The city of Big Bear Lake is located in San Bernardino County, CA and is located on the south shore of Big Bear Lake. It is approximately 25 miles north east of San Bernardino (city) and has a population of approximately 5500 people. The lake itself is roughly 7 miles long and has a maximum width of a mile.
Big Bear Lake is the largest recreational lake in Southern California and is a year around destination and it primarily attracts fisherman with it’s trout, bass and catfish.
There are two major ski resorts in the area that attract skiers as well as snowboarders:
Snow Summit which has 240 developed acres with 31 trails and a vertical drop of 1200 feet.
Bear Mountain which has 198 developed acres with a 1665 foot vertical drop and has a few more advanced runs.
Both resorts receive about 100 inches of snow per year and have snow making capacity on all developed acres.
In addition to fishing and skiing other outdoor recreational activities include hiking, mountain biking and horse back riding. San Bernardino National Forest is home to a wide variety of trails with various degrees of difficulty.
Big Bear Valley also has an abundance of wildlife such as: coyotes (keep an eye on your pets), squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, bald eagles, deer and mountain lions. There are also a few pests such as snakes and skunks.
There is also a natural hot spring in Big Bear Lake City which became the home of the first two major hotels in Big Bear. The Pan Hot Springs Hotel which was started in 1921 and the Peter Pan Woodland Club started 4 years later.
These hotels gave Big Bear Lake a jump start by providing amenities that would attract Hollywood celebrities like Shirley Temple and Ginger Rogers.
Big Bear has always been a popular place for shooting films. From the early 1920 version of Last of the Mohicans to a number of Bonanza episodes in the 1960s. It was even one of the locations chosen for Disney’s Old Yeller. In recent times, Big Bear has also hosted the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival since 1999 which features emerging screenwriters and independent filmmakers. There is also a pitchfest at the end of the festival where participants can present their projects.
Big Bear Lake has also been home to their own version of Oktoberfest. In 1969 two German immigrants Hans and Erika Bandows made there way to Big Bear and purchased what is now the Bavarian Lodge. Their first year was a rough one with one of the worst winters on record so to celebrate after their first year they threw an Oktoberfest party which remains a tradition today!
The warmest month of the year is July when the average high temperature is 80.7°F (27.1°C) and the average low is 47.1°F (8.4°C). January is the coldest month with average highs of 47.1°F (8.4°C) and average lows of 20.7°F (-6.3°C).
The Big Bear City Airport is a general aviation airport that serves the area. There is also a local bus service operated by MARTA – the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority. It provides service from San Bernardino to Big Bear Lake City.