Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino Mountains) · near Big Bear Lake · Los Angeles / SoCal
Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Best season
- Late May-October (elevation ~6,750 ft; can freeze in winter)
What is here
- Wildlife
- Wintering & resident bald eagles, ospreys, waterfowl, occasional mule deer onshore
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- The Alpine Eagle Paddle
- Water types
- alpine-lake
- Exposure
- moderate
- Sup friendly
- Yes
- Wetsuit
- Cool alpine water ~62-70F midsummer, colder at the edges of the season; cold-shock is real
- Intl tip
- Be off the water by early afternoon - the wind turns Big Bear choppy like clockwork. Paddle the quieter east end away from the marinas, and remember you're at 6,750 ft: strong sun, cold water. Rentals are plentiful on the south shore.
The guide
Big Bear is Southern California's marquee mountain paddle - a pine-ringed alpine reservoir at 6,750 feet where you can watch ba…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Big Bear Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.244, -116.93