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.

After years of not being able to hike this trail (snow, ice, no parking, fires, etc.), I was…read morefinally able to do it! Huzzah for the new parking lot, which has quite a few parking spots, a bathroom, and easy access to the trailhead. Don't let the posted distance of the trailhead fool you - it's very easy to make this hike longer than anticipated. The trail markers are these caged rocks, and sometimes we lost track of them and had to guess. There are also a lot of places to scramble up rocks, which was so much fun. Once we found the sign for Castle Rock, my son (6 yo) and I took a look up, then climbed all the way to the top. The view from the top was amazing! Very much worth it. We took a different rock scrambling path to climb down, so there are options if you decide to climb up. With all of our meandering, scrambling, and just general shenanigans, we finished in about 3 hours feeling pretty accomplished.

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).

We paid approximately $210 for 3 tickets to snow tubing and snow play. It took us about 30 minutes…read moreto arrive from our cabin and parking was easy as they had attendants to help facilitate. Check in was fast and everyone who worked there were incredibly friendly and energetic. Their welcoming attitude made the whole thing relaxing and fun. The tubbing line moved quickly and tubing itself was thrilling. Highly recommend!

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.

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 :)

Rasist lady! We had first asked a park Ranger by the name of Joseph if we could have music, he…read moretold us "yes you can, and the level you have it at is perfect but not any louder" Moments later while chopping wood for the fire pit, a white woman near our campsite (#26) comes towards us with a nasty attitude. She says that it's her day off and that the music on the campsite is not allowed. She was literally yelling at us and this was our first time speaking to this woman. Understandable to be mad if you this was our second warning but it was not. We did nothing wrong we just did not know. She came at us with intentions to fight and did not try to communicate with us. We told her that the other ranger told us that the music was fine. THEN she calls Joseph on speaker and starts getting mad at him and legit arguing with him in front of us. We literally tuned off the music and gave her what she wanted but she would not leave our spot. She said that she was gonna call the cops. But we were not fighting or arguing.... We gave her what she wanted. She said "if you get difficult I will have to start recording for my protection" CLASIC Karen move. The literal next day, our camp neighbors had music (in English) and she had not problem with it. We heard that music the whole day. But let it not be music in Spanish cause they she feels the need to record.... After this embarrassing interaction, both rangers actively avoided us.... We reserved the week and only spent 1 night. The spot was great, the staff not so much.

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

It was a cool idea but, the timing wasn't perfect. We decided to go out for the evening and visit…read moreBig Bear in late January. It's the thought and laughter that counts.

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

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.

Beautiful Day...trout were biting...brought home a few for a delicious dinner...highly recommendread more

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

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!