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 review is specifically for the Exploration Trail, which is the 8-mile hike located in the…read moreChildren's Forest. I'm relatively new to the realm of hiking, and really enjoyed exploring the Children's Forest this past weekend. I would definitely label this trail as a moderate hike! While there is no major climb or obstacles, the majority of the trail is uphill. Since the trail is located in Running Springs it can also great pretty chilly, so I would suggest a jacket and pants! Luckily a member of our group thought ahead and brought hand-warmers, which were the highlight of my night. Overall, this is a hike that is great for those looking to escape the city life and immerse themselves in fresh air, plus it highlights the beauty of California's forests.

The children's forest is a great local place to hike, walk, camp, or have a picnic. It is located…read moreoff HWY 18 in Running Springs . One would not necessarily notice the area unless you were looking for it. There are many trails and some loop around so if you can't walk too far you can double back. There is camping and group camping spots available. There are picnic areas and informational trailheads. Safety first , remember cellphones may not work in all areas. Bring food , water, appropriate clothing per the weather. Have a first aid kit accessible for emergencies. Remember that there are animals in the forest . Bring pepper spray or bear spray to scare off most wild animals and humans ! Don't forget your Adventure pass. This can be bought at the Rangers station or Jensen's store off HWY 330 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).

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.

This is a great campground local to San Diego. About a 40 minute drive. I used to go to the…read moreCuyamaca Campgrounds a lot. This one is located about 5 minutes away. Green Valley has (small - around 3 feet high) falls and cool water to soak in. It is south of the main campground and the public can park there (I think there is a parking fee to get into the campground?) and 10 minute walk down to the falls. Really peaceful, and the amenities (showers/bathrooms) have been greatly improved over the years. It barely feels like 'roughing it'! My onlycomplaint, and it was a BIG one is the flying BUGS were buzzing/bombing me he entire trip! Some people's blood (MINE) is supposed to attract them more than others. Because I noticed other campers were NOT impacted. Bring a skeeter hair net or repellent. I went in September , Space 41. Oh! and wild turkeys came right up to my camp space! Cool.

Had a blast spending our weekend here. Rangers are prompt and please do purchase firewood on site…read more(it's cheaper than other places and works great) Quiet area and enjoyed everything. Restrooms are clean with toilet paper and sink. Just no paper towels (take a hand towel) Stayed from 6/19/20 to 6/21/20 and all slots were taken but everyone was respectful to each other. Ground is dirt and bit not leveled well so do be wise to where you want to place your tent. One slot can have about 2-4 tents (depending on the tent size) we have 1- 4person and 2-2 people tent ... worked out great! Will definitely be back :)

This review is for Mill Peak Trail near Big Bear which was a ~3.7 mile round trip that took about…read more2.5 hours in the snow. AllTrails map was required. There were a few areas near the peak that were overgrown with prickly shrubs. Furthermore, there was a high chance of getting wet during the two larger stream crossings. The smaller streams can be crossed without getting wet. Overall, an enjoyable hike from beginning to end. Snowshoes would be perfect for the current conditions. Snow was not plowed on Keller Peak Road (where AllTrails tells you to park) so I parked on the side of the street about 0.2 miles back. Then walked past the fire station to start the trail. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprXvptOK4s

I had no expectations of this place prior to showing up, but overall if you're looking for a snow…read moretubing place for your kids, this could be a good place. We came on a weekday a few days before Christmas and it was still fairly open. There were plenty of different size tubes and they seemed to be in OK shape. My 6 year old had no problem going up the stairs and coming down himself. They have staff at the bottom yelling at your if you get too close to the tubers or if you don't move fast enough to get out of the way. Bring cash! The line for the ATM was long and I heard it's slow. One hour was more than enough for my kid

Disclaimer: I am writing a review for an experience that happened in February of 2024 so things…read moremay have changed since them. I wish I could give this place negative stars. It was a terrible experience. It took us almost an hour to get our tickets. I do not know why it was so difficult to say, "how many tickets do you need? here is what you owe. thank you." Once we got in, we were told we would be able to go during a window of time only. That's fine. We can wait on a patch of snow that the kids can play on. There are sleds we can use. One problem, some ladies decided to use the sleds to sit on and wouldn't let anyone else use them. It would have been nice for employees to ask them to let the kids use them. (I asked the ladies myself but they refused.) Once it was finally our turn, it was another line to get to the top. The people mover was so slow. Then at the top, they could not figure out how to get guests into lines and move them along. And the organization at the bottom of the slide was so dangerous. People were crossing over as we were coming down. We almost ran into a lady and a kid. The whole cycle took 30 minutes. With this timing, we would be able to ride only 3 times MAX within our allotted time frame. We heard from some others that they were able to get a voucher, as they were not giving refunds. That sounded reasonable. We trekked to the customer service window and waited again to get the vouchers. This was super kind of them to do. A problem for us, we were never able to use the vouchers, as no opportunity presented itself again with enough snow for us to go again.

It's a long hike. It was about 13 miles, and the trails get rough around some areas such as…read morerequiring you to jump over fallen trees blocking the way, or jumping across gaps in the road caused by rainfall from the storms, so not good for people with health problems or bad knees/feet. But the view is great, and the trail was completely empty when I went. Literally only saw 1 group on the way up and another on the way back down. The fire tower was completely empty and I probably sat up there enjoying the cool breeze and great views for about 30 minutes before heading back down. At the top you can view everything, even saw as far as lake arrowhead but couldn't find LA. Either due to the smog or maybe the mountain blocking the view but still a great sight to see. Getting there is a little tough. Google maps said there was no route to drive so we had to drive up Fawnskin as close as I could get until I saw a closed sign at the trail head. I parked next to the gate and started walking my way up. I recommend you bring a lot of water and snacks because it is a long hike.

"Highlight of Big Bear Area!"…read more Venture up from Fawnskin (4x4) to the locked gate(call ahead, sometimes it is open). From the locked gate, you will hike uphill 2.5 miles to the bottom of the tower. There is shade in a few spots on the way up. Plan accordingly and bring plenty of water. During the summer season or fire season, you will likely find a volunteer in the tower. Climb up and you are welcomed in to some spectacular 360 degree views. The hosts are great in pointing out the landmarks, sights and history of the tower. They seem to really enjoy the company. Unlike other areas towers that you can drive the entire way, you have to work a bit to get to Butler. But you will be rewarded with less people, if any at all and fantastic views.

What a beautiful lake with plenty of access and pathways there's even benches to sit on. I saw a…read morecouple people out on the lake in a paddle boat Everybody seem to be enjoying themselves

I was here with my gf and twas a beautiful walk around this lake! The weather was just perfect for…read moreus! It's not a big lake so definitely great pick for small nice walk with friends and family! Snow covered the lake and got to see thick layer of the ice but wise not to jump on it rather observe and enjoy the scenery! Love to go back if any opportunities allow... Cheers

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!