Located in the plains of the Mojave Desert and bordered by the nature-rich San Gabriel Mountains, this community is truly "where the desert meets the mountains." Four Thousand years ago, aborigines living off plants and animals occupied the higher elevations of this range. Between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago the Serrano Indians inhabited the area having permanent camps in the lower elevations during the cold season.

During the Spanish settlement in the 1700s, Jesuit priests discovered a rich gold mine between Littlerock and Pinon Hills. It is said that after the Jesuits were recalled, the prolific mine was buried and since then has become part of the lore as a lost gold mine.

Water, a precious resource in the Mojave Desert, was more available along the foothills of the San Gabriels, allowing the growth of Phelan and Pinon Hills as agricultural communities at the beginning of this century, producing over 70 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Water was also the key to the development of the stagecoach route, connecting L.A. County to San Bernardino.