Pioneertown
Nestled in the High Desert along the back road to Las Vegas and Big Bear, a treasure trove awaits those willing to detour into what could easily become the main destination: Pioneertown.
Sitting at roughly 4,000 feet of elevation, the unincorporated community in the Morongo Basin features a myriad of sights and excursions, from kitschy ambiance of the late 1800s-themed Western town to a petting zoo, film museum and bowling alley with wood lanes and original pinsetter.
Originally established in 1946 by Hollywood actors such as Dick Curtis and Roy Rogers, the founders’ plan to expand the community eventually morphed into a filming destination, including a relationship with movie producer Philip N. Krasne of the “Cisco Kid” series, according to visitpioneertown.com.
More than 50 films and serials were filmed in Pioneertown during the 1940s and 1950s, according to the website. With the sun setting on the popularity of Westerns, however, so did the lure of the town, leading to what remains today, a mecca enticing artists, musicians, travelers and locals.
By the Numbers
From October through May about 40,000 to 50,000 people visit each month, with peak months (festival season) in March and April.
From June to September, Pioneertown welcomes about 10,000 visitors each month.
Around These Parts Old West Shows
Gunfighters for Hire perform the first and third Saturday. Show times are 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., October through May.
Mane Street Stampede performances are the second and fourth Saturday at 1 p.m., October through May.
The Details
Gather in front of the Pioneer Bowl, 53613 Mane St.
Free, donations appreciated.
Pioneertown Petting Zoo
Pet and feed miniature farm animals, including pigs, chickens, turkeys and goats.
The Details
53626 Mane St.
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to Sunset; Weekends, 9 a.m. to Sunset
Open year-round
$10 per person
Instagram: @pioneertownpettingzoo
Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace
Both a music venue and restaurant, Pappy and Harriet’s boasts an eclectic clientele who are lured by both the open-fire, Santa Maria-style barbecue as well as the chance to dine among world-famous musicians. Both up-and-comers as well as iconic legends grace the stages - under the stars or saloon-style entertainment indoors - and if it’s dinner and a show, plan on arriving with enough time to make both (no reservations for groups numbering fewer than eight).
The Details
53688 Pioneertown Road
Daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; last dinner seating, 9:30 p.m.
Open year-round
Pappyandharriets.com
Red Dog Saloon
Originally established in 1946, the Saloon reopened in 2020. The menu includes breakfast specials, Taco Tuesday, happy hour, late-night specials and a bar menu complete with craft cocktails. Check website for live music and event schedule.
The Details
53539 Mane St.
Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to midnight
Open year-round
Reddogpioneertown.com
Not unlike its nearby outdoor enthusiast draw, the world-famous Joshua Tree National Park, Pioneertown Mountains Preserve hiking trails feature comparable desert landscapes and wildlife without all the crowds.
The Wildlands Conservancy, a nonprofit founded in 1995, acquired the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve - formally the Pipes Canyon Preserve - the same year. The Conservancy encompasses 24 preserves across three states, and includes nearby Whitewater and Mission Creek preserves and Oak Glen in the San Bernardino Mountains region.
According to the Conservancy, “Pioneertown is surrounded by conservancy-owned volcanic mesas, the Sawtooth Mountains, and Preserve lands leading to the San Bernardino National Forest.”
“The Preserve has year-round riparian corridors in Pipes Canyon and Little Morongo Canyons. It is an important landscape linkage between Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino National Forest, and the Big Horn [Bureau of Land Management] Wilderness.”
Hiking ranges from a moderate 3.5 miles out-and-back trail to the more challenging Chaparrosa Peak Trail, rated hard at 5.7 miles on Alltrails.com. Keep a lookout for wildlife, rock formations and boulders, wildflowers and for the birders, the Common Yellowthroat or California Scrub-Jay.
The Details
Sunrise to sunset daily
Open year-round
Free
pioneertownmountainspreserve@wildlandsconservancy.org
Wildlandsconservancy.org
Vehicles/hikers
Use the parking area and trailhead off of Kees Road. Continue 1 mile past Chaparrosa Wash and look for the Sawtooth Mountains Trailhead sign on the left at the next dirt road.
From town/equestrians
Access from Chaparrosa Wash will remain available for equestrians and guests staying in and hiking from Pioneertown on foot.
