in the news

Go Sky High for a Sledful of Adventure
LA Times – Oct. 3, 2020
I was relieved we had decided to camp across the highway at the SkyPark Camp + RV Resort, perched on the edge of the San Bernardino mountains, to give ourselves two days of fun. It was clear we were going to need the time. Read More…

Ax throwing, camping and Santa at Lake Arrowhead theme park
LA Times – Sept. 9, 2020
The beauty of this setup is that you can enjoy the park, or any other delights of the Lake Arrowhead area, and continue the adventure into the evening, complete with a sunset, s’mores and a sky full of stars. Read More…

Michelle and Bill Johnson named Citizen of the Year
Mountain News – Mar. 5, 2020
Opening SkyPark would not only create jobs but would bring people to the mountain which in turn would support real estate values and local businesses.
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Santa’s Village Is Now a ‘Winter Wonderland’
NBC Los Angeles – Jan. 10, 2020
Christmas may be done, but the frosty fun-making continues near Lake Arrowhead.
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SkyPark at Santa’s Village Preview
KTLA Los Angeles – Dec. 11, 2019
Check out these video previews from KTLA.
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It’s a festive fall-yuletide mash-up at Skyforest.
NBC Los Angeles – Oct. 15, 2019
Nope, we’re not talking about carving jack o’lanterns on Christmas Eve, but we are singing the sweet praises of Pumpkins in the Pines, the Christmas-iest pumpkin patch in all of California, and probably beyond.
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Podcast interview with Bill and Michelle Johnson
Themed Attraction – May 24, 2019
In this episode, Mel and Freddy head up to the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains where we meet the new owners of SkyPark at Santa’s Village. Santa’s Village was a small regional storybook park built in 1955 and became a go-to destination for families looking for mountain-top fun. The park closed in 1998 and would have been lost to Kitsch history if it wasn’t for the vision and passion of Bill and Michelle Johnson. Their love of outdoor and extreme sports combined with the park’s family appeal to reopen it in 2016 as Sky Park at Santa’s Village.
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Tunes in the Trees to Rock SkyPark
NBC Los Angeles – May 23, 2019
Ready to switch from snow to summery sounds? This concert series’ll pop up near the big trees, not far from Lake Arrowhead.
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Wheel-Spinners, Get Stoked: SkyPark Bike Park Opens
NBC Los Angeles – Mar. 29, 2019
Cyclists can expect “premium riding conditions” on the recently drenched trails.
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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the Santa’s Village Way
NBC Los Angeles – Mar. 16, 2019
The Christmassy spot is making room for pots of gold and luck-filled fun.
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Nostalgic Christmas Celebrations through January 6
Mountain News – Dec. 29, 2018
The Silver Bells Ice Skating Arena at Santa’s Village is now open for the winter season.
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SkyPark at Santa’s Village Is Now Fully Christmas’d
NBC Los Angeles – Nov. 16, 2018
It’s SkyPark at Santa’s Village we speak of, the beloved mid-century attraction that, after shuttering for the better part of two decades, reopened in 2016 with all of its former bells and whistles on, and then some.
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Opening day at Santa’s Village welcomes holiday guests to San Bernardino Mountains
SB Sun – Nov. 15, 2018
In addition to action activities such as biking, hiking, fishing, archery, ziplining and climbing, guests this holiday season can explore Santa’s house, workshop and post office. Christmas-themed characters such as Celwyn Claus, Princess Snowfall and Jack Frost will provide weekend entertainment.
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SkyPark Celebrates Fall Festival
Mountain News – Oct. 25, 2018
Families can enjoy the Pumpkin Patch, housed at the Pavilion, along with all the Fall festivities. Additionally, all the regular attractions will be available, including the zipline, bike park, archery, train ride and others…
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It’s a Pumpkin Party at SkyPark, Just Be Claus
NBC Los Angeles – Oct. 18, 2018
The Christmas-themed attraction will enjoy a dose of autumnal joy during Pumpkins in the Pines: A Fall Family Festival.
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SkyPark at Santa’s Village
KTLA Los Angeles – Sept. 7, 2018
Several video segments of the Park featured on KTLA news.
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SkyPark Bike Fest a Blast
Mountain News – Sept. 7, 2018
The four-day Bike Fest hosted by SkyPark over Labor Day weekend presented an opportunity for the bike industry, dealers and riders to connect through bike demos, lessons, skills clinics by top athletes in the industry, and live music in a family friendly setting…
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Skate Nights Roll at SkyPark at Santa’s Village
NBC Los Angeles – August 28, 2018
Four wheels, a few spins, and mountain air? Skate on a Saturday evening at the yuletide-sweet, bike-cool attraction near Lake Arrowhead.
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Yule Cool Down at Skypark’s Christmas in July
NBC Los Angeles – June 3, 2018
…on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8 Southern California is expecting its first scorcher of the summer over that particular weekend, but Santa, Mrs. Claus, their pup Arrow, and all of their Northwoods friends will be ready to summon snowy thoughts, if not actual snow.
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SkyPark Unveils Zipline
Mountain News – Nov. 16, 2017
SkyPark Risk Manager Kari Brandt called SkyPark a “unique opportunity for people.” This is because “Customers have an opportunity to mountain bike and zipline in the same place. [Unlike Big Bear], you don’t have to go on different days and to different organizations. You can pay one price and be able to do all of it on the same day.” This includes exploring the shops and dining, creating an all-day experience for people of all ages.
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Lake Arrowhead Business Owner Wins Fun Run
Mountain News – Nov. 16, 2017
Runners participated in one of three categories: 5k, 10k and Kids. According to Director of Retail Chad Barnes, the winner of the 10k run was John Stehmeier, owner of the Lake Arrowhead business Mountain Ponds and a Lake Arrowhead resident. He finished two minutes ahead of second place.
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Reopened Santa’s Village Opening Day Tickets Sold Out
US News – Nov. 10, 2017
Santa’s Village, the recently reopened theme town in Southern California where it’s always Christmas, already has its present. The San Bernardino Sun says tickets for next Thursday’s opening day have sold out.
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Popular SkyPark at Santa’s Village opens for the holiday season
ABC Los Angeles – Nov. 9, 2017
Santa’s Village in Lake Arrowhead opened Thursday and was ready to spread holiday cheer.
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Zip lines, mountain biking greet Skypark at Santa’s Village guests on opening day
OC Register – Nov. 9, 2017
This year’s opening greeted the sold-out crowd with new, action-oriented attractions including a nearly 600-foot zip line, 30-foot climbing tower, and mountain biking.
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Santa’s Village Opening Day: A Festive Photo Peek
NBC Los Angeles – Nov. 9, 2017
What’s that jingling in the distance, up the mountain, not far from Lake Arrowhead? Why Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, their pup Arrow, and their friends of the Northwoods are pulling into Skypark at Santa’s Village.
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What to expect as Skypark at Santa’s Village opens for second season
San Bernardino Sun – Nov. 8, 2017
The iconic Christmas-themed park in the San Bernardino Mountains has added attractions for outdoor enthusiasts including mountain biking, a 30-foot climbing tower, and a 600-foot long zipline that takes visitors through a section of tall trees.
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Ho, Ho, Ho: Opening Day at Santa’s Village – NBC Southern California
NBC Los Angeles – Nov. 6, 2017
Know, though, that choosing what day you’ll say hello to Kris Kringle ahead of time is probably a smart plan, reservation-wise, especially as the 25th of December draws close and the village sees a caboodle of bundled-up visitors.
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Southern California’s Newest Bike Park
Bike Magzine – Oct. 13, 2017
The adventure park, Skypark at Santa’s Village, has just opened a new bike park east of Los Angeles. Still in its infancy, the bike park has nine miles of trails with plans to add more, and it caters to everybody from first-time riders to experts.
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A weekend escape to Santa’s Village is not just for December anymore
NBC Los Angeles – Sep. 21, 2017
Santa never looked so good. That’s because he has been updated from the 1950s to the 21st century. At least, that’s what’s happened to the Santa Claus dwelling in Skyforest, Calif.
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Skypark at Santa’s Village: Holiday Passes Now Available
NBC Los Angeles – Sep. 10, 2017
SkyPark at Santa’s Village doesn’t latch the shutters and turn off the icicle lights when Mr. Claus and his elves return to the toy-making workshop after Christmastime is over. Rather, the Lake Arrowhead-close attraction, a mid-century gem that returned in 2016 after several years off, keeps humming throughout the warmer months via a host of lively happenings.
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How SkyPark at Santa’s Village is Shifting Focus now that the Holidays are over
San Bernardino Sun – Jan. 28, 2017
With the passing of its peak holiday season, the amusement park, which began in 1955 as Santa’s Village, has shifted to themed promotions, said Bill Johnson, general manager. “But Santa is still there, and so is Mrs. Claus,” he said. “We are keeping the Santa’s Village theme alive for the little kids,” he said.
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It’s a retro Southern California Christmas as Santa’s Village reopens
LA Times – Dec. 3, 2016
“Just seeing the candy cane sparked all those memories,” said Michelle Mainez, 41, who grew up in Highland and could recall sitting on Santa’s lap and riding the Magic Train down Storybook Lane as a child.
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Santa’s Village: Return of a Skyforest Gem
NBC Los Angeles – Nov. 10, 2016
Lots of reconstruction, updating, and building work was done on the Lake Arrowhead-close destination in the following months and years, and now there is a twinkling light on the far horizon: Santa is indeed on his way to his former mountain retreat, the one just off Rim of the World Highway, with advance tickets listed as “Available Very Soon.”
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Santa’s Village in Skyforest to Reopen after 20 years
ABC Los Angeles – Oct. 24, 2016
For the first time in nearly 20 years, children will once again be able to visit Santa at Santa’s Village in Skyforest.
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Revamped ‘Santa’s Village’ To Offer Zip Lines, Hiking Trails, Over 200 Local Jobs
CBS Los Angeles – Sept. 29, 2015
Plans for a Christmas-themed amusement park near Lake Arrowhead on the site of the former “Santa’s Village” moved closer to becoming a reality after officials held the first in a series of public hearings earlier this month.
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