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Hemet, California

  Hemet is located in the San Jacinto Valley of Riverside County in the south central region of the state of California. The city was founded in 1887 and was incorporated in 1910.


Archeological research has determined that the initial inhabitants of the area were the Cahuilla tribe of Native Americans. The nearby Mission of San Luis Rey used the land in and around the current city as grazing land for cattle during the early part of the 1800s. A few years later, the land was part of a Mexican Land Grant given to Jose Antonio Estudillo. Land speculators and developers W.F. Whittier and E.L. Mayberry established the Lake Hemet Water Company, the Hemet Land Company and the city of Hemet in 1887. Completion of the Hemet Dam on the San Jacinto River in 1895 provided ample water for the entire valley and gave rise to the development of the area’s agriculture.


In the early 1900s a railroad spur was opened from Riverside and provided needed transportation for agricultural products. The city soon established itself as the trading hub for fruits and nuts grown in the valley.


In the 1940s the city served as a training ground for US Army Flyers who learned their skills at the Ryan School of Aeronautics. The school trained around 6,000 pilots between 1940 and 1944. The site of the Ryan School is now the location of the Hemet-Ryan Airport.


The area has hosted the Farmer’s Fair of Riverside County since 1936 when it was called the Hemet Turkey Show. The fair has become a tradition for the area’s agriculture producers and families look forward to participating each year. Some projects take a full year or longer and there is always a high level of anticipation as the Fair’s entry deadline approaches.


Want a slow paced, peaceful get-a-way for your next RV Travel outing? Hemet is an obvious choice. The city is most widely known as the home of the world acclaimed Ramona Pageant. The annual pageant is a step back in time to the history and culture of local Native Americans. The pageant features the presentation of the play, “Ramona” which has been repeated annually for many decades. The production is held at the Ramona Bowl which is an outdoor amphitheater with exceptional performances under the stars.


A Good Sam Club RV Park with excellent Camping Discounts for members will be your home base for fun and entertainment or just a peaceful stint of relaxation in Hemet. The Hemet Museum is situated in the downtown area and features documents and artifacts of the cities early years including the initial establishment of the Ramona Pageant. The Western Science Museum has an outstanding collection of Ice Age mammals including “Max”, the largest mastodon ever discovered in the western United States.


RV Travel to Hemet and its surrounding neighbors will be an adventure worth taking and remembering.