisable.

Beyond the food, Julian has the bones of a genuine 19th-century Gold Rush town, with a main street of historic storefronts, a small local museum, and working apple farms that give the area an agricultural character rare in Southern California. The surrounding Cleveland National Forest has hiking trails that see significantly less traffic than the more famous parks closer to Los Angeles.

Julian is small, and it can get busy on peak October weekends when the apple harvest draws day-trippers from San Diego. Going on a weekday, or arriving early on a Saturday and leaving before afternoon, makes the experience significantly more pleasant. A handful of bed-and-breakfasts and small inns offer overnight options for those who want to stay and explore at a slower pace.

The drive itself is scenic. Coming from Burbank, the route through Temecula wine country adds a stop worth making on the way out or back.

A Note on Planning

All three of these destinations book up on fall weekends, particularly in October. If you are planning an overnight trip, confirm accommodations at least two to three weeks ahead, more for peak weekends in Big Bear and Ojai. A Friday night departure avoids the worst of the Saturday morning traffic out of the valley on all three routes.

Fall is short in Southern California. It arrives later than most of the country and moves quickly. These trips are worth scheduling sooner rather than later.

Burbank Escapes is Burbank Hills Living's guide to the best getaways from our corner of the valley.