Bogart Park in Cherry Valley, California

Friday, March 24, 2017

In 2010, we flew to California and purchased our motor home. We drove to the city of Banning where the owners lived, handed over a cashiers check, drove off in our new-to-us motor home, and spent two nights at nearby Bogart Park.  If you want to read about that adventure, click here. 

As we made our way across California this spring, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and return to Bogart Park. 

Bogart Park is 400 acres of horse corrals, hiking trails, a stream, and is in the foothills of Mt. Gorgonio, the highest peak in southern California.  The park seemed a less well-cared for than when we were there last time; we couldn’t even find the spot we camped in last time as it was hidden in tall grass.  Actually, we couldn’t even find the park at first -- although that had everything to do with our GPS and not the park. Finally we unhooked the tow car from the rig which is what we do when we’re not sure what’s up ahead, did some exploring, and got in the main gate.

Part of the Riverside County, California, park system, Bogart is in the small unincorporated community of Cherry Valley.  It’s only 80 miles due east of the sprawling city of Los Angeles, yet seems so rural.  The park is named after a physician who, at about the start of the Great Depression, recreated an authentic Japanese cherry blossom festival in the nearby town of Beaumont. The event was such a success (I read that 32,000 people came to Beaumont that day, back when the town only had a 1,000 residents) that Dr. Bogart convinced 25 local business people to donate $100 each to buy property that became the home to the festival.  It later became the Riverside County park that bears his name.

Our 2017 camping spot at Bogart Park in Cherry Valley, California. The first time we visited in 2010, we'd never before owned an RV, so along with hiking and exploring we did a lot of owners-manual reading. Even then, we had to call someone to ask where the sewer hose was.  Seven years later we are well acquainted with the location and use of the sewer hose.