A historic gold-mining town has turned into a crowded hotspot - with locals warning that the once-peaceful retreat had been transformed by TikTok and Instagram.
Julian, a rustic town tucked in the Cuyamaca Mountains about an hour east of San Diego, with a population of roughly 1,500, had long been celebrated for its iconic apple pies and historic streets lined with specialty shops.
But, in recent years, the influx of tourists has skyrocketed, leaving residents and visitors grappling with traffic jams, packed restaurants and hours-long waits on weekends.
David Lewis, who grew up in Julian and now works at the Julian Pioneer Museum, said the surge was unlike anything he had seen before.
'It's on steroids. It's kind of nuts up here,' he told NBC San Diego.
Julian's Main Street, once a quiet mountain escape, became packed with visitors lining up for pies and photo ops.
Locals said social media partly fueled the boom.
'It's been blowing up all over TikTok and Instagram,' Karina Chaire added
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