If you would like private lessons from experienced, engaging and patient instructors in big Bear,…read morelook no further. We booked two lessons for my five year-old skier with Jake and one lesson for my nine-year-old snowboarder with Chad. Both instructors were professional, on time, and engaging with my children. Best of all my kids skills improved dramatically during their sessions, and they both said it was the favorite part of their vacation! What an amazing find. Thank you Jake and Chad

We had a wonderful experience with Jake. He was so attentive even days prior…read more The best part was that my daughter was skiing within minutes!!! I will definitely recommend them 100%. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!!!

This is just a partial review since we only tried the snow play area. Tickets were $25 per person,…read moreand the process was smooth with almost no wait. They're pretty thorough about checking waivers, which I appreciated for safety. The snow play space is small with a short slope, but they provide a bunch of plastic sleds, so it's still fun to mess around. I just wish tubing was included for the price. The staff was super welcoming and attentive, checking in on the area often. Overall a good time, especially for kids or a quick snow day activity.

Two events lead to this 1-star review…read more First, I had just loaded onto lift 13 when the lift stopped. I looked back to see 2 snowboarders fighting on the ground in front of the lift. The fact that some people can be A-holes isn't what bothered me, what bothered me is the incredibly slow and lackadaisical response from the staff. The attendant from the lift was doing her best to separate them while I watched 1 staff member slowly walk over. Second, and this was the most troubling, was the lack of attention to beginner-level skiers on lift 2. My wife took our 6-year-old, first-time skier on to lift 2 while I followed right behind. We both let the attendant know it was his first time on the lift to which she just responded "chase the chair and you'll be fine". As the chair came around I watched my son almost fall off the seat. My wife and I both yelled stop as she pulled him back on. Without even turning to look, the attendant nonchalantly said "he's fine, he was on". When we reached the top of the lift, there was no assistance to help them and they ended up taking a big fall off the chair, both hitting their heads and my wife injuring her tailbone. They stopped the lift just long enough to get them to the side before resuming again. They let us know in the future we should give them a thumbs down on the approach and they'll slow down the lift. It would have been REALLY nice if the attendant at the bottom of the hill had let us know that. As we gathered ourselves on the benches, we watched beginner after beginner fall as soon as the chair pushed them forward. Often times there were 4-5 people on the ground, creating obstacles for other skiers to avoid as they exited the lift. Several times we watched the exiting skiers fall over previous skiers that weren't able to clear the area. All this to say, the concern for safety and level of professionalism left a lot to be desired and we do not plan on returning.

4+ My recent visit in early 2/2026 was the first time I've been to Snow Summit in over a decade and…read morethis was my second snowboarding excursion in the last decade as well (so I am/ was a bit rusty) I had a free day during the week and drove up in the morning by myself. There was free parking that was easy to find and gear up at. This particular location doesn't feel large and since it was kind of sunny and a weekday, I think a lot of the trails and some of the lifts were shutdown during my visit. Not a big deal at all since my goal was to avoid large weekend crowds and shake off my personal cobwebs and just enjoy myself at my own speed. Getting my pass ready at the entrance using my phone, emails, and the app was pretty straightforward. Once I got that situated, I was able to start making my way to the first main lift and head up. The crowds during a weekday (early 2/2026) were so small, I was able to take my own chair up without having any traffic behind me. I can't speak for experienced skiers and snowboarders since even a decade ago, I would consider myself a solid intermediate snowboarder (that didn't do any tricks) and I will say it's a solid resort especially what I was looking for. I was able to go down the trails and constantly go up the lifts so quickly and my muscle memory all started coming back albeit with a few minor spills. After a while, I wanted to grab a beer and make my way over to Big Bear since I had the pass that allowed me to experience both parks. Definitely a solid snow resort that isn't too intense and is great for the proximity of people who live in the LA/ IE area.

For a SoCal option, this is one of my favorite mountains to take newbies and intermediate boarders…read more The terrain offers quite a bit of selections is the skillset mentioned above. I also like one of their runs being spacious and wide for ease of maneuverability. Base of the mountain during peak season also have a wide variety of food and beverage options. Their bloody marry are really good here. I would recommend you get one of these for those cold days for a light snack with a kick to move you along until the last run. I have seen the lift ticket system change throughout the decades and I'm glad that they are updating their process to move the lines along. During peak season, there are multiple locations that you can park where shuttles will take you to and from the base. Parking in the main lot does come with a fee. Slow days or weekdays are usually $25 per vehicle. Overall, it's a great place to board with a nice view of the lake. Can't wait to get back on the slope with good snow.

4+ My recent visit in early 2/2026 was the first time I've been to area in over a decade and this…read morewas my second snowboarding excursion in the last decade as well...so I was a bit rusty. I spent my morning over at Snow Summit to get runs in and shake off the cobwebs. I had a free day during the week and drove up in the morning by myself. The cast that I purchased you access to both this part and Snow Summit so I had to at least get a few runs in here after lunch. There was free parking that was easy to find and gear up at. Like the other park, I feel like some of the trails and lifts were shunt down for the day. No biggie. It was not crowded at all. I don't have any scientific basis for this, but it feels like this park has a few more obstacles or is more friendly to some of the more seasoned folks that come through. Overall, my experience was pleasant. Even though I didn't spend a lot of time here since my body started getting tired. A fun park that isn't too far for people in the LA or SoCal area. Definitely a good experience when the park isn't crowded.

When you're heading up to Big Bear during the week where it has a lot of snow you know your in for…read moremadness. My son wanted to go tubing, which I was not opposed to so you book online the night before and lock your spot in. It's about $56 per person to tube which is a little steep but then again we're in the mountains so you pay for everything. Parking for the hill, getting to the hill, navigating the chaos on the hill. All the above is a mission on its own. Be prepared to wait, to walk, and to deal with the craziness. The employees they are cool, just overworked and I feel like there needs to be more than to navigate through the BS. Fun little place to go tubing and the run is pretty cool. Just be prepared to pay and struggle with the parking situation. Hire more people guys probably help you guys out tremendously.

To help bring in the New Year the right way, we took our kids to Big Bear Mountain for their first…read moreski lesson. They were with Coach Dominic. We couldn't have asked for a better ski instructor for our children! From the very first moment, he was incredibly energetic, friendly, and kind, which immediately put our kids at ease. His supportive and encouraging approach helped build confidence using the ski lift and on the slopes. His knowledge of skiing really showed in how clearly and patiently he explained everything. He made learning fun while keeping safety a top priority. Our children had an amazing time and came away excited, confident, and eager to ski again. Highly recommend Coach Dominic to any family looking for a fantastic kids' ski instructor!

Only rating a 3 because the snow tubing was TERRIBLE! and we paid for parking we couldn't use…read morebecause apparently it fills up at 9am (even though we saw open spots riding the shuttle??). I had a great time leading to ski. Wes was AMAZING! The snow tubing promised me 8 lanes. There were 3 and it took 6 seconds to get from top to bottom. I have more fun tubing in Indiana than I did there and it was $49 a person. Very very disappointing. Skiing was great though.

Amazing staff! Friendly and eager to help!!! It was kinda hard figuring out the whole process as…read morethe person on the phone ( BBM customer service) had given me the wrong info ( twice), she told me twice ( I had called twice as the confirmation email I received said the opposite of what she had told me on the phone) that the adventure academy would provide the rental and all I had to do was show up there and drop the kid, when in fact we need to pick up rental, lift pass then head to the academy, FYI. Other than that, amazing experience!! Liam was very patient and did a great job! My niece is now in love with skiing and is my new skiing buddy

It was the second time that we had booked a one hour private snowboarding lesson with Gus Buckner…read more He is a great teacher, personable, explaining everything very well, patient and correcting mistakes quickly. We learned a lot and the lesson passed too quickly. Looking forward to the next one. Can highly recommend him and the school.

My two girlfriends and I took a group snowboarding lesson with Luca and had a wonderful time! Luca…read morewas kind, patient, funny, and did an excellent job at explaining everything snowboarding related. He broke down each component of the sport and understood how to explain things to different types of learners. The lesson was about an hour and a half and we even got to do one run on the ski lift. Fortunately, because we hadn't planned in advance, we were able to book the lesson day of, which was a relief to us. This was money well spent and I would recommend taking a lesson with Luca if you are new or a beginner snowboarder!

I took my kids for their first ski lesson here, and their instructor, Chuck, was the absolute best…read more He was patient and encouraging. My 8 year old got so much out of his 3 hour lesson with him. He even took him on his first chair lift ride to a 'big kid' beginner run. Even my 4 year old was able to stop and go on his own after his time with Chuck. All of the instructors seemed incredibly kind. My younger son, in the middle of his lesson, decided that he was done with skiing. They took him inside, gave him some water, and let him color and hang out until his brother was done. The level of care was unexpected but wonderful.

Only had to rent boots this time, but the staff is super friendly. With such a convenient location…read moreended up having to hang out there 2 days in a row as we were snowed in up the street and hiked down. Riley was super chill and didn't mind my kiddos hanging out eating snacks while we waited for transportation to the mountain. Oh and bonus, they reward loyalty with a discount for repeat visitors

I highly recommend this shop guys I was a first timer there and they were so helpful they answered…read moreall my questions very politely,super friendly just the best service you can ask for some gentleman Hurley was super nice . So you guys if you ever visit big bear and you need some gear this is your spot trust me .!

Back in March of 2020, my family were in Big Bear for the weekend because my son had an appointment…read morefor adaptive ski lessons with USARC . Unfortunately due to the pandemic that was starting, the lessons were cancelled and we never tried to schedule a make up session. Fast forward to this week... my son and I went with his school for an adaptive ski day trip. He has been hesitant about skiing as he was extremely nervous about going downhill at fast speeds, but the teacher and I talked to him about it and finally convinced him to give it a try. So glad we went because he had such a great time! My son is non-ambulatory and they had special seated skis that rise up to get on to the chair lifts - soo innovative! There were other adaptive ski equipment for all levels of learners and abilities. Instructors are all volunteers and my son had two volunteers with him. They were both retired firefighters (one from Adelaide, AUS) and were both so kind and fun. Since it was a weekday, the slopes were pretty empty so they were able to immediately jump onto the lift again as soon as they came down - no wait! They had so many runs that day, we lost count. It was an absolute joy to watch everyone experience the fun and excitement of going down the slopes for the first time (or second time!). We are so lucky that organizations like USARC exist to give those with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy a variety of sports that they normally wouldn't have access to.

We had an incredible experience with the Adaptive Ski Program at the United States Adaptive…read moreRecreation Center this weekend. I was honestly very nervous going into it. Ethan has high anxiety and new environments can sometimes be challenging for him, so I wasn't sure how a ski lesson would go or whether he would be able to participate. The staff completely exceeded our expectations. Ethan's coach, James, was wonderful -- calm, confident, and immediately made Ethan feel like he could do this. That confidence made all the difference. Within the first ten minutes, Ethan was riding the lift and skiing down the hill. He ended up going down the hill at least 10 times and had an absolute blast. He told us it was one of the most fun things he has ever done. Programs like this truly matter. Having an adaptive ski program that allows kids with different needs to ski, snowboard, and fully participate in the experience is amazing. Thank you to the entire team, and especially to James, for making this possible. Ethan had the time of his life, and it's something we will never forget!

My child attended Outdoor Ed in February 2026. We were nervous but excited for her to have new…read moreexperiences and some independence. She came home absolutely raving about the amazing time she had and how much fun it was! She spoke so highly of her counselors, Natalie and Esmie, and said they were incredibly kind and supportive. It really made a difference in her overall experience. A couple of minor downsides: she mentioned the "Yapatorium" (the sanctuary) had a lot of talking (I'm sure it was educational). Also, one of the bathrooms either didn't have a working lock or the lock was broken, so the girls had to share another bathroom or have someone stand outside for privacy. Food-wise, there were no issues, but my daughter didn't love most of the meals. She said the pizza was the best and the tacos were her least favorite. However, when I spoke with some of her cabin mates, they said the food was good -- so this may just come down to personal preference (she can be a bit picky!). The registration portal was very easy to use, and the website was up to date and helpful throughout the process. Overall, she had a wonderful experience and came home with great memories.

I hope my review proves helpful. My daughter went to this camp with her 5th-grade class in February…read more2026. I, too, was genuinely concerned because--for some reason--the reviews for this place seemed negative; however, it turned out that all the children were absolutely delighted. Their teacher sent us photos--the very ones I've included in this review--and the food was very wholesome, delicious, and fresh. The children were allotted four minutes each for showers; however, I don't view this as a negative thing, as there really are a lot of children, and you simply can't allocate a vast amount of time to each individual without causing long delays for everyone else. The kids didn't even have a chance to get bored. My daughter usually spends her days at home glued to her phone or the TV, and she's not easily impressed--yet she really loved this camp.