Thanksgiving Getaway Ideas in Southern California

One of our guests’ favorite places to go in California for Thanksgiving is Joshua Tree National Park. Located where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, the park has a complex landscape, with Dr. Seuss-like Joshua Trees, giant, lunar-like granite boulders, and rolling mountains. Joshua Tree National Park camping is a great way to spend Thanksgiving weekend and get out of the city. Before you all sit down for your Thanksgiving meal, stretch your legs and take a hike in the park among the trees, climbing the towering rock walls, and enjoying the beauty and tranquility of the desert. Hike the Hidden Valley Nature Trail or the Barker Dam Nature Trail, or explore the Cholla Cactus Garden. Visit iconic park destinations like Skull Rock, Ryan Mountain, or Keys Ranch. Then, you’ll really have earned all the second-helpings and desserts for Thanksgiving! Among these pages you’ll find a selection of Joshua Tree cabins, cottages, and more Joshua Tree vacation rentals perfect for a Thanksgiving getaway in California.

Right outside of the sprawling, urban Los Angeles is one of Southern California’s most coveted coastlines, Malibu. Best known for its many celebrity residents with estates in the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu beaches are an awesome place to spend Thanksgiving weekend. Make the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA and discover all the amazing things to do and see in this laid-back paradise. Check out our selection of Malibu vacation rentals and join the surfers and the dolphins out in the water, or hike up the Santa Monica Mountains, making sure you’ve earned all those delicious treats you’re going to eat. If you love to hike, try out the Solstice Canyon and Escondido Falls trails in the mountains! Or, if you love the beaches in Malibu, go surfing in some of the famous spots along the coast here, like Zuma Beach or County Line. Sample some local wines before buying them for your Thanksgiving meal at places like Malibu Family Wines or Cornell Winery & Tasting Room. No matter what you may have in mind for your Thanksgiving getaways in California, we bet you can find them in Malibu!

Last, but certainly not least, Big Bear Lake is one of our all-time best places to visit in Southern California, if not the whole state. On par with Lake Tahoe but without so many crowds, our Big Bear cabins are the perfect place for large groups of friends and family to come spend Thanksgiving weekend. Pick from Big Bear Lake cabins right on the water to more secluded Big Bear vacation rentals where you and your whole group can spread out and enjoy this amazing location. While it might be too cold to swim (or not), you can definitely get out on the water and go kayaking or canoeing, fishing, and many more fun watersports. Our Big Bear cabin rentals are some of our most popular in Southern California, and so if you find some with free dates for Thanksgiving, make sure to reserve them! With so many amazing vacation spots in Southern California, we know it may be hard to decide where to go for Thanksgiving, but we hope this list has helped!