Riverside County is the fourth-largest in the state, covering 7,300 square miles of wide-ranging topography, from Southern California’s desert plains to the 10,834-foot summit of Mount San Jacinto. Less than a two-hour drive from both Los Angeles and San Diego, this sun-drenched region has attractions for every type of traveler—art mavens, nature lovers, thrill seekers, serious shoppers, wine aficionados, and more.
What to See and Do in Riverside
The city of Riverside is both the county seat and a California postcard come to life. Founded in 1870 by utopian idealists, Riverside boasts near-perfect weather and a rich cultural legacy. California’s citrus industry was born here—tour California Citrus State Historic Park to learn about California’s second “gold rush,” which began with a few cuttings from a Brazilian orange tree. See more horticultural wonders at the 40-acre University of California Riverside Botanic Gardens, a lush oasis with more than 3,500 plant species and hundreds of specimens from around the world.
Art lovers should spend a few hours at the Riverside Art Museum, where works by Marc Chagall, Karl Benjamin, and Takashi Murakami highlight the permanent collection. A few steps away, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture features the actor-comedian’s renowned collection of 700-plus works by Chicano artists from the United States and Mexico.
Spend the night or savor a meal at the world-famous Mission Inn, the country’s largest Mission Revival–style building. Furnished with lavish antiques, the sprawling structure is adorned with flying buttresses, archways, courtyards, stained-glass windows, a bell tower, and a circular wrought-iron staircase.
What to See and Do in 10Lake Valley
Southwest Riverside County has a fitting nickname: 10Lake Valley. In the valley’s eight communities—Canyon Lake, Hemet, Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, San Jacinto, and Wildomar—lake-focused fun takes center stage. Rev up the excitement with jetskiing, waterskiing, and wakeboarding at 3,000-acre Lake Elsinore, Southern California’s largest freshwater lake. The speed limit is “as fast as you please” in the lake’s center, but on the perimeter, a no-wake zone lets paddlers, swimmers, and anglers play in quieter water.
You’ll find lakeside camping and cabin rentals at fish-filled Lake Hemet, and an abundance of shorebirds and waterfowl at Mystic Lake and neighboring San Jacinto Wildlife Area. At Lake Perris, paddlers kayak to Allesandro Island, then hike to the island’s high point or picnic under shade ramadas.
You can play on land, too. Pedal an e-bike along Diamond Valley Lake’s shoreline in Canyon Lake, then refuel with aprés-trail burgers and cocktails at the Canyon Cowboy Saloon. Go rock climbing at Big Rock, a 180-foot-high granite monolith at Lake Perris. Or dial back the adrenaline with a nature hike at Murietta’s Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, 9,000 acres of oak woodlands, grassy meadows, and vernal pools. Afterward, find your zen in the warm mineral pools at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, a geothermal oasis with resort accommodations and a cocktail lounge.
Shoppers and strollers can head to Lake Elsinore’s historic Main Street or Washington Avenue in Murrieta—a stretch dotted with browse-worthy antique shops like The Little Burlap Barn and Reborn Treasures. Beer lovers find their tribe at 10Lake Valley’s festive breweries, including Menifee’s The Mason Jar Brewing Company, Lake Elsinore’s Craft Brewing, and Murrieta’s Garage Brewing Co. and 8 Bit Brewing.
What to See and Do in Temecula
In laid-back Temecula, locals and visitors savor the slow life amid pastoral vineyards surrounding a historic, walkable downtown. Temecula’s railroading past is preserved in the water towers, wooden sidewalks, and 1860s frontier-style storefronts of Old Town Temecula, where 12 blocks of boutiques and eateries invite lingering. Follow the Old Town self-guided walking tour, then sample olive oils at Temecula Olive Oil Co. or browse vintage treasures at the Old Town Antique Faire. At meal time, pause for a farm-fresh lunch at EAT Marketplace, stone-oven pizzas at The Goat & Vine, or cocktails and burgers at 1909, which once housed a trading post and a livery.
Plan for at least one full day to explore Temecula Valley’s 50 wineries pouring Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Grenache. Cruise the De Portola Wine Trail (11 wineries) or the Rancho California Wine Trail (20 wineries). Be sure to stop at Oak Mountain Winery’s subterranean wine cave, a cool respite on warm summer days. For a tailored experience, hire a wine pro to drive you around the region’s beautiful tasting rooms.
What to See and Do in Greater Palm Springs
The nine desert communities of Greater Palm Springs excel for cosmopolitan pleasures like upscale shopping, alfresco dining (even in January), and bottomless-mimosa brunches. But nature plays a leading role, too. On the cities’ outskirts, leafy palm oases offer soul-soothing scenery and miles of trails.
In Palm Springs, tear yourself away from your hotel’s pool to hike in the Indian Canyons, where streams tumble down from the San Jacinto Mountains, or take a ride to the alpine slopes of Mount San Jacinto on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Neighboring cities offer more diversions: Rancho Mirage shines with tony golf resorts and the Sunnylands Estate, a midcentury modern architectural gem. Palm Desert lures shoppers to the El Paseo Shopping District and animal lovers to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Coachella‘s rich Hispanic heritage is reflected in dozens of colorful murals and top-notch Mexican eateries. In Desert Hot Springs, mineral-water spas outnumber coffee shops. Reserve a spot for a Moroccan clay body mask or royal foot treatment at El Morocco Inn and Spa, swim in the whitewashed pool at Azure Palm Hot Springs, or splurge on an overnight retreat at Two Bunch Palms.