Footprints going up Kelso Dunes

Region · California

San Bernardino County

Footprints going up Kelso Dunes

Best timeOct–Apr
From you
Nearest airportPSP · 63 mi
On this page

Overview

San Bernardino County is a county that spans the Southern California and Desert regions of the state of California. It is the largest county in the state at - an area larger than nine of the US states, and about the same size as Costa Rica! The southwestern portion of the county, where most of the people live, is known as the "Inland Empire" and consists of suburbs of Los Angeles. The vast northern and eastern portions are mostly sparsely-populated desert. In between are the Victor Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains. When driving from L.A. to Las Vegas, you will mostly be driving through San Bernardino County.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Oct–Apr. Summer highs reach about 104°F; winter lows dip to about 40°F. Very hot (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Feb. (climate data from nearby Twentynine Palms)

Jan: 0.5 in rain0.5"Jan: high 63°F, low 42°F63°42°JanFeb: 0.6 in rain0.6"Feb: high 67°F, low 44°F67°44°FebMar: 0.4 in rain0.4"Mar: high 74°F, low 49°F74°49°MarApr: 0.1 in rain0.1"Apr: high 81°F, low 54°F81°54°AprMay: 0.1 in rain0.1"May: high 90°F, low 63°F90°63°MayJun: 0.0 in rain0"Jun: high 99°F, low 71°F99°71°JunJul: 0.4 in rain0.4"Jul: high 104°F, low 77°F104°77°JulAug: 0.7 in rain0.7"Aug: high 103°F, low 76°F103°76°AugSep: 0.3 in rain0.3"Sep: high 96°F, low 69°F96°69°SepOct: 0.2 in rain0.2"Oct: high 85°F, low 58°F85°58°OctNov: 0.2 in rain0.2"Nov: high 72°F, low 47°F72°47°NovDec: 0.6 in rain0.6"Dec: high 62°F, low 40°F62°40°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • PSP Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs — 63 mi away (major hub). Directions
  • SBD San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino — 72 mi away (major hub). Directions

It is served by Ontario International Airport (ONT) with flights from Mexico, Taiwan, and the West Coast. The city of San Bernardino (SBD) has an airport, although it has never been used commercially.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

  1. Day 1: Barstow — Rainbow Basin Natural Area, Main Street Murals, Mojave River Valley Museum.
  2. Day 2: Big Bear Lake — Big Bear Discovery Center, Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain, Bear Mountain Resort.
  3. Day 3: San Bernardino — Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Photos

Footprints going up Kelso DunesSan Bernardino County

Places in San Bernardino County

Cities

Southern California

The following San Bernardino County cities are in the Southern California region of California:

San Bernardino Area

  • Colton
  • Loma Linda
  • Redlands
  • Rialto
  • San Bernardino

Elsewhere in the Inland Empire

  • Chino
  • Chino Hills
  • Fontana
  • Ontario
  • Rancho Cucamonga
  • Upland

Mountain Communities

  • Big Bear Lake
  • Lake Arrowhead

Mojave Desert

The following San Bernardino County cities are in the Mojave Desert region of California:

  • Amboy - Lying out in the desert, this ghost town has a population that today varies between 4-8 people. A stop on the historic Route 66, the town is worth a visit to see a decaying piece of American history.
  • Baker
  • Barstow
  • Needles
  • Parker Dam
  • Twentynine Palms
  • Yucca Valley

Victor Valley

  • Adelanto
  • Apple Valley
  • Hesperia
  • Victorville

Other destinations

  • Mojave National Preserve

Get in

It is served by Ontario International Airport (ONT) with flights from Mexico, Taiwan, and the West Coast. The city of San Bernardino (SBD) has an airport, although it has never been used commercially.

Three major Interstate highways pass through San Bernardino County:

San Bernardino County was also on Route 66.

Do

Go next

  • - Bordering San Bernardino County to the south, Riverside County's western portions include the far outskirts of Los Angeles, as well as more rural areas like Temecula, known for its wineries and hot air balloons. The majority of the county lies in the desert, with the most-visited portion being Palm Springs and its neighboring resort towns. Further east the county is essentially uninhabited, and includes the remote, rocky desert of Joshua Tree National Park, and the empty landscapes west of the Colorado River.
  • - While Disneyland is obviously the attraction that brings the most visitors to Orange County, there is more to this county than just the House of Mouse. The county's Beach Cities offer vast sand expanses great for sunbathing, swimming, surfing and even whale watching, particularly in the spring and fall when grey whales migrate along the coast. Festivals such as Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters (July & August) or the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa (mid-July to mid-August) draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. And Knott's Berry Farm was an actual berry farm before adding roller coasters and other rides, and since 1973 has featured a popular October transformation into "Knott's Scary Farm" when the entire 160 acres park is re-themed into a haunted house style attraction.
  • - While many places claim to have "something for everyone", San Bernardino County's southwestern neighbor actually does. There are movie studios to tour in Hollywood and its surrounding cities, shopping at luxury boutiques in Beverly Hills, the Ice Age fossils of the La Brea Tar Pits, the incredible museums of Exposition Park (including the Space Shuttle Endeavour), hiking and camping opportunities in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, some of the world's most impressive roller coasters at Magic Mountain, the famous beaches of Malibu, Santa Monica or Venice, and a million other options; just budget extra time to get to all of these places as you brave the infamous traffic with the county's ten million residents.
  • - Bordering San Bernardino County to the northwest, Kern County extends across a number of geographic regions: the western portion is in the San Joaquin Valley, the northeastern portion is in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the southeastern part is in the Desert. Visitors to the county are most likely to be heading to Bakersfield, one of California's largest cities, or traveling along Interstate 5 past oil fields and agricultural areas.
  • - San Bernardino County's northern neighbor is a land of extremes, covering a massive expanse of the Eastern Sierra and California Desert. Inyo County is home to Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, as well as Death Valley National Park, the largest national park in the lower 48 states and host to earth's hottest temperatures and the continent's lowest elevation. In addition, ancient bristlecone pine trees can be found within the White Mountains, the oldest of which is estimated to be around 5,000 years old.

Nearby

My experience

Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.