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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Big Bear Lake
Give it 2 nights if you ski or hike, 1 if you just want the lake: it sits at 2,058 m, 2.5–3 h by car from Los Angeles.
Big Bear Lake is a small mountain town in the San Bernardino National Forest, about 2.5–3 h by car from Los Angeles and 1.5 h from San Bernardino. Two ski resorts, an 11 km lake and a walkable Village make it a weekend base. Winter means snow and chains; summer means heat at lower elevations and cool air up here. A car is close to essential.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the lake and trails; Dec–Mar for snow
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug weekends (crowds and heat at the base of the mountain); winter storm days if you lack chains
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Breakfast plate | $12–20 |
| Pizza, one large | $20–30 |
| Dinner main, sit-down | $18–35 |
| Draught beer | $7–10 |
| Gas, per gallon (mountain stations run high) | $4.50–6.00 |
| Adventure Pass, one vehicle, one day | $5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ONT · LA/Ontario International
- Nearest large airport; about 1.5–2 h by car via Hwy 330 or 38.
- PSP · Palm Springs International
- About 2–2.5 h by car via Hwy 247 and Hwy 18.
- RBF · Big Bear City Airport
- General aviation only, on the east end of the lake; car rentals available.
Typical fares
- ONT airport → Big Bear Lake by car
- about 1.5–2 h, 110 kmabout 1.5–2 h, 68 mi
- MARTA local bus, single ride
- check current fare and routes
- Adventure Pass, one vehicle, one day
- $5
Get around
A car is the practical choice: the Village, both ski resorts and the trailheads are 5–20 min apart. Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) runs local buses plus off-the-mountain services; check current routes and times. Parking inside city limits needs no permit; parking in surrounding national forest land needs an Adventure Pass, sold at the Big Bear Discovery Center and sporting-goods stores in town.
See and do
Known for
- Big Bear Lake (the lake itself)
- Bear Mountain and Snow Summit skiing
- Big Bear Village
- San Bernardino National Forest trails
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Arrowhead | Hwy 18 down the mountain, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| San Bernardino | Hwy 330 or Hwy 18 down, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Barstow | Hwy 18 north via Lucerne Valley, then I-15, about 1.5 h | About 1.75 h |
| Upland | Hwy 330 to Hwy 210 west, about 1.5 h | About 1.75 h |
| Baker, California | Hwy 18 to I-15 north, about 2.5 h | About 2.75 h |
Sleep
- Big Bear Village
- Walkable restaurants and shops; Holiday Inn Resort and lodges at the edge of the Village. Best without a car in the evening.
- Moonridge
- Closest to Bear Mountain; Best Western Chateau and cabins. Quiet, needs a car.
- Big Bear Blvd (Hwy 18) corridor
- Motels, board shops and rentals along the main road; cheapest beds, drive to everything.
- Fawnskin / North Shore
- Cabins and the Discovery Center side; quieter, 15–20 min drive from the Village.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Do I need chains today? | Do I need chains today? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter storms: carry chains and check road conditions before climbing from the valley; do not attempt the drive in heavy snow without them.
- Altitude: the town sits near 2,058 m. Drink water, take the first day easy, and watch for headaches.
- Wildfire risk is real in dry summer and autumn months; check fire restrictions and evacuation notices.
- Forest parking without an Adventure Pass can be ticketed.
- Weekend holiday traffic on Hwy 330 and Hwy 18 backs up; leave early or late.
A low-crime resort town; the real risks are mountain driving in snow, altitude, and wildfire season. Carry chains in winter and check road and fire conditions before you climb.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Big Bear Lake yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Big Bear Lake (the lake itself)
- Bear Mountain and Snow Summit skiing
- Big Bear Village
- San Bernardino National Forest trails
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Big Bear Visitors Center: www.bigbear.com/about/visitors-center/
- Big Bear Mountain Resort: www.bigbearmountainresort.com/
- Wikivoyage: Big Bear Lake, revision 5243749 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243749
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Big Bear Lake
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in town; nearest consulates-general are in Los Angeles. US visitors: your embassy is in Washington, DC.
Ski and snow-play rentals are cheaper in town than at the resorts.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/big-bear-lake). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.