2026's 10 Most Scenic Southern California Towns
Southern California knows how to put on a show. Autumn turns Big Bear Lake gold along Castle Rock Trail. In Julian, the season arrives by the slice at Mom’s Pie House. Whale-watching boats leave Dana Point for the Pacific while Malibu supplies classic surf beside its famous pier. Farther inland, Rancho Mirage changes the tempo with stargazing at its observatory and desert elegance at Sunnylands. These scenic towns offer mountain color, ocean drama, and striking desert horizons for a Southern California trip in 2026.
Los Olivos
Los Olivos may be a tiny town in the Santa Ynez Valley, yet this small town goes big in fine wines and bold flavors. In town, Los Olivos Cafe makes a great spot for farm-fresh cuisine with expert wine pairings. Speaking of wines, it's worth the road trip (with a designated driver) to Zaca Mesa Winery for their highly acclaimed single-vineyard Rhône-style wines and gorgeous vineyard vistas. And closer to town, Koehler Wine Estate sits in a quieter corner of Foxen Canyon and specializes in organically grown small-batch wines, including Sangioveses, Cabernet Francs, and Chardonnays.
Returning to town, visitors can retreat to the elegantly comfortable confines of The Inn at Mattei's Tavern. Originally opened in 1886 as a stagecoach stop, it's now an Auberge Collection boutique resort featuring spacious and stylish accommodations, tasty creations at The Tavern restaurant, and a number of indulgent treatments available at their Lavender Barn spa.
Montecito
Just east of (the city of) Santa Barbara, Montecito shines as bright as its A-List Hollywood celebrity residents with an idyllic setting between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. For those wanting a pleasant day at the coast, Butterfly Beach is Montecito's main beach and a perfect spot to go swimming, kayaking, or stand-up paddleboarding at sea. Another local gem is Casa del Herrero, a 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival estate designed by George Washington Smith. Tours run by appointment with a docent and take in the main house, the blacksmith workshop, and the outdoor gardens. And at the north end of Montecito, Hot Springs Canyon extends across some 462 acres of sensitive creek habitat in the Santa Ynez Mountain foothills, where the main trail climbs to a set of natural mineral hot springs. Parking at the trailhead is very limited, so an early start helps.
Staying up in the foothills, San Ysidro Ranch has hosted notable guests since it first opened to travelers in 1893, among them Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Groucho Marx, and Lucille Ball. The resort continues to roll out the red carpet for guests and provide luxurious cottage-style accommodations alongside award-winning dining and a full-service spa and salon.
Ojai
Set in the Ojai Valley of Ventura County, under the Topatopa Mountains and about 23 miles north of Oxnard, is the farm town of Ojai. To get a good sense of what's growing out here, folks can head over to Ojai Olive Oil's farm, try some of their homegrown olive oils, and peruse their selection of artisan culinary and personal care products. Or, they can stay in town and pop into Ojai Valley Brewery and try some of their classic lagers, inventive botanical-infused beers, and equally impressive Side Street Wines. Then, for anyone wanting a simpler outing in open nature, the Ventura River Preserve protects a three-mile stretch of the river and surrounding canyons that make an inviting habitat for native wildlife like black bears, mountain lions, badgers, and mule deer.
Back in town, the Ojai Valley Inn makes another exceptionally beautiful oasis. The resort's golf course has been drawing avid golfers to this end of Southern California since 1923, and the property also holds the highly regarded Spa Ojai, along with a sumptuous lineup of Spanish-Mediterranean inspired rooms and suites.
Malibu
Around 26 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles, Malibu has been made famous by a long and ever-growing list of movies and TV shows filmed in this beach town, and the beaches tend to look even better in real life than they do on the silver screen. A little farther west, Leo Carrillo State Park has over a mile of open, unspoiled beaches ideal for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, and tidepooling. Moving into town, Point Dume State Beach makes a great beach to go surfing, scuba diving, and hiking atop the coastal bluff. And right by the Malibu Pier, Surfrider Beach is another beloved surfers' beach that also has a nearby lagoon that's ideal for birdwatching.
Also near Malibu Pier is Malibu Beach Inn, an oceanfront boutique hotel with just 47 comfortably luxurious rooms, yet it's also where guests will find the wonderfully farm-to-table Carbon Beach Club restaurant and private beach access.
San Marino
In the San Gabriel Valley east of Downtown Los Angeles, San Marino is an unassuming town with a run of landmarks worth building a day around. Perhaps the crown jewel of this town is The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, the former estate of railroad magnate Henry Huntington and present-day home of works like the American Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt's painting Breakfast in Bed. Also in San Marino is El Molino Viejo, a grist mill completed around 1816 for Mission San Gabriel and often described as the oldest commercial building in Southern California. Its walled gardens hold arboretum accreditation, and admission is free.
A short drive south, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is the fourth of California's 21 Spanish colonial missions. It was founded in 1771 and moved to its present site in 1775, and the stone and brick church standing there today went up between 1791 and 1805. That church reopened in 2023 after a restoration following a 2020 fire. Keeping close to these and other area landmarks, The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, is itself a legendary landmark that has been setting the standard for luxury since it reopened as the Huntington Hotel in 1914. Today, the hotel continues to impress with deluxe guest quarters, the full-service Chuan Spa, and a full selection of delectable dining options.
Big Bear Lake
Set high (as in, over 6,700 feet above sea level) in the San Bernardino Mountains of the Inland Empire, Big Bear Lake showcases a different side of Southern California, one that abounds in pine forests and towering mountains. Oh, and Big Bear Lake also showcases some amazing fall colors once the autumnal equinox passes, and the Castle Rock Trail is a wonderful way to see some local fall foliage while hiking into the upper reaches of the forest. In addition, there's the Alpine Pedal Path, an ADA-accessible and bike-friendly trail that offers lovely lake views and an easier trail for casual leaf-peeping. And for another perspective on the local landscape, visitors can tee off at the nine-hole Bear Mountain Golf Course, which typically stays open into late October, weather permitting.
Located on two acres of serene pine groves on the south side of Big Bear Lake, Pine Knot Guest Ranch keeps guests within a short and pleasant walk of the lakeshore and the central village. And during their stay here, guests can expect free high-speed internet, free parking, pet-friendly units, and even private hot tubs in select cabins.
Rancho Mirage
The end of summer brings cooler temperatures to the Coachella Valley, which makes it a much more inviting option for an autumn sojourn. The tony resort town of Rancho Mirage, around 12 miles east of Palm Springs, makes the ideal desert playground. Directly south of town, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument extends across 280,000 acres of critical Sonoran Desert habitat for native animals like bighorn sheep and desert tortoises, and it provides some 200 miles of beautiful hiking trails. Then, for those wanting to explore the sky, the Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory keeps a research-grade PlaneWave CDK 700 telescope under a rotating dome. It runs free public stargazing nights and daytime behind-the-scenes tours, so visitors should check the current schedule before going.
For a more genteel experience in town, Sunnylands opens its arid-adapted gardens and historic estate to the public each year between mid-September and early June. The Annenberg estate has hosted presidents, including George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama, for diplomatic meetings, and tickets for the guided house tours go on sale online monthly and sell out fast. No matter how much or how little one wants to do in Rancho Mirage, the Sensei Porcupine Creek boutique resort makes a stay here feel so much better. This 230-acre adults-only property comes complete with an oasis-like pool complex, a full 18-hole golf course, state-of-the-art tennis facilities, a full menu of spa services and wellness programs, and a collection of 22 opulent accommodations to stay in.
Dana Point
About halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Dana Point is a laid-back beach town that makes it oh-so-easy to kick back and set sail on a cool beach getaway. Surfers looking for paradise will certainly find one at Salt Creek Beach, which has one of Orange County's most consistent surf breaks and a wide expanse of sand and grass for sunbathing and picnicking on dry land. Farther south, Doheny State Beach is much more sheltered thanks to the presence of Dana Point Harbor, making this a forgiving beach for beginner surfers and for those who simply want to swim and wade in the Pacific Ocean. And for those who really want to head out to sea, Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching regularly does whale watching boat tours out of Dana Point Harbor. (Around here, gray whales pass close to shore on their winter and spring migration, blue whales and fin whales turn up in the warmer months, and humpback whales and big pods of dolphins show up in between.)
Perched on a bluff directly above Salt Creek Beach, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, not only sports incredible ocean views, but also delicious dining, the full-service Ritz-Carlton Spa, and a number of curated activities available via resort concierge. Even better, guests will enjoy recently redesigned rooms and suites with special touches like marble bathrooms, high-end furnishings, and in-room coffee and tea.
Julian
Though there is no bad time to head up into the mountains of eastern San Diego County to Julian, there is something extra special about visiting this corner of the county during the autumn season. Usually starting early in September, select local produce farms like Volcan Valley Apple Farm allow visitors to walk around the orchards and pick their own fresh apples right off the trees. Also in the area is Volcan Mountain Winery, a vineyard and orchard about two miles out of town that crafts apple wine and apple port alongside traditional grape wines. And since this is Julian, Mom's Pie House is always worth a stop for their classic apple pies, as well as more inventive options like apple-cherry crumb pies and bumbleberry flaky pies.
Just up Highway 78 from Julian's central village, Wikiup Hummingbird Hotel sits on four wooded acres of oak and pine, with five guest rooms, a garden, an outdoor hot tub, and resident llamas out on the grounds.
Del Mar
Del Mar sits about 20 miles north of Downtown San Diego, a compact California beach town where the shops, the bluffs, and the sand all sit within a few blocks of each other. At the north end of town, Del Mar Dog Beach (also known as North Beach) sits at the mouth of the San Dieguito River, and dogs are allowed off leash there under voice control between the day after Labor Day and June 15. In summer, that window shrinks to the hours between dawn and 8 a.m. A short drive south of Del Mar, Torrey Pines State Beach stretches between Del Mar and La Jolla beneath sandstone bluffs, next to the natural reserve that protects rare Torrey pines. And right in the heart of town, Del Mar Plaza offers a mix of specialty boutiques and local restaurants in a comely town center-like setting.
Directly across the street from Del Mar Plaza, L'Auberge Del Mar features a prime coastal backdrop, the sumptuously soothing Spa L'Auberge, farm-fresh fine dining at their Adelaide restaurant, and plush and posh guest accommodations with luxurious amenities like marble bathrooms and in-room coffee and tea.
Let Southern California Set the Scene for the Ultimate Getaway
While Hollywood is famous for their creative storytelling in films and on TV, travelers can create their own compelling stories as they explore their way around Southern California. In Santa Barbara County, Los Olivos crafts fine wines and savory farm-fresh cuisine. Near Los Angeles, Malibu brings to life the great lore of California surf culture. Out in the Inland Empire, Big Bear Lake offers a charming take on mountain life, and Rancho Mirage makes for a refreshing oasis in the desert. Shifting to Orange County, Dana Point opens up to big waves and even bigger whales swimming at sea. And down in San Diego County, Julian is always growing something good, especially apples that make for delicious apple pies!
With so much to see and do throughout Southern California, visitors shouldn't be surprised if they decide to "order a sequel" following their first visit here.
