Big Bear City, California
Big Bear City is a community of 11,431 people in San Bernardino County, California.
Why visit Big Bear City
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Bear Mountain, The Eye of God and Big Bear Valley Historical Society.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; December lows average 24°F, and about 59 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Big Bear City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Big Bear City
Big Bear City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States along the east shore of Big Bear Lake and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. It is 27 miles (43 km) northeast of the city of San Bernardino, and immediately east of the incorporated city of Big Bear Lake. Its population was 12,738 at the 2020 census, up from 12,304 at the 2010 census. Big Bear City is mostly residential, with smaller houses and cabins laid out in typical square block fashion.
From the Wikipedia article Big Bear City, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 4.3 mi
Zoo in Big Bear Lake, California, United States
747 Club View Drive, Big Bear Lake
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Museums and landmarks3
The Eye of God
Monument and historic site · 1.8 mi
Sacred landmark for the Yuhaaviatam "People of the Pines"
Parks, trails and playgrounds20
Sugarloaf National Recreation Trail 2E18
Park · 2.5 mi
Difficult 10-mile trek to the highest point in Big Bear Valley Sugarloaf Mountain 9,952 feet. The first 2 miles of the trail is a...
8 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes13
Moonridge Coffee Company
Cafe · American, Breakfast, Coffee Shop · 4.5 mi
42646 Moonridge Road, Big Bear Lake
Su-Th 07:00-15:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-18:00
BJ's Restaurant and Sandwhich Shop
Restaurant · Sandwich · 2.9 mi
Mo-Tu 11:30-15:00; We off; Th-Su 11:30-15:00
Pickle's Pie Shop
Restaurant · 3.8 mi
We-Mo 10:30+ "until sold out"
1 more on the map.
Where to stay9
Cathy's Cottages
Motel and hotel · 3.5 mi
600 West Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear City
Churches and places of worship2
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.9 mi
400 North Shore Drive, Big Bear City
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Big Bear City
68 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 24°F | 4.5 in | 13.4 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 24°F | 4.4 in | 14.3 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 27°F | 2.4 in | 11.7 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 31°F | 0.8 in | 3.0 in |
| May | 66°F | 37°F | 0.4 in | 0.6 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 44°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 50°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 50°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 44°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 35°F | 0.8 in | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 28°F | 1.4 in | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 24°F | 3.3 in | 11.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Big Bear Lake (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
San Bernardino County has had 40 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-09-11: Bridge Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-07: Line Fire (Fire)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-10-26: Blue Ridge Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Big Bear City Airport (RBF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Yucaipa 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Banning 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Lake Arrowhead 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Highland 23 mi southwest, about 38 min by car
- Yucca Valley 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Calimesa 24 mi southwest, about 38 min by car
- Desert Hot Springs 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Redlands 26 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Beaumont 27 mi south, about 44 min by car
- San Bernardino 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Bear Mountain, Big Bear Lake, http://www.bearmountain.com/snowboard/mountain-info/mountain-facts/, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Snow Summit Ski Resort, Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Big Bear California 06, WendyAvilesR, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Big Bear, CA 92314, USA - panoramio, Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- San Bernardino County, CA, USA - panoramio (20), Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- Fatboy's house - panoramio, Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- Big Bear, CA 92314, USA - panoramio (1), Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- Imperial headquarters on the far left - panoramio, Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- Imperial Headquarters on the far right - panoramio, Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0
- Mount San Gorgonio and Banning aerial, Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California ski resort (Unsplash), Clarisse Meyer clarissemeyer, CC0
- Phlox austromontana 9301128, joergmlpts, CC BY 4.0
- Echinocereus engelmannii magnursensis 3, Melanie J. Davis, CC BY 4.0
- Echinocereus engelmannii magnursensis 3 (cropped), Melanie J. Davis, CC BY 4.0
- ISS046-E-48414 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS046-E-48412 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS046-E-48413 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-56025 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-58158 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Big Bear Lake, California (cabin deck) - panoramio, Steve Hedin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gold MT rock garden - panoramio, redrockerfan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- San Bernardino County, CA, USA - panoramio (30), redrockerfan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- From Pines to Sand - panoramio, Johnwayne Stroud, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Climate Contrasts - panoramio, Johnwayne Stroud, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS038-E-65457 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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