Awesome scenic trail overlooking Big Bear Lake. About an hour loop at an easy difficulty, this was…read morethe perfect way to start our Saturday morning. Views were stunning and was super low traffic for a holiday weekend. Definitely recommend.

Woodland interpretive trail is a beautiful scenic hike right next to the Big Bear Lake. It's free…read moreadmission which is a big plus. I would say it's an immediate level of hiking difficulty as there are several hills going up and down. The trail takes about an hour to loop around. There are breathtaking viewpoints to admire and take pictures. We went during the winter when there was some snow. I recommend you wear good hiking or snow boots with good grip as it can get slippery and muddy. There is a parking lot at the entrance but you have to pay for a parking pass at the kiosk. We ended up parking on the street before the entrance which was free. Definitely recommend this for all visitors looking for great views and to connect with nature.

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.

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.

There are a few picnic tables under some large trees, the bike path runs through, the shoreline is…read morewalkable and you can sit and picnic. Very nice spot to relax!

This is a great spot to see the lake and relax. There are trails to walk as well. There is limited…read moreparking but plenty when I came on a weekday.

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 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.

Great short hike, about 2 miles round trip, easy to moderate trail, beautiful trees, serene views,…read morepeaceful, and not busy. Stayed at an Airbnb close by and my kids wanted to explore the outdoors. Found this trail and it was prefect for what we were looking for. My 8 year olds enjoyed the view from the top, saw squirrels and birds, and only got tired towards the end. There is a dirt path and signs posted making it easy to follow. There were lots of trees providing shade and a cool feel. There were a few areas (stumps/down trees/rocks) to sit and rest at and some inclines, but nothing too strenuous or steep. It was very quiet and peaceful, and it felt like we were the only ones out there. Although we ran into 3 couples during our hike, we had the trail pretty much to ourselves. There is limited parking, but we were able to park along the curb and didn't have an issue. Worth checking out if you're in the area.

We came here on a Saturday and it wasn't very busy. The temperature was roughly 70 degrees, perfect…read morefor a hike. When we arrived, there was limited parking and no restrooms from when I seen so be sure to handle your business before you come. We weren't exactly sure where the trail began so we walked up the steep paved road and took a right at the top of the road and began the hike. This trail is full of incline areas so if you are expecting a nice stroll around the woods, you'll be sadly mistaken. I'd say this hike is closer to medium difficulty but it's a great time and very rewarding once you reach the top. Sadly you only get a "peek a boo" view of the lake due to the trees being in the way but hey that's nature for ya! This trail took a little over an hour for myself and my wife to complete and that's with peaks and taking in the scenery. I highly recommend this trail, the views, fresh air etc. is amazing!

The best way to see what's left of Belleville is the Gold Fever Trail, so stop by the Big Bear…read moreDiscovery 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 :)

roads aren't maintained well which is fine. AWD is recommended, especially after rains. pretty…read morequiet 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.