Pinecrest Retreat’s vintage travel trailer community is a throwback to simpler times

As you drive through the gates into Pinecrest Retreat from Highway 79 — known as the “Firefighter Steven Rucker Memorial Highway” — about three miles south of Julian, you can sense the layers of everyday stress and anxiety starting to peel away.

The entrance sign at Pinecrest Retreat off Highway 79, near Julian, CA. (Photo by Jimmy Camp)

A secret gem tucked in the Cuyamaca Mountains 60 miles northeast of San Diego, Pinecrest Retreat is home to 160 trailer sites, mostly vintage trailer time capsules.