Big Bear & San Bernardino Forest
San Bernardino Mountains · near Big Bear Lake · Los Angeles / SoCal
Gravel & Bikepacking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Late spring–fall (snow-free; deep winter snow)
What is here
- Terrain
- mountain
- Amenities
- Alpine lake resort base · Buffed high forest roads · World-class trail scene · Abundant forest camping
- Best for
- Cool high-country riding above Southern California
- Features
- 7,000-ft alpine lake resort · Buffed pine-forest roads · Renowned trail network · SoCal's high-country escape
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- High altitude, thin air · Short snow-free season · Afternoon thunderstorms · Shared MTB/multi-use trails
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Gravel & Bikepacking detail
- Ride types
- day-gravel · singletrack
- Surface
- buff
- Remoteness
- 2
- Riding
- High-altitude forest riding around an alpine lake resort — buffed forest roads and world-class trails in the pines at 7,000 ft, cool escape from the SoCal heat
- Terrain note
- 6,700–8,500 ft; buffed forest roads; cool alpine air; snowbound in winter
- Camping
- Yes
- Intl tip
- Mountain lake resort at ~7,000 ft in the San Bernardino Mountains — Southern California's premier high-country escape, with buffed pine-forest roads and a renowned trail network, cool and pine-scented an hour above the hot lowlands. Approachable smooth gravel plus world-class singletrack at altitude. Full-service resort base; abundant forest camping. Real mountain terrain (6,700–8,500 ft): thin air, short snow-free season, afternoon storms. SoCal's alpine gem.
- Trip lengths
- day
The guide
Big Bear, a mountain lake resort perched around 7,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, is Southern California's premier hi…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Big Bear & San Bernardino Forest — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.24, -116.9