This is a beautiful trail, but a little tougher than expected! There seem to be quite a few…read moredifferent trails/routes you can take, but I'd plan for about 2-3 miles minimum (in the altitude it feels longer lol). They recently added a parking lot, which made it so much more convenient for parking and to find the start of the trail! I'm so glad they did this. I'd still say the earlier arrival, the better, so you can get a parking spot. For the trail itself, it's a good workout - there are both uphills & downhills. Once you get to the top, there are beautiful views of the lake.

We took this hike with our pups and it was awesome! It was definitely a work out with lots of steep…read moreand uphill hiking. We made it to the big rock at the very end, unfortunately with our pups we were unable to climb all the day to the tippy top. Overall an awesome hike, saw lots of trees, rocks, and little streams along the way! Trail is dog friendly, and has a lot of spots to stop for great views of the lake

This was a great trail to hike. Parking was easily accessible. No pass was required to park…read more The weather was nice and there was a breeze when we went a couple weeks ago. We did nearly nine miles. The trail connects to different trails which is how we covered that distance. The views were great and my puppy enjoyed running parts of the trail with me. It's a definitely a place where you can bring a light lunch to picnic with. I would come again and do different parts of the trail.

Nice moderate hike right outside the village. Some more strenuous switchbacks at the start, and…read morethen turns into more of a gradual uphill the rest of the way. Downhill almost the whole way back except for a few small stretches. Intermittent sunny and shaded areas. Some viewpoints of the lake and mountains but no real showstopper. Not much in the way of interesting vegetation in August, but lots of chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and lizards. Clearly marked with official trail signs, spray paint, and neon ties.

Boulder Bay Park is one of Big Bear Lake's most picturesque (and busy) spots, offering stunning…read moreviews of the lake, towering boulders, and plenty of open space for you and your dog to enjoy. Located on the western side of Big Bear Lake, this park is a popular destination for both locals and visitors, particularly those looking to enjoy a peaceful and leisurely walk with their pets, a picnic, or just some quiet time by the water. There is a free parking lot adjacent to the park, but it can fill up quickly, especially on weekends and holidays. If the lot is full, there is additional street parking available nearby. The park is open year-round, but the best times to visit are during the spring, summer, and fall when the weather is mild, and the lake is at its most beautiful.

It's a nice park to go swimming, have a picnic, stroll around, go fishing, and just lounge enjoying…read morethe gorgeous lake view. We made a quick spot to check it out since it seems very popular every time we pass by. Best to visit in the morning before it gets crowded by afternoon. Parking is free, but can get busy later in the day. As we walked around, there was a weird unbearable smell so we didn't stay long. We mainly went to see what the hype was all about and took some pictures with a beautiful background.

Great dog friendly walk that leads to additional trails. The main paved area is a very short…read morehike(0.2 miles), but you continue on an unpaved trail which gets quite steep. Both the paved and dirt trail are pretty well shaded

Happy Hills Trail is one of 3 trails maintained by Big Bear City within City limits, along with…read more Knickerbocker Trail and Rathbun Creek Trail. It opened 7 years ago in 2017, and is a paved .2 mile trail (.4 miles out and back). The trailhead is at the northwest end of the Civic Center parking lot. It runs along a creek, and there are several picnic areas and a restroom. The end of the paved trail connects to the Pine Knot and Cabin 89 (semi-groomed but unpaved) trails with elevation gains and huge boulders. We have been wanting to check it out, so came by today on a sunny, brisk autumn morning. They were having a free nature inspired Halloween yoga event for little kids this morning - so sweet! The Pine Knot and Cabin 89 trails were closed now (Oct. '24) due to the Line Fire, but very nice walk!

This was approximately a 5 mile round trip hike (+0.5 miles if you're walking from the Big Bear…read moreDiscovery Center parking lot). I wouldn't say it's an easy hike, but more moderate/intermediate with slight incline. Just my personal opinion, I don't think you have to walk further up to Bertha Peak for "better" views. The views at the top of Cougar Crest Trail are already quite spectacular.

Cougar? My kind of trail. We brought our bikes and did a nice route on here. You can tell who are…read morethe novice bikers on the road. Trail isnt that hard and was a nice treat while in town.

First, on a Sunday afternoon at the end of October, no parking by noon. My second reason for…read moreremoving a star is that the "female" restroom was out of order, the "male" restroom didn't have a trash can (which I understand, partly, being in the forest). But why have a girls and boys restroom, why not just two bathrooms. And the last reason I kept a star, only one trash reciprocal in the entire parking lot. I believe we should continue to encourage Visitors to "pack it in, pack it out" plus some. How do we do that if we expect then to put it in their car and take it with them? Trailhead has a very descriptive sign, provides lots of good information. Trail is 6.4 miles, 1,174 altitude gain (out/back), dogs allowed on lead, near Fawnskin. This trail offers AMAZING views of Big Bear Lake, bikes also share the trail. (Dog bags provided at trailhead, pls pick up after yourself, and your doggie;) There's so much to explore, get up, and get out there.

A nice escape, I think it's probably less-trafficked because it's on the North Shore (away from the…read moremain crowds) and a bit away from the Discovery Center. At the top is a rock outcropping where you can get a good view of the lake, albeit partially obstructed. I saw a cinnamon-furred black bear near the top the last time I hiked (June 27, 2017 around 6:15pm), so be on the lookout, keep your distance, and make your presence know (I stomped my feet, and he took notice and slowly went about his business in a different direction than where I was). July 13, 2017: did an evening hike and saw 2 deer, along with a pair of yellow eyes and green eyes (more deer?) at night, and three scorpions along the trail. You will need an Adventure Pass to park in the lot, but alternatively you can park along the road (a good spot is by the Eagle habitat warning sign).

I connect with this trail at the end of the cougar crest trail and take this all the way up to…read moreBertha Peak. It's mostly up hill but totally worth it! It also gets really windy and cold up here so make sure you bring a warm jacket and a few snacks for a little pick-me-up. This trail is actually fairly extensive too! I've never gone through it all before but definitely something to do some day! Don't doubt yourself if you're a bit out of breath up there by the way. You can always blame the altitude as I do! haha

The famous PCT a National Hiking Trail that starts at the CA-MX border and goes up to Canada. On…read morethis stretch of the PCT in Big Bear, CA you will meet up with moderate hikers coming up from the vacation lodges. The hike up to the PCT is moderate and from the Discovery Center it is about 2.5 miles. Bring water and snacks as well as good hiking shoes. Be prepared to stop do to the altitude.

We came back again with several friends and walked the trail. It was a sunny February day. Met…read morelots of folks walking their dogs. Someone warned us that there were three coyotes out and about, so we kept our little dog close. And sure enough, there they were, hanging out on a construction site right off the path but not aggressive, and didn't come near us. Overall, very nice walk. About 1.3 miles to the zoo and 1.3 miles back. Took us one hour total. Totally recommend!

Even 2 years later, the Rathbun Creek Trail is still just as great! I love the interesting signs…read morealong the way that help you learn more about the Rathbun Creek Trail! The trail has nice benches and picnic tables, which are perfect for relaxing and enjoying a nice meal in the forest. I also appreciate how they have trash cans near the pumice tables so that you can throw away your stuff and not litter! Overall, a great little trail in Big Bear that is perfect for some much needed relaxation!

We have a place at Snow Summit that backs right up to the trail. It's a beautiful way you can start…read morethe day and go into town for breakfast. At 8am on a Saturday in July it was very quiet and gorgeous views, not too hot yet. I saw just a handful of hikers. I had been warned about the number of bikers whizzing by. On my way back at 10:30 there were indeed loads of bikers headed to snow summit. I have to say though, without exception, they all were gracious and said good morning and alerted me they were approaching. In turn I politely stepped to the side. It's all about sharing the road or trail and maybe go out early to avoid bikes. On another visit my husband and I took our French Mastiff for an evening walk and had him off leash. BAD idea! First of all evening is feeding time for lots of wildlife. Second, we didn't have him on leash. At one point we couldn't see him and called out. From around a bush comes our dog flanked by two female wolves three inches taller than him. We were able to coerce him away and get him on leash but it was a super scary situation. If he had been a small dog I'm not sure what would have happened.

Easy access to this trail. We went from the end of Summit…read moreBlvd passing by the back of Snow Summit Townhouse Rentals. But from the other direction trailhead is at the junction of Forest Ranger Rd and 2N08 2.8 mile out and back. 300+ ft elevation. So little up/down hills. You can see Big Bear Lake at one point of the trail. Came during the fall after a small snowfall. Note: there may be some bikers on this trail as it converges with the bottom of a mountain biking only path.

This was one of the most unique and incredible experiences…read more I found Selena on AirBnB Experiences and after reading the reviews knew I had to participate in Forest Bathing. We met at a public parking lot and she drove us in her SUV up into the mountains, to her secret spot in the forest. She provided lots of interesting, educational info along the 15 minute drive. Once we arrived, the experience started. She guided a moderate hike into the forest, showing us all of her favorite things. Fresh water brooks, waterfalls, unique, bold, and beautiful trees. The hike was fairly moderate, Indian Jones-esq at times, nothing too crazy, but not easy. As a plus size/not very active girl, I was able to do it. My 62 year old mom kept up fairly well too! Selena took lots of short breaks for us to catch our breath (elevation for flatlanders is rough!), gave us lots of educational info about what we were seeing, smelling, and hearing. She even provided us with a few edible plants along the way. The hike up to the fresh water source was truly spectacular. Once there we emptied our water bottles and filled them with the ice cold fresh water and guzzled it down. So crisp and clean and YUM! The hike back was just as refreshing. We then spent some time wind bathing, cutting chords, and energy healing, followed by 35 minutes of quiet time meandering the forest on our own. Afterwards we drank a fresh brewed tea Selena had made using ingredients she collected along our hike, and some healthy snacks and more fresh water, which she provided. It was 3 hours of really amazing, energizing, active, relaxing, healing Forest Bathing and for $40pp it was well worth it!