Ramona sounds like a country song come to life: dusty backroads winding through mountain hollows, feed stores and barns dotting the hillsides, the steady hum of tractors, and a thriving population of beefy pickup trucks. Nestled in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains, where Route 67 meets Highway 78 about 35 miles northeast of San Diego, the town takes its name from the black-haired heroine of Helen Hunt Jackson’s 1884 novel Ramona Forever.
Once just a pit stop on the way to Julian or Anza-Borrego, Ramona has reinvented itself as a wine country gem. More than 40 boutique wineries now freckle the hills, many producing award-winning varietals and offering sun-drenched tasting rooms with vineyard views. But it’s not all vino and barns. The country, rock, and public art scenes here are thriving. Ramona is home to nine live music venues and a growing collection of vibrant murals—31 and counting—brightening downtown for the last decade-plus.
Tamara Denton has bartended at the Turkey Inn in Ramona for a decade.
You’ll know you’ve arrived when you pass a clutch of antique shops and spot the beloved poultry-shaped marquee of the Turkey Inn, pouring since 1926, when Ramona proudly wore the title “Turkey Capital of the World.” The turkeys may be long gone, but agriculture still thrives—think hogs, chickens, citrus few blocks of Main Street, but Ramona is no one-horse town. With a population of around 21,500 and some 10,000 horses, it’s an equestrian stronghold, home to a grand rodeo, sprawling ranches, and state-of-the-art training facilities. Longtime Turkey Inn bartender Tamara Denton remembers riding her steed through town as a kid—and yes, the horse-height crosswalk button still exists at Highland Valley and Dye Road. In Ramona, some traditions really do ride on.
“The vibe is different from San Diego,” Denton says. “It’s dirt bikes instead of beach bikes.” groves, rows of grapes, organic veggies, and seasonal farm stands beckoning weekenders to linger.
Facts About Ramona, CA
- Boxer Archie Moore founded Salt Mine Training Camp at the foot of Mount Woodson in the 1960s. Muhammad Ali and George Foreman trained there.
- Zillow’s average price for a home in Ramona is about $820,000.
- Stunt horseman and rodeo champion Casey Tibbs lived in Ramona from 1976 to 1990.
- Before the renowned Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Riggs played a practice “she versus he” Mother’s Day match against Margaret Court at San Vicente
Country Club in Ramona. He won that face-off before losing to King. - Ramona Airport, built in 1943 by the Army and established in 1957 as a fire-fighting base, is the oldest Cal Fire air attack base in the state.
Country artists and tribute bands pack the lineup at the nearly 80-year-old venue Ramona Mainstage.
Things to Do in Ramona
Denton Has Worked at the Turkey Inn for 10 years, and she drives a pick-up, so you know she can be trusted to give the dirt on what’s happening in her town. She works the day shift now, but on her first night, she met the bar’s ghost, Dutch. She might tell you the story if you stop by for her grapefruit kamikaze—Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, triple sec, and sweet and sour. Ask her about the old map painted on the wall, too.
Since the Turkey Inn doesn’t serve food, if you’re hungry, she’ll send you to Way Point Saloon for a good jalapeño burger or what she says are “melt-in-your-mouth” steak kebabs from its attached restaurant, Up the Hill Grill. When Denton was a little girl, Way Point was Molly Malone’s (locals still call it that); it transformed with the help of Bar Rescue in 2015.
Ramona Cafe is one of Denton’s lifetime favorites, and its new owner is a former server keeping the establishment’s legacy alive. The recipes haven’t changed: chicken-fried steak with house gravy and homemade hashbrowns is still her favorite meal, and the giant cinnamon roll made Guy Fieri’s list.
Ramona Family Naturals Market on 6th Street is the place to find local produce and eggs or grab a fresh-made sandwich (honor Ramona’s past and try the turkey melt!) for your drive to the mountains or desert. Do as Ramonans do and park in the market’s lot on a Thursday night in April through September to catch American Graffiti Cruise Night, a weekly show-out of classic cars along Main Street (check Facebook for themes and special routes), along with outdoor seating, food, and live music.
Denton likes Main Street Coffee for her caffeine fix—in true small town-fashion, it’s within a block of her workplace. A cute cottage with an outside space to sit and watch Ramona go by, it also serves local wines.
What’s Next for Ramona
Ramona may be rooted in tradition, but it’s also evolving. While adults have new pastimes to enjoy— such as wine tasting, live music, and cannabis dispensaries—there’s still a noticeable gap for teens and young people, Denton says. But she’s hoping that changes soon. After years of promises, a permanent skate park may finally become reality: the Ramona Community Planning Group recently earmarked $2.2 million and moved the project to the top of its to-do list.
Progress is happening in other corners, too. One of Ramona’s oldest civic groups, the Ramona Grange (founded in 1915), is behind a new attraction in town: the Ramona Grange Growers Exchange & Certified Farmers Market, launched in April 2025. The market features local-only produce, crafts, and handmade goods, offering a fresh outlet for the area’s agricultural roots. More farm-focused events are sprouting up, too, like farm-to-table dinners at Thompson Heritage Ranch and Happy Hens that showcase Ramona’s deep bench of local growers.
El Michoacan, a cozy spot serving familiar Mexican plates.
Growth is also reshaping the town’s housing landscape. Creekside Crossing, a suburban-style development of 54 homes near Ramona Airport, is slated for completion by late 2025. Meanwhile, Paseo Norte on Main Street, a new 100-unit senior housing complex, anchors the recently opened Ramona Intergenerational Community Campus—a $15 million public hub that was 25 years in the making and now delivers long-promised county services to the community.
Another long-awaited project is the restoration of Ramona Town Hall, a beloved 1894 building designed by William Hebbard, the architectural partner of Irving Gill. One of the oldest town halls in California, it’s slowly returning to its former glory, thanks to about $500,000 in donations and a newly unveiled 3D rendering that offers a glimpse of its future.
Perhaps the most buzzed-about comeback? The long-shuttered Kmart on Main Street, empty and boarded up since 2020. But now, after years of speculation and grumbling, the property is getting new life: four retail stores are on their way. For Ramonans, it’s a long-awaited sign that Main Street’s next chapter is finally underway.
The steak kabobs at Up the Hill Grill.
Where to Eat in Ramona
Where to Shop in Ramona
More Things to Do in Ramona
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