I swear to God if I ever meet the person that designed the Big Bear, & Lake Tahoe course I'm going…read moreto attempt to kick their a$$. This was my 11th Spartan Race & I know the idea of these are to be tough & challenging, but for crying out loud can we cut it back with all the f-ing hills. This race was almost impossible to actually run in because the inclines were so steep & long. But my whining aside this Beast race lives up to its name, the hills & altitude/elevation in Big Bear will push your conditioning to the limits. This event was just as tough as the 16 mile world championship in Lake Tahoe a month earlier. A few tips for this location, general parking is about a mile away that they provide buggy/shuttle service up to the venue. Since the event is on Snow Summit they actually have regular bathrooms available for use as well as the porta potties, and last the course is pretty dusty up on the hills so if you're sensitivity to dust/dirt getting in your nose you might want to bring a bandana or something to cover up your mouth or nose. Overall this is a brutal challenging race, unless I'm going after another trifecta or actually running with a group I'm playing the puss card & skipping out of the next one here. Conquering this Beast once was good enough to me, I'm not willing to put myself through that much pain again.

TRIFECTA!!! This run is literally a BEAST! If you want to challenge your mind and body to the…read moremaximum level, this run will cripple you in the greatest way possible. Parking was $10. Quick half mile shuttle ride to the village. Check in was easy and decently fast. There were a lot of vendors and sample booths. Good amount of food and drink choices. The village was really clean and accommodating to spectators. There is bag check and hose showers and changing tents. Spectators can take the ski lift to the top for $20 to watch from the top. They are also free to roam the bottom obstacle area were the run ends. Great crowd for Saturdays run. All the Spartan vets I talked to said Big Bear is probably the hardest beast in the US. I ran the sprint and super in Chino this year and this was a 100 times harder. 12.5 miles, 8-9 miles are inclines up the mountain, you end up reaching the peak which is around 8000 ft elevation. Total climbed elevation is roughly 5500 ft. The longest straight incline during the run before a decline was around 1 mile. Most of the declines were steep and full of rocks, sticks, and holes, you have to be really careful running down. Mile 1 through 6 were the hardest portions of the run. Over 80% of this was scaling the mountain with a few obstacle in between. Afterwards you have a good 2-3 mile trail run, mostly up and down flats with a few tough inclines. Mile 9 - 12 was basically quarter to half mile inclines, obstacle, decline, obstacle, then repeat. It was never ending. Finally the last half mile was at the village area full some of the common obstacles Spartan normally has. A lot of the obstacles are repeats from other runs. Some were modified. The obstacles are fun and challenging. Only one mud/wet obstacle and it was at the very end. I HATE YOU BURPEES! Volunteers were all nice and encouraging. About 10 water stations. 1 with electrolytes. 2 with energy snacks. This run is no joke and tough. You see the fittest people crumbling during the inclines. You see people getting carted out. My friend fractured her ankle and could not finish. I think the average finish is over 5-6 hours and some people are out there 10+ hours. Expect to be on the course for a LONG time. Prepare yourself! Tips - MUSTARD PACKETS! Gross but it literally is a cramp killer. Take it right when you feel tight and the cramp disappears. - Bring snacks, candy, chews to keep your energy and sugar levels up. - Wear sunscreen on your face, I have a bib headband tan. - Do not wear ankle socks, my shoes tore up my achilles skin. - Bring warm clothes to change into. The wind was freezing after 1 pm. I wanted to quit so many times during the run but eventually you realize you kept moving forward and you are the bottom of the mountain looking at the finish line. I can barely walk and still licking my wounds and expect to be sore this whole week but it was all worth it to complete the TRIFECTA!!! AROO!

My thoughts on the Big Bear North Shore inaugural half marathon: scenic, challenging,…read morewell-organized. Held on a crisp, cool Autumn's morning at North Shore in Big Bear, CA, this half marathon was more than I could ask for. It tested my endurance in large part due to the elevation, 6,750 ft. The course was advertised as being flat with only 444 ft elevation gain, yet the soft rolling hills proved more daunting than I anticipated. Ultimately, it all made for a challenging and utterly fun experience. The course was well marked, mile markers were spot on, and the community support was strong in this small town race. Water stations were well-manned and cup litter wasn't a big issue, mainly because there were no more than 1,500 participants in all events combined (half marathon, 10k, and 5k). Fast notes: -Registration is through Active.com. The 2nd annual half will be held on October 3, 2015 -Starting temperature was 41 deg, wind chill made it feel about 35. Dress for the environment. Pro tip: -Make this a weekend getaway, it's taxing driving to Big Bear early in the morning and then driving back home right after. There's plenty to see and do in this beautiful town, take advantage of it.

Beautiful race in the BEAUTIFUL Big Bear mountains!!! Breathtaking scenery the whole way! Not alot…read moreof elev gain, so great place for a PR! Yeah, it ain't on dirt. You can do that to Holcomb Vly or on one of the other many exciting trails later (just watch out for black rattlesnakes-yes, they are up here). But it sure is exhillarting (almost as much as running single-track in the mtns)! LOVE IT!

This place was so much fun for my family. My 4 year old loved playing dress up and seeing props…read morefrom a lot of his favorite Disney and Jurassic park movies! It is very affordable and a lot to look at. The lady at the front desk was so friendly and the owner spoke with us for quite some time and she is a fascinating lady. I will definitely be back and go with extended family too :)

Absolutely a must stop when you are in Big Bear and like the sign says one of the least costly…read morethings to do. Entry fee is $5 per person and you can take pics with the items and the kids truly had fun with everything they have of items they have. They have a little set up outside to take pics and things to purchase as well

Fun 5/5 Service 3/5…read morePricing 3/5 Wait time 4/5 (very shot waits!) Parking 4/5 Coaster 5/5 Photo and video option to purchase 5/5! The best part of this was the edited video they provide for you for $14.99 It's amazing like a commercial. Price for the ride is a bit steep $20.00 per person Depending on total weight, you can ride double if it does not pass the max capacity weight limit. I believe it's 300+pounds What's is really cool about this ride is you have the option to go full speed the whole ride or pull back the lever to slow down! Makes it so much more immersive. Some staff members were not very friendly, some were. Also each activity they charge separately and you pay near the ride area. They also have a sled, and water slide. We only did the coaster.

Weekend Trip, Price was Good for the rides No Wait Time -…read moreMorning Ride was super fun, you control your speed

Visited Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain and did the coaster such a blast! It goes surprisingly fast,…read morebut you're in full control of the brakes, which makes it exciting and fun. The views going up and down are absolutely beautiful, so you really get to enjoy the scenery while riding. They also have several other activities to do, which is great if you're spending the day there. Just note there isn't a bundle for all rides it's pay-as-you-go for each activity. Overall, a super fun experience and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

The alpine slide and the mineshaft coaster were both so much fun!…read more The older lady in the ticketing booth for the coaster was kind of rude. When I was paying for my ticket, I also mentioned that I wanted to pay for the video. I obviously am unaware of how things are. I did t know that you would pay for the video after the ride. She just said something so condescending and rude. A little explanation of how I can preview the video, then pay for it after the die was done would have been nice. I didn't appreciate her at all. She was the elderly woman working the ticket booth around noon on Saturday, June 6, 2026. She might need to be retrained on how to give customer service.

This was held at the big Bear convention center, which doesn't seem to have any signage and can…read moreonly be found by looking for Wyatt's. A good selection of cars at the show and in abundance of food and knickknack stalls to wander around and check out. Also a band playing on the stage of Wyatt and food and drink available there. Cool event to check out when visiting big Bear Lake, I look forward to visiting again next year.

The 34th annual BBLACC (big Bear Lake antique car club ) fun run car show was absolutely thrilling!…read moreMy friend Jay did not want to attend and didn't think my other friends would want to, but boy was he wrong! So glad we all participated in such a wonderful event! The Village streets were closed down, creating a pedestrian only zone throughout the afternoon & it started at 10 AM then they awarded the winners at 2:30 PM then at 3:30 PM they did the annual cruise around the lake. What an array and spectacle of some fantastic looking cars, trucks, jalopies etc! Every car was kept in such good shape. Pristine! And it was of course free for all to observe! Really looking forward to next year!

We've gone to the Big Bear Oktoberfest 2 years now and we always have a good time. It's a great…read moreexperience for people young and old, families, couples, and friends. An endless supply of alcohol for adults, non-stop music, and some games outside for the little ones as well. They have a few vendors outside if you feel like perusing. I personally find that for me I can hang out at Oktoberfest for a few hours before I start to get a bit bored. I always stay long enough to watch the stein holding competition, a few drinks and a few rounds of snacks. My favorite part of the entire affair every year is that it's pretty decently priced. For small parties, you don't necessarily need to pay for preferred seating, especially if you like to walk around. The free take home shuttle is also such a god-send if you're staying nearby. Will definitely come back again! Maybe not yearly but for sure every once and again :)

Octoberfest fun!! Huge wonderful fun space! Came here for the first day of Oktoberfest and…read morethoroughly enjoyed ourselves for the five hours we were here! The band Lady Hosen was phenomenal. Every employee was super fun & engaging! Had the grilled bratwurst with the sauerkraut, warm, German potato salad, and it was scrumptious. Shared a large pretzel as well! Fabulous fabulous time! We got there at one right when it started and left about 6:00. We heard it gets really crazy later in the day so we opted for the earlier time. Highly recommend!