Keep going up Highway 18 through Running Springs and soon after you pass Arrowbear Lake you will come to a turn off on the left which is Green Valley Lake Road and the only way in or out of the town of Green Valley Lake (an unincorporated area of SB County). You will drive through 4 miles forest passing several religious retreat camps along the way before you reach the sleepy and very rural but charming town of Green Valley Lake. And speaking of a lake, I often refer to the Green Valley Lake as a pond because it is quite small. As small as it is, it is a favorite fishing hole for many people who come to the mountain. Most of the mountain is considered rural and Green Valley is the most rural of the rural mountain communities and the reason many folks want a home here.
Soon after we enter the town there are a couple of small restaurants and businesses on the right
side of GVL Road. All the residential streets intersect GVL Road and lead to the several hundred homes that populate GVL. While many of the streets can be referred to as narrow, they are actually wider then in other mountain communities. Most of the neighborhood streets are lines with homes but I get a sense of a little more space between them then other mountain communities. Not much to do in Green Valley Lake except enjoy nature and the friends and family you bring with you which I guess is a main feature of the town.
Quick Facts:
- Zip Code: 92341
- Elevation: 7,200 feet (2,195 m)
- Population: 300
- Lake Size: 9 acres
- Man-made lake
- Open for fishing with license