Tiny mountain towns often overlooked by travelers in East County’s back country
By Paul Levikow
Photos by Miriam Raftery and Paul Levikow
April 10, 2026 (Santa Ysabel/Wynola) – Visitors travelling to Julian north from Ramona can oftentimes overlook two equally charming communities along the way. Some might even think Santa Ysabel, population around 600, and Wynola with about 200 residents, are actually part of Julian. They are not. Each town has its own unique and enchanting vibe with distinctive views of the Cleveland National Forest and Cuyamaca Mountains.
Perhaps Santa Ysabel, which is about seven miles from Julian, and Wynola, a mere three miles away along state Routes 78 and 79, could be considered suburbs of Julian and its approximately 1,700 residents. All three communities are about an hour drive from San Diego proper by heading east along Interstate 8, then north on state Route 67. That’s the path that takes travelers through Santa Ysabel and Wynola. There are lots of things to see and do in those communities that might make visitors forget they were on the way to Julian, known for its pies, apple picking, Gold Rush history, shopping, and mountain getaway accommodations.
So, let’s get going.
Dudley’s Bakery
30218 Hwy 78 Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-765-0488
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Website: dudleysbakery.com
Email: sales@dudleysbakery.com
Frequent tourists to the area and local San Diego County residents probably think of Dudley’s Bakery when they think of Santa Ysabel. Afterall, its been around since the early 1960s and was recently acquired by new owners. The former owner of The French Gourmet in Pacific Beach and a Temecula restaurateur, two longtime friends and business partners, have teamed up to restore Dudley’s to its original glory. They promise even more offerings in the famous bread and pastry categories.
Miranda Melia, pastry baker and cashier, was a big help recently when East County Magazine stopped by for bread and sweets. There is also a coffee bar and a deli that serves breakfast and lunch. Sandwiches come on a Dudley’s bread of your choice. There is also a gift shop, market, beer and wine, with indoor and outdoor seating.
Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve and Nature Center
22135 Hwy 79, Santa Ysabel
Park phone: 760-765-4098
Reservations Center: 858-565-3600, 877-565-3600
Hours: Nov. 1 through March 31: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; April 1 through Oct. 31: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Website: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/park-pages/SantaYsabelNatureCenter.html
Email: askparks.lue@sdcounty.ca.gov
The Nature Center at the Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve, operated by the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, was dedicated in 2019. The preserve is a 6,347-acre span of land that includes 20 miles of trails for recreation, along with opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement and education. The nature center is tucked into a grove of mature Engelmann oaks, and facing out to rolling grasslands. The property showcases the beauty of the area and the vegetation and wildlife that thrive on site. It’s a must-stop for travelers and locals alike.
Inside the 6,000-square-foot nature center are educational displays, interactive exhibits, ranger offices, restrooms, a water refilling station, a staffed information desk and access to Wi-Fi. The state-of-the-art community room and kitchen is large enough to hold parties of up to 99 people. It’s available for rent as one large venue or can be split into two rooms with access to a patio.
A park ranger who was on duty when ECM visited said that since the nature center is hidden, they don’t get many people on weekdays, but it’s busy on the weekends. The hiking area draws a lot of tourists and they host tours of the facility and lead field trips on hikes, he said. The trails have native oak and plants along the way. “It’s a good hike,” he said.
Santa Ysabel Indian Mission
St. John The Baptist Catholic Church
Address: 23013 Hwy 79, Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-419-5381
Hours: Saturday Mass, 3 p.m., Confessions 2:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass, 8:30 a.m.
Website: www.symission.org
E-mail: missionsantaysabel1818@yahoo.com
Just down the road from the nature center is the Santa Ysabel Indian Mission, founded in 1818 as a sub-mission for Mission San Diego de Alcala to serve Native Americans in the backcountry. The site features a 1924 church, an ancient cemetery, and a small museum, famously known for the “Mystery of the Bells” and their partial recovery. The current St. John the Baptist Catholic Church replaced older adobe structures. In 1926, the mission’s historic 18th-century bells disappeared. They were later found to have been stolen for their perceived gold content. Broken pieces were returned in 1966. The site is a key part of San Diego’s mission history and remains an active parish
Julian Pie Company
21976 Hwy 79, Santa Ysabel
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://www.julianpie.com/
Email: https://www.julianpie.com/pages/contact-us
Julian Pie Company is always a popular stop on Main Street in Julian since 1986. But tourists can avoid traffic and parking hassles by visiting their Santa Ysabel bakery that opened in 1992. It’s a family operation that has gotten nationwide attention and also sells their pies at grocery stores throughout San Diego County.
Dons Market
30250 Hwy 78, Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-765-3272
Hours: Daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Website: donsmarketsantaysabel.com
Email: https://www.donsmarketsantaysabel.com/contact-us/
Dons Market was started in 1991 by owner Don Brown, a 55-year veteran of the grocery business. It is committed to providing Santa Ysabel and the surrounding area with a quality grocery experience. Don’s top priority is serving the local community and he and his employees pride themselves in their specialty meats department, fresh produce, great selection, products from local businesses and reasonable prices with weekly specials.
Santa Ysabel Art Gallery
30352 Hwy 78, Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-765-1676
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and the following holidays: Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Website: santaysabelartgallery.com
Email: https://santaysabelartgallery.com/contact/
It’s not all food and shopping in the area. Santa Ysabel Art Gallery exhibits both traditional and contemporary fine art and fine crafts from established and emerging artists. The gallery has a long-standing commitment to excellence in painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass and work in mixed media, and to the choice of artists who exhibit there. There is a special interest in regional California landscape painting and painters. An earmark of the gallery is the James Hubbell Room, which features the work of Santa Ysabel’s internationally recognized artist, poet, visionary, and builder of organic houses James Hubbell.
The gallery is surrounded by mountain views and open pastureland in the picturesque Santa Ysabel Valley and is housed in the historic 1930 Hellyer house on grounds that are rimmed with large trees, flower gardens, and open spaces to stroll. Steve Clugston is the gallery director.
Julian Weaving Works and Academy of Hand Weaving
30352 Hwy 78, Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-765-1986
Hours: Call or visit website
Website: https://weaverslink.com/
Email: info@techguytech.com
Whether you are new to weaving or ready to expand your knowledge, learning possibilities are at beginning and intermediate levels at Julian Weaving Works and Academy. Classes are limited in size and cater to individual needs. Spinning instruction and supplies are available including locally grown fleece and roving. Keep checking website for dates and times of workshops.
Santa Ysabel General Store
30275 Hwy 78, Santa Ysabel
Phone: 760-765-1270
Hours: Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Websites: https://www.mountainmademe.com/post/the-santa-ysabel-general-store
https://www.sohosandiego.org/main/event_sysexpansion%202.htm
Email: mountainmademerchandise@gmail.com
Nestled in the beautiful Santa Ysabel Valley where Highways 78 and 79 intersect, sits the historic 1884 Santa Ysabel General Store. This hidden gem is one of those places you don’t intend to come across, but once you do you are sure glad you did. The non-profit Save Our Heritage Organization owns the store and barn in the back. They have restored San Diego’s only remaining false-front adobe building back to its original beauty. The store is stocked with canned goods, home goods, and antiques.
Farmhouse 78 Country Eatery
Phone: 760-782-2729
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday closed; Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://www.farmhouse78.com/location/farmhouse-78/
Farmhouse 78 restaurant is “where friends and family gather ‘round our table,” according to the website. “We believe that some things just can’t be hurried, and a delicious meal among friends is one of them. We serve casual, contemporary American fare prepared the old-fashioned way: from scratch! We hope that all who stop in – from the friendly local to the weathered traveler – find Farmhouse 78 a place to pull up a chair and sit a spell.” A recent lunch visit by ECM found plenty of open tables and fast, friendly service. The food was delicious.
Inaja Memorial Picnic Site
30828 Julian Rd., On Hwy 78, east of Santa Ysabel, before Wynola
Phone: Palomar Ranger District 760-788-0250, or 858-673-6180
Hours: Open all day, every day
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/cleveland/recreation/inaja-memorial-picnic-site
Once travelers leave Santa Ysabel toward Wynola, they come across Inaja Memorial and picnic area located in the Cleveland National Forest on Hwy 78. The area was established to memorialize the 11 firefighters who lost their lives battling the 60,000-acre Inaja Fire in 1956. The Memorial site is at an elevation of 3,440 feet. The higher altitude offers year-round cooler temperatures and great views of surrounding mountain ranges. Besides the beautiful mountain scenery, this site offers a quiet tranquil setting that creates a great environment for afternoon family picnics, with connecting trails, interactive site seeing activities and scenic areas. It offers an easy, all-season, half-mile trail that is pet friendly and free. The hike can take anywhere from about 30 minutes to more than two hours. There are picnic tables and restrooms too.
Moving on to Wynola, Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures has a variety of seasonal and special events.
Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures
4425 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 951-847-1904
Hours: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://www.fortcross.com/
Email: fortcrossfun@gmail.com
The 10th Annual Lilac Festival begins in March and extends into part of April each year, weather permitting. That’s where Fort Cross employee Hannah DeGraff says there are thousands of bushes blooming with lilacs, white, purple, and blue. “We have people come in and they enjoy our adventure area,” she told ECM before the event was cut short. “We have a hay ride, we have a petting zoo, reptile show and a lilac maze which is super fun and it’s gorgeous in there and it smells amazing.”
Fortunately, most of these activities are also available during open farm tours and other special events hosted throughout the year, as well as special holiday seasonal events.
Visitors on event days can hop on the wagon ride and enjoy the views on a scenic nature loop, try their skill with tomahawk throwing, visit the petting zoo, enjoy a lively hoedown or pick up an instrument and join the jug band, paint a spring craft to keep, dip their own lilac themed candle the old-fashioned way, and more.
Heroes Woodfired Pizza
4355 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 760-765-1004
Hours: Open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Music on the patio or in the bar (depending on the time of year) Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Website/Menu: julianheroes.com
Email: https://www.julianheroes.com/contact
Owner Lisa Brice told ECM the restaurant and bar moved more than four years ago from Julian to Wynola, where it is “honoring our heroes, military and first responders.”
There’s plenty of outdoor seating, a private dining room, and a cocktail bar. The restaurant is known for its burgers, chicken sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas. They also have soups, salads, veggie and vegan options, and desserts.
Activities include live music, car rallies, motorcycle rides, and Ride Across California, an annual “epic journey for 5th graders and their parents, who ride bikes from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean over Spring Break. The Ride Across California teaches fifth graders that with proper planning and training, they can do something everyone agrees is hard to do.”
Mom’s Wynola Garden
4510 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 760-765-2264
Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://momspiesjulian.com/
Email: https://momspiesjulian.com/julian-moms-pie-house-contact
Enjoy the same Mom’s apple pies and sweet treats as the Julian town store in a less crowded environment. The garden is open for picnics and strolls through the flower and vegetable beds, and is pet friendly.
Julian Mining Co.
4444 Hwy 78, Wynola
760-765-8680
Hours: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4.pm.
Web site: Julianminingcompany.com
Email: thejulianminingcompany@gmail.com
There’s lots to do at Julian Mining Company, including gem sluicing, gold panning, axe and BB range, pirate treasure pit, ore cart train ride, shopping in the general store, and radio-controlled boats. Weekday gold rush field trips can be booked for school classrooms.
The Barn Vintage Marketplace
4559 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 760-310-8587
Check store for hours.
Web site: https://www.facebook.com/TheBarnVintageMarketplace/
Email: smothersfamily@aol.com
The Barn Vintage Marketplace focuses on industrial, architectural, and leather home décor.
Julian Station
4470 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 760-885-8364
Hours vary depending the season. Call for details.
Website: https://www.julianstation.com/
Email: albert@julianstation.com
Housed in an original 1943 apple packing facility and cider house, the Julian Station property is owned and operated by husband and wife Albert Lewis and Lydia Frausto.
The historic collection of buildings features unique shops such as stores offering Western goods and Native American jewelry, antiques, and local art. You can also savor tastings of local wines, beers, chocolates and hard cider tasting rooms, as well as enjoy foods and live music.
Julian Farm and Orchard
4381 Hwy 78, Wynola
Phone: 760-765-5494
Hours: Seasonal, contact for details
Email: Info@JulianFarmAndOrchard.com
Website: https://www.julianfarmandorchard.com/
Harvest Fest 2026 will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 19 through October 26, with a soft opening September 12, 13, and 14. Grand Opening is September 19, 20, and 21. The final weekend is October 24, 25, and 26.
Julian Farm and Orchard is a 25-acre sustainable farm. As an agritourism destination, it offers a hands-on experience for all ages year-round. Guests experience a working farm without all the work, including sprawling apple orchards and lush agriculture. The petting zoo area offers an up-close encounter with the friendly animals who call the farm their home. Other experiences during the year include tractor-pulled hayrides, a rock-climbing wall, axe throwing, haybale maze, picnic areas, hammocks, a gift shop, free parking, and various food and beverage options (seasonal).
U-pick daffodils are available during late February, March and April. U-pick strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are annually during June, July and August. Apple tours are by reservation only in September. Harvest Fest and pumpkin patch and U-pick flowers during September and October. Holidays at the Farm, featuring a sustainable, synthetic ice-skating rink (by reservation only) is in November and December of each year.
Julian Farm and Orchard is also available for weddings, special group events, farm wine dinners, corporate retreats, club gatherings, school field trips and more.
If the weary traveler still has the time and energy after visiting Santa Ysabel and Wynola, Julian is always a hit.