The best way to see what's left of Belleville is the Gold Fever Trail, so stop by the Big Bear Discovery Center first and pick up this yellow pamphlet. Please be warned that when it says "dirt roads" they mean it!! We were not prepared for how VERY rocky it is in most sections. The worst starts around stops 9 & 10, and the rest of the road has the biggest rocks you have to maneuver around. We were super lucky in my Toyota Corolla to make it out unscathed by driving VERY slowly and carefully, but it took a LONG time and we were so stressed. If you have a jeep, truck, or other off-roading vehicle you'll probably be ok. But any other vehicle I would NOT recommend (not even an SUV), or turn around after stop 10 at the latest! The scale of the map in the pamphlet is a bit misleading, because the stops are decently father apart than they seem. I had maps open on my phone to constantly compare with the paper map. Most of the stops along the way are marked with a sign post and number, so look out for those. We came in April when there was no snow or rain, good weather for hiking around. If you're into Gold Rush history, it's interesting to see the few ruins of the town. But most of the stops along the Trail require a bit of imagination (there's not a lot to see). Overall, it was kinda fun for the first half, but the second half of the drive was lowkey hell :) read more

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roads aren't maintained well which is fine. AWD is recommended, especially after rains. pretty quiet place with benches at some spots to chill and hang out, lots of mountain bikes to watch out from. overall pretty nice place to relax and enjoy the view, the self guided car tour is cool too if you grab a pamphlet from the Big Bear Discovery Center beforehand. read more

Belleville - Ghost Town - Hiking Near Me - Big Bear, California

Can confirm this place is abandoned and has very creepy vibes but would recommend to anyone looking for that. If you want the full experience go at night. Just be aware of any animals living there. read more

Belleville - Ghost Town - We brought a m2 off roading Had to stop here as road got to bad. - Hiking Near Me - Big Bear, California

This trail is dirt and it's fun. Lots of big puddles. If you like to 4x4 this will not disappoint.

Are you here for the tour? (I can only speak for that--not so much the hiking, Jeep wrangling, rock-climbing part) THE SIGHTS Who knew there was a lot of cool history next to tourist-y Big Bear Lake? Overall, nature has pretty much reclaimed most of this "ghost town." You'll see a few scattered logs that was once part of a cabin, a tall tree used to hang people, remnants of a mine... 12 stops total. Key word: remnants. THE TOUR The brochure showing you how to get around SUCKS! The description of what to look for is vague and since there's only a marker telling you were to park but not another marking actually showing the site, it's easy to question whether you're looking at the right area or not. The map also doesn't show the many roads that branch off from the tour's road. Since the road signs are so small, we easily missed a turn (is that what that angle in the map means?) and 30 minutes later ended up in a harsh, rocky road with dead trees everywhere. THE JOURNEY You can walk, but we drove from marker to marker. This is 90% dirt/rocky road--regular economy cars may get unhappy and it's recommended you don't use a car like that to get to the mines--they won't be able to handle how rocky the road will get. The 12 destinations are often a short walk down a path from the road and you'll normally see a lot of beautiful, natural scenery until you get there. Begin by grabbing a map at the Discovery Center (also a good starting point to visit)--no matter how useless I claim it to be. read more

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We took a trip here from Big Bear and all of the things we read online was that the road is 2 wheel drive accessible. Don't be fooled, on a good day, it is. However, after snowfall it is not. After a lot of snow and the sun beating on the mountain, melting it, th roads were pretty bad and we only made it 3/4 of the way to Belleville and opted to walk the rest. The road was slushy, muddy, and bad. The area is absolutely stunning, though. The peak near the Baldwin Mine has a view down on the valley that is breath taking. The farther you get up on the mountain is equally great. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses Holcomb Valley Road, which is also another great site. Since there was crazy snowfall, the Ghost Town wasn't visible or visitable. Nothing much to see since it was all covered. Next time! read more

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A trip to Holcomb Valley, otherwise known as Bellevill* Ghost Town, begins with stop at the Discovery Center (be aware the Discovery Center has oddball operating hours --- check their website in advance). Traveling this mostly unpaved route requires at least three hours, an all-wheel drive or off-road vehicle, decent walking/hiking shoes and perhaps a picnic lunch (I would also advise an early start, a jacket and plenty of water). There are 12 points of interest along the way, but some of those consist of only the remains of what once was. Two Gun Bill's Saloon, for example, consists only of a few scattered logs --- no standing structure has weathered the test of time. Worse yet, some of the sites that are standing have been vandalized, Bellevill cabin among them. The "Gold Fever Trail Self-Guided Auto Tour" map from the Discovery Center is essential to the journey. The downside? There are at least two forks in the road, which are not clearly marked. After the last fork, there is only one marker on the road --- that we spotted. (I would not recommend driving a high-profile vehicle here as the rocks can pitch the vehicle tenuously toward cliffside edges.) This is also the part of the drive where one ascends to the highest elevations, which has a disconcerting way of making one doubt whether one has taken the correct road out at all --- if only because one might think that the road ought to head downhill a bit more obviously than it does. The fortunate thing for us is we didn't encounter any drivers coming through the opposite way --- why this is permitted I do not know as there isn't adequate passing room and no place to turn off in some locations. As my spouse and I began to undertake the most elevated switchbacks on the route out, we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the Apple/Lucerne Valley area below and dramatic vistas of gorges and adjacent peaks. What was not so pleasant about our drive out is that we were mere minutes away from total darkness as we rounded a curve overlooking Baldwin Lake. Looking down the dirt road to the next bend made it appear as if the road took yet another pitch up into the mountains --- enough so that it caused us to contemplate turning back to return the way we came. Fortunately, we made the right call, pressing forward just as darkness settled in. (From Bellevill cabin out to Highway 18, it took nearly an hour with no further stops.) What will stay with me about the journey through Bellevill Ghost Town is the stillness of the valley --- about the only sound, save the occasional bird, is the wind through the trees surrounding a vast open meadow near Bellevill cabin. What disappoints me about the experience is that many of the historic sites are not intact --- certainly nothing on par with how well preserved Calico is by comparison. Still, what concerns me above all else is that the roads in this area are infrequently marked. We didn't go into the journey expecting street lights, guard rails and pavement but we did expect forks in the road to be better marked, and we weren't prepared for the fact that leaving the valley required us to climb narrow paths to far higher elevations without the benefit of knowing exactly how far the odometer should read.* The ghost town didn't spook us in the least, but making it out of the narrowest and potentially most dangerous aspects of the drive at nightfall was a bit too much excitement for one day. TIP: Zero out your trip odometer from the Discovery Center, from which point a round-trip is 20 miles. *Edit: The metal plaque I photographed near the Bellevill cabin, which was dedicated in 1979, indicates that the spelling is Bellevill -- without the "e" on the end -- not "Belleville" as spelled online. read more

Driving into Holcomb Valley, aka Belleville, in the winter when there is snow on the ground/roads is definitely NOT recommended. DON'T do it if you are not accustomed to winter driving and don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle. However, during the late spring, summer, and especially fall your 2 wheel drive car will be fine. Just have patience with the bumpy, sometimes rutted dirt road. Bring snacks, beverages, and/or a picnic and you'll enjoy amazingly beautiful scenery and 150 year old ruins. Wear good hiking shoes to be able to hike around for a wonderful experience. There is a state run campground there with virtually no services, so bring in everything you need. Kids of all ages will enjoy this beautiful secluded valley and the history of Holcomb Valley. Highly recommended. read more

It was pretty awesome. The FS at the discovery center said the roads were good for motor vehicles. That was true until after site 10. From that area it took us another 2 hours to get out. I think it was only 6 miles. We actually had to have one of the adults walk the road to guide the driver over the rocks and rough road. Had we known this we would gave cut back the same way we came in. read more