The Aspen Glen Picnic Area is a day use area only that is open year round. It's a quaint area for a leisurely picnic or a great starting point to accessible trail heads. Some picnic tables, a community fire ring, and some barbecues are provided for use. I wouldn't rely on the restrooms. Also, be prepared as there's no potable water on-site. There is a small parking lot that fits about 15 small vehicles. Parked vehicles must display a valid recreation pass. You can purchase a pass from the Mountaintop Ranger District & Discovery Center along with other vendors (see the USDA Forest Service website for a map of vendors located under the "Passes and Permits" tab). read more

This Aspen Glen Picnic area is a beautiful spot surrounded by tall pine trees that provide plenty of shade. It's a peaceful place to relax, with several picnic tables scattered throughout the grove. I've visited a few times in both fall and winter, and fall is definitely my favorite, the weather is much more comfortable for me. The parking lot is quite small, so it's best to arrive early, especially during busy months. Parking is $5, and conditions can vary depending on the season. When there's snow, the lot can be challenging to access, small sedans can easily get stuck, so having a larger vehicle or 4WD is highly recommended. There is one standard two stall restroom, but it's not very well maintained. There's no running water, so bringing your own toiletries and hand sanitizer is a good idea. The area is open from 8am to sundown . read more

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A great little wooded area with picnic tables. Bathrooms and trash cans. You can also access a trailhead to some pretty nice hikes. Moderate level read more

TLDR: great spot for taking photos, but steep hills so wear snow boots. Came on a Sunday afternoon - there wasn't as much snow as we had hoped, but still had a fun time taking photos + "sledding". Our sled adventures led us straight into the bushes, so be careful with where you sled (BYOS). Here's a photo of the scenery; it was nice. Honestly, if you're going to stay for a few minutes you don't need a parking permit. Be sure to double up on socks so your feet don't get cold + if you're taking photos wear snow pants, too. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Scenery - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Best place to go sledding... Get there early! Parking get full very fast! Lots of slopes to sled - all ages read more

WHAT A HIDDEN TREASURE FOR SLEDDING AND SNOW TUBING! After being terribly disappointed with Big Bear Snow Play, we really wanted to find a place for our two little ones to play in the snow. After a quick Yelp! search we found the Aspen Glen Picnic Area. Aspen Glen Picnic Arena is literally just that... a picnic area. However this place has everything we were looking for to entertain our little ones. They had picnic tables to post up and have lunch on, they had large flat areas that the kids could play in the snow and build snowmen, and there were great hills that the kids could go down on their sleds and snow tubes. AND IT'S FREE! One thing to note is there is minimal parking. Maybe 15 total spots in the parking lot. There's a small amount of street parking, but you need to be completely parked off the side of the road and parked somewhere where there isn't a "No Parking Sign". This area is patrolled by the Park Rangers so don't park illegally. They'll find you. With saying this, if this sounds like something you want to do... GET THERE EARLY. I CANT EXPRESS THIS ENOUGH. If you wait until noon, there won't be parking. Overall, if you're looking for an easy and free place for your kids to play in the snow and have them go down hills on sleds and snow tubes, this is a great option. We will definitely frequent this place when we come back! read more

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If you're looking to sled with the family or friends, I highly recommend this place when there's no it has a lot of little corners where you can go and slide down from small hills to big depending on what you prefer. I do recommend getting there early or later in the day because this place can get busy, especially for the parking they do charge a five dollar fee throughout the day. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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Went last Tuesday, December 27. Good amounts of snow all around the area. Make sure to have a parking permit (can buy at Big 5 Sporting Goods in your area before heading out). Make sure to be a good human and bring out the trash you bring in for everyone else to enjoy the area. Use a good sled and not a cheapie thin plastic tub so it doesn't turn into trash. Overall good to be there right after a Southern California storm...hard to judge snow levels from websites unless you know someone up there to tell you otherwise. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - A little snowman for the snow in the area. - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

My boyfriend and I were looking for somewhere to go sledding without spending tons of money when we stumbled across Aspen Glen Picnic Area. They only require an Adventure Pass ($5) or you can use your America the Beautiful Pass. They have very limited parking spots in the lot so be prepared to park on the street. The hill is really great for sledding. There were a lot of other families there at the same time as us but we were still able to find a good space to sled. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're in Big Bear! read more

Took the family up for a quick day trip for some sledding since it had just snowed a few days prior. Getting up the mountain was easy as we were on the road from LA at 7am. Parking was easy and plentiful when we arrived and cars were coming in and out throughout the day. It is limited maybe like 15-20 cars. No issues with parking and had a blast using the sleds. Plenty of space and snow for the kids to have fun. Porta potties were really dirty but we knew they going up so we made sure to use restrooms before arriving and had a little portable for the girls. Tip - we were heading down the mountain by 1pm and could see northbound lane was backed up for at least 8 miles starting at snow valley due to parking issues. read more

This place is great in general given that it is free. Normally after good snow there are several places to sled which is fun. Currently at this time of my post, it is not the best time, with the snow being more ice than snow. This makes for a somewhat dangerous condition but if done with common sense, it is fine. At the very least a fun place to play in the snow. Port-a potty on site (not that I'd ever use them). Come early as there are only about 12 parking spots. There is tons of street parking, but if you don't get a permit for five dollars, you could risk of getting a ticket. As we left today there was a sheriff deputy sitting outside on the street parking. Maybe he was waiting for a large number of cars to ticket, or maybe he was just chillin. read more

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Great place for sledding for kids. Parking is small and gets full fast in snow season. The parking has a sharp slope and bunch cars were stock on icy snow and could not get out without a chain. Park on street and walk a bit. read more

We had so much fun in the snow even though it was in mid April. We made snowman, played snowball fight, and hiked in the snow. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Foot prints of unknown animal - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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This place is great for some free snow activities. There's a small pay station in the park near the bathrooms. There's also a bunch of picnic tables with access to bbqs and even a fire pit. So bring your skewers and your marshmallows for another fun activity. There's porta-potties also but they are disgusting and should be avoided if possible. Other than that it's a great option for fun outdoor activities that are free and local to big bear. read more

Zero parking. So boring. Porter potties we're super disgusting. Not sure what else to write other than stay away from this place. read more

This place was great for our quick trip to the snow! My children had a blast! Make sure to scan QR code to purchase day parking for this area. read more

In short, buy a permit if you are not willing to risk getting a ticket, empty your bladder and rectum before coming to the park, lower your expectations on how humans treat Earth, and park on the street. Regardless, it will be fun!! More details: Price: 5/5 It is true that you need to buy a $5 permit from a distributor (check their website for a list). BUT, i didnt buy one. I just parked on the street and we spent about 2 hours there. I only saw 2 cars that had passes displayed; the other 15 or so did not. I'm not gonna say "dont get a permit" but i'm also not gonna say "you WILL get a ticket if you dont get a permit." Your choice. Park cleanliness: 2/5 - humans are so disgustingly careless. I watched a family eat their mcdonalds at the picnic tables and they left their trash right where they ate while they were MAYBE 10 steps from a trash can. As we left, we ran into the adults within that family and my sister-in-law told them they are supposed to dispose of their trash properly. They didnt seem like they cared. I will not complain about people leaving broken plastic sleds there, like other reviewers. My sis-in-law and I grabbed a few broken sleds and made use of them of them with my nieces. Most people placed their broken sleds next to the trash can, but there were a few left around on the slopes. Pro-tip: dont buy a cheap, plastic sled... they will likely break. Bathrooms: the park's bathrooms were closed. Port-o-potties were provided and they werent the worst ive seen. My 6 yr old niece is absolutely terrified of using them - so much so that she peed her pants rather than use one on another trip. To my surprise, she actually used it at at the park. Some of the potties were more gross than other(HUMANS PEEING ON THE SEAT AND NOT CLEANING IT UP AT LEAST EWWWWWWWWWWWW WHYYY!) Parking: 4/5 there's plenty! Within the park's parking lot, there arent many spots..maybe 14-17 actual parking spots. But you can park along the street! FYI, street parking has signs that say you need a permit. Park capacity: 5/5 We came the day after a snow storm. I was expecting a lot more people, but there werent too many. We were able to find some areas to sled down right when we arrived at the park. However, i will disclose that we went on a Wednesday mid-January... i'm sure it's a different story during weekends and Big Bear's busy season. I'm giving this park 5/5 because we had so much fun, despite the filthiness of some human beings. I would go again and again! The day before, we paid $35/person at Aspen Slide at Magic Mountain for a tube and a small area to play in the snow. Paid $0 for 3 sleds and an entire park to play in the snow and we had 100x more fun here! read more

We went to Big Bear for one day on ski week. It wasn't crowded at all. I think we got lucky cause we got the last snow of the season . The snow started to turn into ice as we left. We originally were going to go to "Snow Drift Snow Park" but after reading their reviews on how they only wanted cash, and different height requirements, and how expensive it was we decided to explore our options! I asked the locals where to go and they mentioned "Aspen Glen Picnic Area"z. We went to 7-11 & bought a five dollar recreational pass which allows you to park at all the stops and nearby parks. Although 7-11 manager said he has never heard of anyone getting a ticket we wanted to be safe. We saved $60 not going to the other place. Aspen was a perfect spot for what we wanted to do with a one and eight-year-old. The sledding was fun, but let me warn you it can be very dangerous so please sled wisely. We saw a family where a girl smacked her face and she got hurt. We also saw another kiddo ran over his hand and got injured. A man was going full speed and almost ran into me and my baby. Another man said he went over a bump amd injured his back and my daughter hit a tree, but not that hard, thank goodness she was okay. I'm a helicopter mom so I always worry. The icy snow was hard, not fluffy powder and very slippery by 4 pm. Overall, I give this place 4 stars, because the bathrooms were dirty and there was littering all over. Thank goodness we had masks, gloves, wipes , hand sanitizer, etc. We came here a few years ago when it was snowing powdery and there was no parking. I can see how it could be much more fun when there's fresh snow and powder. As mentioned, there are no rules and no security guard, you are on your own, so please be safe. The more icy the snow, the more slippery and dangerous. Love finding hidden gems where you still can have tons of fun without draining your wallet! Until, next time! read more

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Great snow play area for little kids. Gets icy QUICK after snow if it gets warmer! You need to make sure you buy one of those special parking passes in advance at a local retailer (it's really hard to find someone who sells those things!) there are select gas stations and Big 5 sporting goods that sell it. read more

We came here for a hike with our toddler, and it was a good experience. Our 2.5 year old was able to do most of the hike himself - not too steep or rocky or anything. There are some great views of the lake, and beautiful trees. The picnic area near the parking lot was nice, but not a ton of tables, and bathrooms were closed. Nice family area with pretty sights and quiet sounds. read more

After paying so much money at snow valley to play with the snow for just a few hours, we knew we have to find a local place so the kids can play for free. After reading many reviews this place came up as a potential place Like many other people say you must get a parking pass ( -adventure pass) from 7/11 or the Big Bear Visitor Center. We came on the week day so we found a parking spot right away. The place looks very cool with many hills so it creates a perfect spot for sledding and snow tubing. However the park is so DIRTY! I mean like filthy with trash and debris. Party supplies, left over food, so much craps that were left behind. There are big signs that say " please do not litter " but that doesn't help at all. The bathroom was extremely gross so hold it if you can. Overall I would not suggest this place for a free play spot. Fins somewhere else where it is clean so your kids don't get sick from touching dirty snow then touch their hands or face. Not worth it until the city and the people that come here clean up and pick up after themselves. read more

So happy we got here early and found traffic. Beautiful area. With nice hills to sled down with. Had a really great time with mu family. read more

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Nice place but people are pigs they leave their trash everywhere. If you bring something up to the park and it breaks take it back. Don't bring your plastic sleds and then they break and then you just leave them like this is a giant garbage place. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Selfish person uses the park and leaves GARBAGE - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

This is a pretty quaint place. I think it's ironic how you have to pay for a recreational pass here, but people say it's free. I guess it's "free". Our group didn't know that and we parked and stayed for an hour and a half, but didn't get any tickets. There was a police car in the vicinity though (we passed it while searching for parking). Parking here is not easy. There seems to be only street parking, with only a few turn-ins that can support 3-5 cars, so you'll have to really scout for an open spot. When we went, it was pretty crowded so I'd say we got really lucky finding a spot. There are various small hills that are great for sliding down in a sled. There were a lot of kids playing, but my group's goal was to build a snowman. There were some plastic bags and lots of pieces of broken sleds around that we used as tools and carrying methods for snow, but I mean, it's still trash. I guess this really is a "one man's trash, another man's treasure" moment. We made sure to throw away whatever pieces we actually used. It's a great place to stop the day after a full day on the slopes to just relax and have fun without having to pay a huge fee. 3.4/5, for the trash/broken sled pieces. read more

PSA - Don't pay for snow sledding anywhere just come here and enjoy! Compared to all the "paid" snow play at Big Bear this spot has zero lines and is free and also you're able to grill out and bring your dogs! There's plenty of room for a lot of people and you can venture to your own little hill if you want. Warning: you must present a valid parking permit to park here. I believe you can purchase the permits and most gas stations, stores in the village read more

Came here with some friends to avoid the high prices of other sledding areas. Overall, we had a lot of fun for free! We came on a Sunday in the Winter and it was BUSY. We arrived around 11am and could not find parking. We had to go around several times until we were lucky enough to find a spot. There's not much parking at all as it's around a private neighborhood. Parking passes were required (recreation passes?) but we didn't purchase one and didn't get towed or get a ticket... I heard you can buy those at any store around the area. When we got up the mountain, it was so much fun! The sledding is obviously more dangerous than the maintained and high priced areas. My friends and I did get minor injuries sledding around in some spots but it was nothing too bad. You need to bring your own sleds as it's a closed down park and nothing is provided here. It's also a little dirty because it's not maintained and people will litter everywhere! Also be careful, it was pretty slippery climbing up the mountain until we reached nice fluffy snow! We all had a blast and would definitely come again. A few minor injuries Is fine if we save $40/person haha read more

This was a fun place to go sledding. Get there early and there is plenty of parking along the street. Despite the 4-5 trash cans in the area, It expected that you pack up your own trash. They should really post that on each trash can, because people just leave their trash on or near the cans that are sealed shut which is gross. Other than that good times. read more

There is no parking. Got a $150 ticket for parking on the street while I was there for 5 minutes. Doubt I'll ever go back to big bear. And the sheriff was a dick. read more

Be sure to get an adventure pass or other national parks pass first! Disabled veterans can get a lifetime pass with proof of eligibility at a national park. There is very lImited parking here. There are bathrooms, but they tend to get gross. Picnic tables and grills. Some nice hIking trails. Visiting this park for sledding and hiking is the highlight our ski trips for my son. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Those aren't dog prints. Too big to be a bobcat. Wrong shape for a bear. Mountain lion maybe? - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Great place to do some low budget sledding in the winter! There are multiple small hills for kids of all ages to play on although it can get very crowded during the weekend. The slopes are not too steep and generally pretty safe since its not overly close to the roads, barbed wires although there are ramdom trees spread throughout. We brought 5 kids aged 2.5 to 5 years and they all had a blast. Little kids need to be supervised as people are constantly coming down the hill from all different directions and might run into them on the way down. As for parking some people made their own parking right outside the fence, but a store employee told me that tickets can run you $200...sooo i drove across the street to an empty lot where $10 allows you parking all day. read more

Fun place to bring the family to slide down some hills when there is snow of course for free. Just make sure you get a parking/visitor pass down the way before you park. read more

Maybe I'm reviewing this place too harshly because it was fun and we had a good time but as soon as we pulled in to the lot all I could see was the trash. I felt like I was swimming in filth. There were plates of half eaten sandwiches, bottles, cans, juice boxes, half full cups and soggy napkins everywhere. And the golden ticket for entry into the class of unredeemable dirt bags, the used diaper, sitting like a prize atop another tidy, little pile of trash. And all that 50 feet from a trash can. Deeper into the area there was a rainbow of plastic shards of every shape and variety littering the ground. Apparently the understanding is that you can buy your cheap plastic snow toy, ride it till you blow it to pieces on the rocks then fling each piece in any direction you choose confident that the clean up is someone else's problem. After hauling your fifth load of garbage to the trash you kind of loose your faith in the decency of the human race. read more

Great little place to have some snow fun. Kids enjoyed going sledding on the hills as well as having snowball fights. Parking lot is a little small for all the people wanting some snow fun. There are bathrooms however they were locked on the day we went. There are a few picnic tables and trash cans. We will come here again for another snow adventure. read more

BEWARE! we took our 4yr old son here after a big snow storm for some old fashioned snow play (in a park with a sled). we got there around 10a, the park was packed. the only bathrooms they have are nasty dirty port a pottys and they only have about 8-10 parking spots and there were like 100 families there. so we and like 30 other cars, parked on the street that runs along side the park. there are no signs that say you can't park there but we all ended up with a $400 parking ticket anyway! i have never heard of such an excessive amount for a parking ticket. I am convinced this is a tourist trap and the A$$hole sheriffs give out these tickets on a daily basis, they don't want you coming up to big bear and playing in the snow for free, they want to to pay for it, they want you to go to their ski resorts etc. or park on the side of a busy street and play in the dirty road snow. it completely ruined our experience and changed my opinion of the city as a whole. as a so cal native who has spent a lifetime of winters going there, after this experience I don't plan on returning. EVER. read more

My husband and I wanted to tAke our three year old and eleven year old on a getaway trip to the snow for sledding. We had just left the Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain. We paid $130 for food and tubing for the three of them and were there for a few hours unfortunately only the tubing was open as it was raining. Driving back to our cabin we decided to try and find a little park in the area and see if we could sled there with our little dollar sleds. We found this park and it was sooooo much fun! Parking is a little tough if you're in the few area but in the actual park are free spots. There are plenty of hills and open spaces for sledding and snow man building. There are a few trees but from all of the sledding the trails lead you away from there. We had more fun climbing up the hill and sledding down here at the park than we did at Alpine Magic Mountain and the experience was free. We will be back next year and I think we will head straight to the park. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Great value for sledding/snow play with little kids. It does get packed early so make sure to buy your Adventure Pass (parking pass) before you go so that you're ready to snag that limited parking spot. For $5 you can't beat the family time and fun. We bought ours at 7/11. It's also sold at the Big Bear Discovery Center. Bring lunch and you'll have a fun morning and lunch. Some bbq spots are available but it seems like those were all claimed by 9 am. read more

Love this place, second time going. Great for family time in the snow. Lots of hills for sledding. Very limited parking- highly recommended to go off season or early in the morning. read more

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This place was amazing! So many families everywhere having fun! So many slopes! Little ones to big ones! Definitely a place to go and have fun at no cost ! Only downside was parking, very hard to find a place. read more

Aspen Glen Picnic Area - Parks Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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Good luck finding parking. If your idea of fun is driving in circles or getting a parking ticket this is the spot to be. If your lucky to find a spot and navigate through the crowds of people bbq and hike about a quarter mile you might find s good spot. read more

This place is packed by 10am. Come early otherwise good luck finding a parking spot. Also.. make sure to get your adventure pass (required to park even on the roadside) beforehand. I was under the impression you could pay for parking there from previous reviews but nope. A park ranger directed us down the street to Johny's board rentals to purchase one ($5). Save yourself the hassle of leaving and losing your spot and GRAB ONE BEFOREHAND! Also restrooms are no better than a porta-potty. No sink.. no sewage. Basically it's just a hole where sh*t settles from thousands of visitors. You could literally smell sh*t permeating yards away from the restrooms. Haha. So drain the vain before you get there or suffer. Other than that the snow play is good. Of course that's dependent on snow conditions. However on weekends and holidays this place is PACKED and if you're like me.. crowded areas are less fun. We honestly had more fun playing at yard of our cabin. read more