Checking In & Checking Out Official Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. or later. Sometimes we can have your room ready before that so please check with us ahead of time if you would like an early check-in. If it is possible, we will be happy to accommodate you. Official Check-out time is 11:00a.m. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate late check outs due to cleaning staff and guests checking in. If you plan on arriving after 9:00p.m. don’t worry! Just let us know and we will be happy to leave your key & map showing where your room is, in an envelope on the front bulletin board next to the office door.
Air Conditioning None of our rooms or cabins have air conditioning. Many rooms have ceiling fans, and we have fans in all rooms and extra fans are available at the office. In the summer time, it can be warm during the middle of the day, but it cools off beautifully in the evenings and mornings. If you think you cannot live without air conditioning, it would be best if you booked somewhere else. Our sister facility, Idyllwild Bunkhouse, has air conditioning in all rooms and is also pet friendly.
Pets We welcome your pets here at Silver Pines, but we do ask that you abide by a few simple rules. If you don’t think you can abide by the following rules, it probably would be best if you left your pet at home. Please, Please, Please, do not leave your dog in the room alone! We ask that you not allow your pet to sleep on the beds or furniture. We take great pride in decorating all the rooms and cabins, and many of the bedspreads are handmade. For the comfort of other guests, please keep your dog leashed when outside your cabin on any Silver Pines properties. If your dog poops in an obvious area, please pick it up. If it’s rainy, snowy, or your dogs been in the creek, please ask us for some “dog-towels.” We do have a $20 charge per pet, per night.
Internet Free Wi-Fi in all rooms & cabins.
Standard Equipment All rooms and cabins are fully equipped with bedding, towels, extra blankets & pillows. Every room & cabin also has a small frig, microwave, & coffee maker with complementary coffee, hot teas, sugar, sweetener, & creamer. Every room is heated, regardless of whether or not it has a fireplace. If the room or cabin is listed as having a “Full Kitchen” that means dishes, silverware, pots & pans, paper towels & dishwashing supplies are included. If there is something special that you need, you can always borrow it from the main kitchen in the lodge. Just ask. Color Cable TV is standard in every room.
Firewood During the Fall, Winter, & Spring; we sell the Duraflame Logs in the office for $7 each. We also sell real wood in the lodge office & we also allow our guests to bring their own wood from home or purchase it in town.
Telephone There are no telephones in the rooms. If you need to leave an emergency number, you can leave the Lodge phone # (951)-659-4335. Someone should be available to get messages to you between 9:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. If there is an EMERGENCY there is an after-hours number on the voice mail message. Be sure it is an emergency because we will have to come from our home to give you the message.
BBQ There is a gas BBQ available for all guests on the back deck of the Lodge & also at the Village. Please bring your BBQ stuff to the BBQ. You can get all kinds of meats at the local Grocery Store. Charcoal fires are illegal without a permit.
Games & Puzzles In the Lodge Room, there is a hutch full of games & puzzles that you are welcome to borrow and take back to your room. Please return them when you’re finished.
No Need for Bottled Water! The water that comes out of the faucet is Spring Water directly from our Mountain. It is delicious! Don’t be afraid to drink up! Bottled water isn’t anywhere near the quality of our mountain water & it adds extra plastic to our environment.
Eating Out Here are some recommendations for dining out in Idyllwild: Breakfast and Brunch spots are The Sunflower and Mamas Egg House where they serve breakfast and lunch. The Red Kettle serves home style food with big portions. Tommys Kitchen does a great brunch on the weekends and you can get a great lunch during the week there too. The Alpaca Brunch Cafe is another breakfast spot. We always the love The Idyllwild Brew Pub for lunch with the best Fish n Chips and La Casita best Mexican food in town. Ferro Italian Elevated has a cool patio with live music nightly and Fratellos Ristorante & Pizzeria has the best pizza in town. We recommend that you check online for hours of operation and updated menu items. Some restaurants require reservations on busy weekends and some restaurants are closed during the week. Check out our Idyllwild Restaurants page for more listings of other restaurants in town.
Shopping Almost every gift store in Idyllwild is open from 10 am until 5 pm. A few of my favorites are Wooley’s, a few doors down from the theater. Prairie Dove has some beautiful women’s clothing & Everett’s Minerals has beautiful jewelry. Up at the top of North Circle you’ll find Fern Valley Emporium which is full of antiques. Things change in Idyllwild often, so if you don’t see your favorite store, don’t despair, they may have just moved.
Hiking There are hundreds of official hiking trails both in the State wilderness and the Federal wilderness. The only difference is that in state wilderness, you cannot take dogs. All official wilderness hiking trails require that you sign in at the Ranger Station in town, mainly as a precaution so if you turn up missing, they know where to start looking for you. The only trail that you don’t need a hiking permit for is the Ernie Maxwell “Scenic Trail” out of Humber Park. An adventure pass is required to park at all trail heads. We have several of these passes that we loan out for the day or you can purchase one yourself at the Ranger station. Please return our pass when you finish your hike. If you are unsure about the different hiking trails and would like us to help you choose one that’s right for you, we’d be happy to help. Stop by the office and talk to us. Don’t underestimate the Mountain; many have done so and been hurt. Dress appropriately , stay on marked trails, take plenty of water, and if you can’t see the trail due to snow, turn back.
Mountain Biking There are many trails where mountain bikes are allowed, unfortunately they are difficult to find without a local who knows them. The ranger station has a map of fire roads that you can ride on. For additional information contact Bike Route at 54095 Pine Crest Ave, Idyllwild CA 92549 (951) 659-2038.
Fishing Strawberry Creek is stocked in the spring. Lake Hemet is appx. 15 minutes away in Garner Valley. Rental boats are available, as well as fishing supplies, and licenses. Lake Fulmore is appx. 20 minutes away on Hwy. 243 toward Banning. Fishing is done from the shore, and no supplies are available at the lake itself. Licenses are available at Village Hardware in the center of town. Children under 16 do not need a fishing license.
Rock Climbing Professional teachers and guides can be hired from the “Nomad Ventures” shop on North Circle Drive.
Nature Center Located 1/2 mile north of Idyllwild off Hwy. 243. The Nature Center is open from 9 – 4:30 Tuesday – Sunday. A slide show of Idyllwild’s history and many displays on the logging industry, ancient Cahuilla Indians, & local wildlife are in the center. A self-guided 1/2 mile nature hike with ancient Indian bedrock mortars is very interesting, & guided nature walks are held Saturday & Sunday. There are several other trails out of the Nature Center from easy to moderate difficulty and up to 5 miles in length. Entrance is $2 for adults, $1 for children & $1 for Dogs.
Indian Pictographs & Bedrock Mortars An ancient site located 1 mile from the lodge, has Indian Pictographs and bedrock mortars from the Cahuilla Indians who inhabited these mountains for hundreds of years. Ask for directions at the office.
Boojum Institute Team-building Adventures and Challenge Course Experience fun field games, a low ropes course or a high ropes Challenge Course for your small or large group at the Boojum Institute’s course here in Idyllwild. The Boojum Institute offers recreational games, ropes courses and group development activities in Idyllwild (and other locations). Email info@boojum.org Also check out the website at www.boojum.org!
“This is as close to heaven as anyone is going to get.”