Leona Valley

Leona Valley is in the green and arid Lakes district of the Antelope Valley in the Angeles National Forest. The Lakes are a special area, rife with history and ruggedness, sublime and, at times, harsh. “It’s beautiful and very mountainous,” says Michelle Pendergrast, a licensed Broker Associate with Keller Williams Antelope Valley. “You lose cell reception for about 15 minutes when you enter the neighborhood, but that’s what’s nice about it too. You’re forced to unplug.” Originally named Bouquet Canyon because of the native California poppies so abundant to this area, there are few places in the country more stunning and majestic to unplug. The valley is also renowned for its cherry farms, which are open to amateur pickers willing to pay to gather their own and curious visitors seeking a bucolic afternoon. Cattle head graze in nearby ranges and you’re sure to get some of the best hamburger and steak around at local restaurants.

Median incomes and home values are higher in Leona Valley than in the other Lakes neighborhoods. Land and homes for sale are available in a vast range of prices, from the tens of thousands to the millions. Tracts in shovel-ready developments are listing for under $50,000 for up to 3 acres. For $500,000 you’ll find charming properties as varied as a one room house made of stone and shingles from the turn of the 20th century on 40 acres to a three-bedroom ranch-style home built this century with solar panels on the roof and set back on 5 hillside acres. For under $1 million you’ll find gorgeous actual ranches with five bedrooms, horse stalls and barns. At the top of this market are palatial modern farmhouses on several acres with outbuildings.

Leona Valley has the benefit of having easy access to both the wilderness of the nearby streams and trails and the nearby more urban areas of Quartz Hill and Rancho Vista. The California Aqueduct Trail, a hilly and dry path along the state’s ingenious system of channels and waterways, passes just northeast of the Leona Valley town center. Southward leads deep into the 650,000-acre Angeles National Forest where intrepid outdoor lovers will find place like the Artesian Spring Campgrounds, a primitive site where visitors can hike and swim in Bouquet Falls. The small mountain town of Green Valley is under 5 miles south of Leona Valley. Here, visitors will find camping spots and trail heads, including those for the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs all the way from Mexico to Canada. Windy Ridge Chery Ranch is a great place to bring the family during the summer. Jack’s Place, a charming local restaurant with a patio and excellent burgers, is in the center of a tiny commercial district. You can tour historic structures from the first European-American settlements at Leona Heritage Park down the street. Rancho Vista Golf Course in Quartz Hill provides a more modern recreational experience. A nearby Walmart is convenient for stocking up when you’re living somewhat off the grid.

Leona Valley Elementary School received a solid B minus on school ranking site Niche with a B plus for its diversity. The Gregg Anderson Academy in next-door Palmdale has an overall grade of B plus despite an average class size of 25. Highland High School scored a B plus for its college preparatory curriculum. Many Leona Valley residents work at nearby Edwards Air Force Base, which has an outpost of NASA. There is also a classified Air Force manufacturing facility in Palmdale where aircraft makers such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing operate. State roads in next-door Lancaster will take you to the 5 freeway in Santa Clarita or the 15 in San Bernadino. May in Leona Valley is a month of color. The hills are covered in the orange of wild poppies and the cherries are ripe for the picking. It’s a perfect time to look for your new home.

Written By

Abbot Street

Photography Contributed By

Joseph Choo

Video By

Luke Mancari