Lake Arrowhead is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

of San Bernardino County, California, surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, and surrounding the eponymous

Lake Arrowhead Reservoir Lake Arrowhead is an artificial lake located in the San Bernardino Mountains on Little Bear Creek, a tributary of Deep Creek and the Mojave River. It has a surface area of approximately and a capacity of . It is surrounded by the unincorporated ...

. Lake Arrowhead is located 13 miles north east of the San Bernardino city limits. The population of the CDP was estimated at 12,424 in the 2010 census. It was formerly called "Little Bear Lake", until around 1920, when a group from Los Angeles, the Arrowhead Lake Company, bought the lake and the land surrounding it, and changed its name to Arrowhead Lake. Tourism is the primary economic generator for the area, contributing several million dollars per year to the county and providing hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs for local residents. The area is host to over 4 million visitors a year. There are 400 guest rooms in hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts, vacation cabin rentals, condos, and rustic cabin lodges and resorts. The Lake Arrowhead community is home to the Lake Arrowhead Country Club and Golf Course, Lake Arrowhead Yacht Club, and SkyPark at Santa's Village. The area is also popular for business conferences.

Economy

As a scenic mountain resort in the

, Lake Arrowhead's economy is almost completely supported by

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

, both by casual vacationers and part-time residents. The primary tourism industries include real estate, lodging, dining, recreation, and retail sales. While Lake Arrowhead has no official town center, the Lake Arrowhead Village serves as the main commercial area for both locals and tourists and includes a number of factory outlets, boutiques, restaurants, two banks, a post office and a supermarket. One author visiting in 1978 described it as a "clean, Swiss-like community with many chalets." Lake Arrowhead Village also hosts events all year long including a free Summer Concert Series, the county's largest free Oktoberfest and many other themed events such as car shows, dog shows, the Tour de Lake Arrowhead, Home Expo, and the popular Antique Wooden Boat Show. The

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

operates the nearby UCLA Conference Center, a full-service conference facility with lodging and meeting space. Other major employers include Mountains Community Hospital, Rim of the World Unified School District, and Above It All Treatment Center. Logging in the San Bernardino Mountains was once done on a large scale, with the Brookings Lumber Company operation one of the largest. It operated on between Fredalba and Hunsaker Flats (present-day Running Springs), between 1899 and 1912. It built a logging railroad to bring logs to the mill at Fredalba. The Shay locomotives had to be disassembled and hauled by wagon up the mountain, since the railroad operated in the high country but did not connect to other railroads in lowlands. Finished lumber was hauled by wagon down the steep grades to the Molino Box Factory in Highland, California.

Geography

Lake Arrowhead is located in the Inland Empire region of

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

, about 20 minutes north of the San Bernardino city limits. Its economic center is at the intersection of State Routes 173 and 189. The CDP has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.1 km), of which 17.7 square miles (45.9 km) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km; 6.46%) is water. Lake Arrowhead is a private lake governed by the Arrowhead Lake Association and is for restricted use by Lake Arrowhead property owners. : Lake size: (capacity) : Shoreline: : Elevation: 5106.70 (capacity) : Maximum depth: : Lake width: : Lake length: Outside of Lake Arrowhead Village there are several residential communities, which include Cedar Glen,

Blue Jay The blue jay (''Cyanocitta cristata'') is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are ...

, Rimforest, Skyforest, Twin Peaks,

Crest Park Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York * Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerl ...

, Hook Creek Tract, Deer Lodge Park, Arrowhead Villas, Grass Valley, and Agua Fria. There are three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in the area. north of Lake Arrowhead is the Pacific Crest Trail. Santa's Village at Lake Arrowhead was a popular theme park from 1955 to 1998, and reopened in 2016. It was the first franchised one in the United States, with two others in the Santa Cruz Mountains and

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Lake Arrowhead had a population of 12,424. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lake Arrowhead was 10,729 (86.4%) White (73.0% Non-Hispanic White), 95 (0.8%) African American, 93 (0.7%) Native American, 152 (1.2%) Asian, 33 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 847 (6.8%) from other races, and 475 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,709 persons (21.8%). The census reported that 12,389 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 16 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 19 (0.2%) were institutionalized. There were 4,672 households, 1,563 (33.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,746 (58.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 413 (8.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 258 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 217 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 64 (1.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 984 households (21.1%) were one person and 358 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65. There were 3,417 families (73.1% of households); the average family size was 3.07. The age distribution was 3,043 people (24.5%) under the age of 18, 968 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 2,571 people (20.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,104 people (33.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,738 people (14.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.4 males. There were 11,875 housing units at an average density of 626.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,428 (73.4%) were owner-occupied and 1,244 (26.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.4%. 8,647 people (69.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,742 people (30.1%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Lake Arrowhead had a median household income of $57,672, with 11.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 8,934 people in 3,243 households, including 2,445 families, in the CDP. The population density was 780.4 inhabitants per square mile (301.3/km). There were 8,857 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the CDP was 90.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.6%. There were 3,243 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. Of all households 18.7% were one person and 6.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.2. The age distribution was 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median household income was $60,826 and the median family income was $65,183. Males had a median income of $50,016 versus $35,526 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,176. About 7.3% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislatu ...

, Lake Arrowhead is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Lake Arrowhead is in . In the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, California is represented by

Alex Padilla Alejandro Padilla ( ; born March 22, 1973) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from California since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Padilla served as the 30th secretary of state of California from ...

( D) and

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she wa ...

( D).

Climate

The Lake Arrowhead Community has a unique climate for Southern California with four distinct seasons which support an array of outdoor recreational activity and year-round beauty. Lake Arrowhead has a Warm-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Csb''). During the summer, warm temperatures and monsoon thunderstorms are common. During the winter months, large pacific storms bring plenty of snow. The area receives about 300 annual days of sunshine per year. Beginning in late 2011, a catastrophic drought began affecting Lake Arrowhead along with the rest of California. By November 2016, the lake level dropped . This drop exposed much of the lake floor and beached most of the docks. As of February 2019, the lake has rebounded to just below the historical average.

Inclement weather

Heavy snow and winds have caused major power outages in the area. A storm in the last week of December 2021 left many homes without power for a week. Similarly on Thanksgiving weekend 2019, homes were without power for up to four days.

In popular culture

Lake Arrowhead has appeared in a variety of movies, including '' The Squaw Man'' (1914), '' The High Land'' (1926), '' The Wolf Dog'' (1933), ''

Fighting Trooper ''Fighting Trooper'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor. The film is also known as ''The Trooper'' in the United Kingdom. Cast *Kermit Maynard as NWMP Trooper Burke *Barbara Worth as Diane La Farge *LeRoy Mason as Andre La ...

'' (1934), ''

Down in 'Arkansaw' ''Down in 'Arkansaw is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars Ralph Byrd with the vaudeville comedy troupe the Weaver Brothers and Elviry, along with June Storey ...

'' (1938), '' Spawn of the North'' (1938), '' North of the Yukon'' (1939), '' Comin' Round The Mountain'' (1940), '' Untamed'' (1940), ''

The Royal Mounted Patrol ''The Royal Mounted Patrol'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Winston Miller. The film stars Charles Starrett, Russell Hayden, Wanda McKay, Donald Curtis, Lloyd Bridges and Evan Thomas. The film was rele ...

'' (1941), ''

Wild Geese Calling ''Wild Geese Calling'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by John Brahm and starring Henry Fonda and Joan Bennett. It was distributed by 20th Century-Fox. The screenplay was written by Horace McCoy, based on a novel by Stewart Edward White. T ...

'' (1941), '' North of the Rockies'' (1942), '' Can't Help Singing'' (1943), '' The Yearling'' (1946), ''

Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class ...

'' (1949), '' The Parent Trap'' (1961), Seven Days in May (1964) ''

The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor slapstick comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood, directed by Blake Edwards, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross), and with music by Henry Manci ...

'' (1965), Heidi (1937) and ''

Of Human Hearts ''Of Human Hearts'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Walter Huston, James Stewart and Beulah Bondi. Stewart plays a proud and ungrateful son who rebels against his preacher father and (after his father's dea ...

'' (1938). Of special note, the exterior shots for the movie '' Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'' (1927) were filmed here featuring actors George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, and Margaret Livingston and directed by F. W. Murnau, a German director who was one of the leading figures in German Expressionism.IMDB The film won three Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Cinematography, and Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Picture at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.

Arts and sciences

The Lake Arrowhead Communities have numerous cultural events and organizations. The Arrowhead Arts Association is a non-profit corporation dedicated to cultural enrichment sponsoring quality musical performances and providing musical education and scholarships for local youth from preschool through college. The Mountain Skies Astronomical Society is also located there.

Architecture

Located approximately from downtown Los Angeles, many Hollywood stars and wealthy Angelinos built homes in the area starting in the 1920s and 30s. These homes and estates were designed by some of the most significant architects practicing in Southern California at the time. These architects included: * John Byers *

Roland Coate Roland Coate (December 5, 1890 – October 17, 1958) was an American architect. He designed many houses and buildings in California, three of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Early life Coate was born on December ...

* Robert Farquhar * Gordon Kaufman * Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury * Morgan, Walls & Clements * Lutah Marie Riggs * Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright's son) * Rudolf Schnidler *McNeal Swasey * Paul Revere Williams *

William Woollett William Woollett (15 August 173523 May 1785) was an English engraver operating in the 18th century. Life Woolett was born in Maidstone, of a family which came originally from the Netherlands. He was apprenticed to John Tinney, an engraver in ...

In the early years of development, the architectural committee of the resort community mandated that homes be built in the French Norman or English Tudor Style. Rudolf Schindler, a modernist architect, designed what is known as the first modern A-frame house in 1936 for Gisela Bennati, as his interpretation of French Norman style architecture. The first known sketches for the Bennati Cabin date from 1934. Schindler did sketches for "triangle-based house designs" as early as 1922, but none of those designs were built. Lake Arrowhead is also home to what has been sometimes referred to as the world’s largest A-frame structure, the clubhouse of th
Lake Arrowhead Country Club
The following is a list of people who have owned or built homes in Lake Arrowhead: John O'Melveny, J.B. Van Nuys (one of the developers of Lake Arrowhead and son of Isaac Newton Van Nuys, founder of Van Nuys, CA), Rhoda Rindge & Merritt Adamson (founders of Malibu, CA), John Northrop, Katherine Iten (Iten Biscuit Company/NABISCO), Edward L. Doheny, Jules Stein, Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, Jr., Dan Dureya,

Max Factor Max Factor is a line of cosmetics from Coty, Inc. It was founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian Faktorowicz. Max Factor specialized in movie make-up. Until its 1973 sale for US$500 million (approximately $ billion in 2017 dollar ...

, Thomas F. Hamilton, Prince Massianoff, Leo McCarey,

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

, Myrna Loy, Ruth Hussey, Shirley Temple, Lon Chaney,

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

, June Lockhart, Walter Huston, Robert Taylor, Loretta Young,

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

, Brian Wilson, Priscilla Presley and Frankie Avalon to name a few. File:Dan Dureya House, "Minkot", Swasey & McAfee, Architects, 1923.jpg, Dan Dureya House, "Minkot", Swasey & McAfee, Architects, 1923 File:Princes house facade.jpg, Prince Massianoff House, Chas.Bugg, Architect/Builder, 1923 File:1927 National Historical Register French Normandy Lakefront Estate.jpg, "Shady Point", Roland Coate Architect,1927 File:Bennati Cabin Lake Arrowhead.jpg, Bennati Cabin, Rudolf Schindler, Architect, 1934 File:Doheny Dock House.jpg, "Happy Landing", Doheny Estate, Dock House, Gordon Kaufman, Architect, 1935 File:Hamiltair Boat House.jpg, Hamiltair Boathouse, Paul Williams, Architect, 1936 File:Lloyd Wright House, Lake Arrowhead.png, House, Lloyd Wright, Architect, 1963

References

External links

Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control San Bernardino Mountains Census-designated places in San Bernardino County, California Census-designated places in California Articles containing video clips