Mountain townsSouthern California2026
Southern California Mountain Towns
Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City and Lake Arrowhead were the most booked of the 12 mountain towns in Southern California on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 80,927, 27,444 and 20,093 stays. December is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 3.2 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
Among the 8 towns with 200+ homes
- Most booked of these 8
- Big Bear Lake 80,927 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 8
- Topanga $49,400 a year
- Highest rated of these 8
- Topanga 4.90 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 8
- Crestline $269 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 8
- Topanga 5.3 nights
Ranking
Southern California Mountain Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the mountain towns and villages in Southern California with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Big Bear Lake | 80,927 | $457 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Big Bear City | 27,444 | $359 |
| 3 | Lake Arrowhead | 20,093 | $433 |
| 4 | Idyllwild-Pine Cove | 16,758 | $307 |
| 5 | Julian | 7,396 | $347 |
| 6 | Crestline | 7,371 | $269 |
| 7 | Topanga | 6,447 | $397 |
| 8 | Running Springs | 5,879 | $292 |
| 9 | Unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains | 3,072 | $745 |
| 10 | Pine Mountain Club | 2,881 | $285 |
| 11 | Twin Peaks | 2,862 | $290 |
| 12 | Wrightwood | 2,294 | $321 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5.
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
7 of 8 are busiest in December. Topanga peaks in August. Among guests who left a review, Los Angeles is the top home city in 6 of the 8. Cabins, campers and other outdoor stays are the largest home type in 6 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the 8 most booked towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Big Bear Lake
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Big Bear Lake had the most Airbnb homes, at 3,370, and had the highest nightly rate, at $457, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- Lake Arrowhead
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Lake Arrowhead had the biggest share of homes that sleep 8 or more, at 65%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 4Idyllwild-Pine Cove
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Idyllwild-Pine Cove was booked furthest ahead, about 50 days before arrival, in the 12 months to October 2026. Among guests who left a review, San Diego was the top home city for Idyllwild-Pine Cove, at 22%.
- 5Julian
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Julian had the biggest share of houses, at 52%, in the 12 months to October 2026. Among guests who left a review, San Diego was the top home city for Julian, at 27%.
- 6Crestline
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Crestline had the lowest nightly rate, at $269, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 7Topanga
Of the 8 mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, Topanga had the highest guest rating, at 4.90, and had the longest typical stay, at 5.3 nights, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Topanga, at 47% of homes.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
December, July and January rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the mountain towns in Southern California, and May and April as the quietest. December is the busiest month in 9 of the 12, while Topanga and Unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains peak in August, and Twin Peaks in July. Across the 12 towns, nightly rates run lowest in September, at about $347, and highest in December, at about $503.
December ranks first, April last
Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.
- Three busiest months
- Other months
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December | 3.2 nights | $503 |
| 2 | July | 4.0 nights | $386 |
| 3 | January | 2.6 nights | $475 |
| 4 | June | 3.8 nights | $372 |
| 5 | August | 3.3 nights | $361 |
| 6 | November | 3.0 nights | $411 |
| 7 | February | 2.6 nights | $450 |
| 8 | October | 2.8 nights | $389 |
| 9 | September | 2.6 nights | $347 |
| 10 | March | 2.8 nights | $408 |
| 11 | May | 3.1 nights | $386 |
| 12 | April | 3.1 nights | $383 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 94.1% come from within the United States. Among those guests, the largest group from abroad comes from Mexico. The top home cities among those guests are Los Angeles, San Diego and Long Beach. Topanga draws the most from abroad, at 12%, among towns with 200 or more homes.
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
94.1% from within the United States
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 8 towns with 200 or more Airbnb homes, Topanga has the highest estimated revenue per home, at $49,400 a year. Of those 8, Topanga has the highest occupancy, at 45%, and Crestline has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at $269. The most booked of the 12, Big Bear Lake, earns about $39,296 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 8
A year, AirROI estimate
- Topanga $49,400
- Big Bear Lake $39,296
- Lake Arrowhead $37,297
- Idyllwild-Pine Cove $37,083
- Julian $35,722
Highest occupancy of these 8
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Topanga 45%
- Julian 35%
- Running Springs 33%
- Crestline 31%
Lowest nightly rate of these 8
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Crestline $269
- Running Springs $292
- Idyllwild-Pine Cove $307
- Julian $347
- Big Bear City $359
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular mountain town in Southern California?
By AirROI's estimates, Big Bear Lake is the most booked of the 12 mountain towns in Southern California, with 80,927 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Big Bear City is second, with 27,444. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable mountain town in Southern California?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, the lowest are Crestline ($269), Running Springs ($292) and Idyllwild-Pine Cove ($307). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What are some small mountain towns in Southern California?
By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 12 mountain towns it lists in Southern California are Unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains (94), Wrightwood (106) and Twin Peaks (107). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.
What mountain towns in Southern California offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among mountain towns in Southern California with 200 or more homes, the highest are Topanga ($49,400), Big Bear Lake ($39,296) and Lake Arrowhead ($37,297). Among the same towns, Topanga has the highest occupancy, at 45%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to sit in a mountain range or right at its foot, with the mountains the reason it is known and why people go. The town's own listings can back that up, with 15% of its listing titles naming the mountains. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 652,001 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.