Running Springs, California 1972

This photograph captures the small mountain community of Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains as it appeared in 1972, before the region became more modernized and before major redevelopment changed much of the roadside architecture. Located at the junction of Highway 330 and Highway 18, Running Springs served as the last commercial stop for travelers heading toward Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake, or the national forest wilderness beyond.

The storefronts reflect a distinctly rustic mountain style popular in the mid-20th century—timber siding, shingle roofs, carved signage, and handmade details catering to both locals and the steady stream of weekend visitors from Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino. Signs advertise items that once defined mountain tourist commerce: lamps, furniture, hardware, real estate, and “totem poles”—the latter a common roadside novelty during the postwar cabin-building boom, even though it had no direct cultural link to local tribes.

On the left stands a cluster of wooden shops, including a real estate office—reflecting a period when the mountains experienced brisk growth in second homes and vacation cabins. The area boomed especially after the postwar economic surge, when Southern California families sought alpine retreats away from the smog and heat of the valleys below.

A few doors down, the Running Springs Hardware store anchors the small commercial block, offering everything needed to maintain a cabin: propane, lumber, nails, wood stoves, tools, and mountain essentials—much the way similar shops had done since the 1930s.

The vehicles parked along the roadside—station wagons, sedans, a Scout-style utility vehicle, and a snow-ready truck—reflect the practical motoring needs of residents living at elevation, where winters could bring heavy snowfall and chains were a normal part of life.

The surrounding scenery — tall pines, open hillsides, and the faint profile of the mountains — makes the setting unmistakably Californian. Unlike many mountain towns elsewhere, the light is bright, the sky wide, and the roadside open.

Though much of Running Springs has changed since 1972—and portions of these buildings have been remodeled or replaced—the layout of the road and the feeling of a gateway town to the high country remain familiar. This image captures the community at a moment when tourism, mountain living, and rustic roadside architecture converged into a look and identity that defined Southern California’s alpine resort towns for decades.