Santa's Village, Amusement park near Lake Arrowhead, California
SkyPark at Santa's Village is an outdoor adventure park in the Skyforest section of Lake Arrowhead, California, on 230 acres of forest with meadowlands, ponds and an apple orchard. Its core, The Village, holds 18 restored original log cabin restaurants and shops. The grounds also hold nearly 10 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails, fly fishing, archery, ziplines and a seasonal ice or roller skating rink.
Santa's Village opened in May 1955, built by developer Glenn Holland as the first franchised amusement park, more than a month before Disneyland. It closed on March 1, 1998, and the property sold three years later for $5.6 million. After 18 original buildings were renovated, it reopened on December 2, 2016, as SkyPark at Santa's Village.
The name comes from the original Santa's Village, opened in May 1955 by developer Glenn Holland as the first franchised amusement park; it predated Disneyland by more than a month. Its bakery, candy kitchen and toy shop served visitors alongside kiddie rides and a petting zoo. The 2016 reopening kept 18 original buildings, now housing log cabin restaurants and shops in The Village.
SkyPark at Santa's Village is open year-round, with nearly 10 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails usable in every season; the skating rink switches between ice and roller skating depending on the season. The site lies in the Skyforest section of Lake Arrowhead, reached along the Rim of the World Highway. Admission covers the trails and activities.
The park's roughly 10 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails stay open year-round, and 30 acres are kept unused for conservation. The Henck Meadowlands Conservation Trail and school programmes teach visitors about the forest. The site covers 230 acres with meadowlands, ponds and an apple orchard.
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