Riverside: Discover Water, Culture and Wine

If you’re considering Riverside for a vacation, you’ll find a range of themes to help plan your trip: water activities at Lake Perris, paths through botanical gardens, museums and wine in Temecula Valley. You can tailor your stay to what matters most to you, whether that’s time on the water, nature, history or culinary experiences.

Lake Perris: Swimming, Boating and Fishing

At Lake Perris, you can swim at Perris Beach and Moreno Beach. There are several boat ramps for motorized boats; non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks and paddleboards can access the water via a sandy launch area. Fishing is another option at the lake, with largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, carp and especially large bluegills among the species mentioned. This variety makes Lake Perris an appealing place to spend a day on the water in different ways.

Lake Perris also has 431 campsites: 167 have no hookups, while 264 are paved sites with hookups. If you’d rather stay in a vacation rental, you can make the lake one of your planned excursion highlights and choose accommodation based on your trip destinations.

Nature Trails and Regional Parklands

The 40-acre living plant museum features more than 3,500 plant species and thousands of specimens from around the world, with more than four miles of paths winding through the garden. About one-third of the grounds consists of native plant communities, including coastal sage scrub and annual grasslands. This makes it a place where both the diversity of the collection and native plant communities take center stage.

Recreation in Riverside County includes expansive open spaces and preserves, nature centers, hiking trails and sports parks. RivCoParks offers seven regional parks for day visits as well as overnight stays in an RV or tent. Activities include hiking, boating, fishing, horseback riding and special events. If you’d like to make your stay active, you can compare these options with the other excursion themes that interest you.

Museums and Stories of the Region

The Ya'i Heki' Regional Indian Museum at Lake Perris is dedicated to presenting and preserving the history, culture and traditions of the Indigenous tribes of the Inland Empire region. The California Citrus State Historic Park offers a different perspective on cultural history: this open-air museum spans more than 250 acres. Riverside County also has museums with exhibits on art, photography, natural history and local culture.

The Riverside Art Museum cares for a permanent collection of approximately 1,500 objects. The Western Science Center is Riverside County’s largest natural history museum, with topics ranging from Ice Age giants to archaeological mysteries. The March Field Air Museum offers self-guided tours across a 30-acre site featuring two main hangars, a replica of the Vietnam War outpost Firebase Romeo Charlie and the Frank Zizzo Radio Room. These distinct areas of focus give you concrete ideas as you plan the cultural and museum portion of your trip.

Temecula Wine Country and Old Town

More than 30 grape varieties are grown across the gently rolling hills and high plateaus of Temecula Valley. Wine Country has nearly 50 wineries, most of them along the wine routes of Rancho California Road, Calle Contento and De Portola Road. Wineries offer vineyard tours and cellar tastings, and welcome visitors with award-winning wines, gourmet restaurants and scenic views. Grape stomping is also among the experiences on offer. Wine tours use shuttles, buses and limousines.

For a historical look at Temecula, the Temecula Valley Museum offers one-hour walking tours of Old Town Temecula on select Saturdays. They start at the museum at 10:30 a.m. and end on Main Street at 11:30 a.m. Check in advance whether the tour is offered on your preferred date. Old Town Temecula is located where the third Temecula stood; the railroad was built in 1882.

When choosing a vacation rental, it’s worth deciding first which experiences you want to shape your trip. That way, you can tailor your search to your planned stay rather than choosing based only on a general mix of themes.

Discover More Destinations

Palm Desert, Riverside, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Banning, Blythe, Hemet, Indian Wells, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Temecula, Corona, Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Indio, La Quinta, Norco, Yucaipa, Perris, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Beaumont, Menifee, San Jacinto, Murrieta, Bermuda Dunes, Thousand Palms, Mira Loma, Thermal, Wildomar, Eastvale.

For the broader travel overview: California.