Big Bear Ski Resort Review 2026

How it scores for your group

Families. Very good for a local day out. The modest size, gentle learning terrain, good snowmaking and lake town amenities make Big Bear an easy family day or weekend from Southern California. It is convenient and dependable rather than exciting, which is exactly what most families near LA want for a first taste of snow.

Beginners. Excellent. Snow Summit in particular has good beginner and intermediate terrain, reliable machine made snow and an easygoing feel, making it one of the most practical places in Southern California to learn. Night skiing gives extra practice time.

Intermediates. Fine for a day or two. There is enough blue cruising across the two mountains to fill a weekend, but a confident intermediate will cover it quickly and the runs are short by destination standards. It works as a quick fix rather than a week of skiing.

Experts. Limited on terrain, strong on parks. There are a few steeper runs but no serious vertical or off piste, so committed experts will be underwhelmed. Park and freestyle riders, on the other hand, get one of the best terrain park setups in the country at Bear Mountain.

Non skiers. Reasonably served by the town. Big Bear Lake has restaurants, shops, a village feel and outdoor activities, and the drive up is scenic, so a non skier can have a pleasant time, though this is a small resort town rather than a major destination.

Terrain by ability

Big Bear is two mountains under one ticket. Snow Summit is the all rounder, with the best spread of beginner and intermediate runs, good night skiing and reliable snowmaking, while Bear Mountain is the freestyle mountain, home to an enormous and well built terrain park scene that draws riders from across Southern California. A free shuttle and a shared pass link the two.

The honest picture is a compact, low altitude resort with around 580 m of vertical and short runs by destination standards. The base sits low enough that natural snow is unreliable and warm spells bite, but the snowmaking is genuinely excellent and keeps the season going when the weather does not cooperate. Come for convenience, learning terrain and parks, not for size or deep powder, and you will get exactly what Big Bear does well. For a real California ski trip with scale and snow, the bigger mountains are a longer journey away.

Photos via Google. Contributed by Big Bear Mountain Resort, Albert Baloiu and Christopher Roman.

Charm, convenience and the evening

The base is Big Bear Lake, a year round resort town in the San Bernardino mountains with a relaxed village area, restaurants, shops and plenty of lodging. It is a proper lake town rather than a ski village, busy in summer too, which gives it more life and amenities than its small ski area alone would suggest.

Evenings are easygoing. There are bars and restaurants in the village and around the lake, and a casual, friendly Southern California crowd, but no big apres ski or nightlife scene. It suits families and weekenders who want a comfortable base and an early start rather than a party, and the lake setting is genuinely pleasant.

Lodging and chalet quotes

Big Bear Lake has a wide range of lodging, from cabins and vacation rentals around the lake to hotels and lodges near the village and the slopes. Stay near the village or Snow Summit for the easiest ski access, or take a lakeside cabin for a relaxed weekend feel. A car is essential here, both for the drive up from Los Angeles and for getting around the lake and between the two mountains. If you are coming from the city, our guide to skiing near Los Angeles sets out the drive times and options.

Prices, lessons and ski hire

Walk up day tickets at Big Bear run around $150 in peak season, which is a lot for the size, so buying ahead online or on a season pass is the only sensible approach and cuts the cost sharply. One ticket covers both Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Lessons and rentals are plentiful and geared to beginners and families, which is the core market, and night skiing tickets are a cheaper way to get turns in. Book lessons and rentals ahead on busy winter weekends.

Transfers and access

Big Bear's whole appeal is access from Los Angeles. It is around two hours from central LA up Highway 18 or 38 into the San Bernardino mountains, a drive that needs care and chains or winter tires after snow. There is no rail link, so a car is essential, and traffic can build on winter weekends, so an early start pays off. The nearest major airports are in the Los Angeles area, roughly two to two and a half hours away by road.

The best weeks to ski Big Bear

Big Bear skis best in the cold heart of winter, when natural snow is most likely and the snowmaking can build a solid base. January and February are the prime months for the best cover and the liveliest park scene, and cold snaps after a storm give the rare powder days the resort sees.

Late season is a gamble given the low altitude, with warm spells thinning the lower runs from March, though the snowmaking holds the main trails together. The 2026 to 2027 season should run from mid November to early April, weather permitting. Midweek visits dodge the heavy Southern California weekend crowds, and night skiing is a smart way to ski when the daytime lines are long.

Big Bear FAQs

Nearby alternatives

Big Bear is small and built for convenience. For a real California ski trip with scale and snow, these three mountains are worth the longer drive or a flight north, and our guide to skiing near Los Angeles compares the options.

Where should you stay and when should you go?

For month by month snow, crowds and prices in the United States, see skiing in the United States in December, January, February, March, April.