Big Bear Lake, California Yuhaviat[1] | |
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 Looking east at Big Bear Valley from Butler Peak lookout tower in theSan Bernardino National Forest | |
 Seal | |
 Location of Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County, California | |
  Big Bear Lake, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°14′38″N116°54′41″W / 34.24389°N 116.91139°W /34.24389; -116.91139 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Incorporated | November 28, 1980[2] |
| Named after | Big Bear Lake |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council/Manager |
| • City Manager | Erik Sund |
| • Mayor | Perri Melnick |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.42 sq mi (16.64 km2) |
| • Land | 6.24 sq mi (16.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.47 km2) 2.88% |
| Elevation | 6,752 ft (2,058 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,046 |
| • Density | 808.5/sq mi (312.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 92315 |
| Area code | 909 |
| FIPS code | 06-06434 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1652673 |
| Website | citybigbearlake |
Big Bear Lake is a city inSan Bernardino County, California, located in theSan Bernardino Mountains along the south shore ofBig Bear Lake, and surrounded by theSan Bernardino National Forest. The city is about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the city ofSan Bernardino, and immediately west of theunincorporated town ofBig Bear City. The population was approximately 5,046 at the2020 census. However, as a popular year-round resort destination, the actual number of people staying in or visiting the greater Big Bear Valley area regularly surges to over 100,000 during many weekends of the year.
Big Bear Lake was inhabited by the indigenousSerrano people for over 2,000 years before it was explored byBenjamin Wilson and his party. Once populated by only the natives and thegrizzly bears, from which the area received its name, the population of the Big Bear Valley grew rapidly during the Southern Californiagold rush from 1861 to 1912. Grizzly bears were not found in the region after 1908.[4] Black bears have been in the region since their introduction in 1933,[4] and they are sometimes sighted in residential areas.
A trip to Big Bear Lake fromSan Bernardino took two days on horse-drawn coaches. Kirk Phillips was a local who took a trip to New York City and saw the world's first bus line. This inspired him to create the world's second bus line from San Bernardino to Big Bear Valley using white trucks with several rows of seats. This made it possible for the villages to grow and for Big Bear Lake to become the first mountain recreation area inSouthern California.[5]
Many people traveled to enjoy recreation on the lake. However, another major draw was the natural hot spring. Emile Jesserun bought 40 acres (16 ha) of land that included the hot spring and built the first major resort in Big Bear, the Pan Hot Springs Hotel, in 1921. This resort was followed with others that strove to be the best by creating a country club atmosphere, complete with the amenities required to lure the Hollywood celebrities of the time includingCecil B. DeMille,Shirley Temple, andGinger Rogers. By 1924, Big Bear was populated with 44 resorts and a constant stream of vacationers. The Pan Hot Springs Hotel, like many of the other resorts and hotels in Big Bear, was extensively damaged by fire in 1933.[6]
In 1933, the California Fish and Game Commission transported around 27 black bears fromYosemite National Park to Southern California, releasing them near Big Bear.[4] Sightings of the newly released bears in cities stoked fear among residents. J. Dale Gentry, chairman of the Fish and Game Commission, resigned shortly after.[7]
For Hollywood's film industry, the area has been a popular place for shooting on location since the silent era. In late November 1915,Universal Studios filmed there for itsthree-reel production ofJohn o' the Mountains starringSydney Ayres andLouella Maxam.[8] The 1920 version ofLast of the Mohicans was filmed there as well, as were some scenes for the 1936 filmDaniel Boone,Gone with the Wind, 20th Century Fox's 1960 filmNorth to Alaska, Disney'sOld Yeller, the 1969 musical filmPaint Your Wagon, the 1983 movieWar Games, and the 1985 "dark comedy"Better Off Dead. Many television series have filmed sequences there too, including opening sequences in 1969 for theNBC children's programH.R. Pufnstuf.
Winter activities are also popular in Big Bear. The first ski jump in Big Bear was erected in 1929 and quickly claimed a world ski jump record. More jumps were built in Big Bear Lake and the Viking Ski Club of Los Angeles began to use them for competition and events. The move to a winter resort town was solidified in 1952 when Tommy Tyndall opened a resort in Big Bear Lake, now known asSnow Summit.[9] In some winters the area gets little snow, butsnow machines keep the resorts in business.
In the summer of 1968,Caltech began construction ofBig Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) located on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. Due to extensive rain and snow, the lake rose several feet and BBSO was surrounded by water at the time construction was completed using makeshift barges in May 1970. BBSO, now operated by theNew Jersey Institute of Technology, is still a major Big Bear Lake landmark connected to the north shore by a dirt and rock causeway.
Since 1970, Big Bear Lake has held an annualOktoberfest. The Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest sports the highestbeer garden, by elevation, in the United States. Big Bear Lake was incorporated as a city on November 28, 1980.
During the 1990s, the city became famous as a training spot forboxing champions.Oscar De La Hoya,Mike Tyson,Fernando Vargas,Gennady Golovkin, andShane Mosley are among the famous boxers who have trained at Big Bear.
In February 2013, a major manhunt occurred in the Big Bear Lake area to findChristopher Dorner, who by that point had killed three people.[10] A standoff ended in nearbyAngelus Oaks.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5 square miles (17 km2), 6.3 square miles (16 km2) of which is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of which (2.88%) is water. It is located 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the city ofSan Bernardino, and immediately west ofBig Bear City.
Big Bear Lake is at an official elevation of 6,752 ft (2,058 m) above sea level.
TheCalifornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safety advisory for any fish caught in Big Bear Lake due to elevated levels ofmercury andPCBs.[11]
According to the National Weather Service, the warmest month at Big Bear is July, with a daily average temperature of 65.1 °F (18.4 °C). The coolest month is February, with a daily average temperature of 34.7 °F (1.5 °C). (January and December are nearly tied, at 34.8 °F; 1.6 °C.) There are an average of 1.3 days each year with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. Freezing temperatures have occurred in every month and occur on an average of 176.2 days each year, on average from September 24 to June 4. With a period of record dating back to only 1960, the highest temperature recorded was 98 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 30, 1994, while the lowest was −15 °F (−26 °C) on November 19, 1964.
Due to the 6,750 feet (2,060 m) elevation[12] of the weather station, precipitation is greater than in the lowlands of southern California, averaging19.98 in (507 mm) a year. The maximum 24-hour precipitation was9.43 in (240 mm) on December 6, 1966. Measurable precipitation normally occurs 43.3 days a year. Mountain thunderstorms can produce heavy rainfall, even in midsummer (when most southern California lowland locations are quite dry). Under theKöppen climate classification, Big Bear Lake has a warm-summerMediterranean climate (Csb) bordering ahumid continental climate (Dsb); it lies within USDA planthardiness zone 7a.[13] Big Bear Lake is the highest and coldest incorporated city in southern California.[14]
In contrast to most of southern California, the Big Bear Lake region normally receives significant winter snow because of its high elevation. Snowfall, as measured at lake level, averages 58.6 in (149 cm) per season; upwards of 100 in (250 cm) can accumulate on the forested ridges bordering the lake, at elevations above 8,000 ft (2,400 m). In February 1990, 59.5 in (151 cm) of snow were recorded. The most snow in 24 hours was 27.0 in (69 cm) on March 27, 1991. The greatest snow depth was 58 in (150 cm) on February 3, 1979. Snow has fallen in every month except July and August. There are normally 16 days each year with measurable snow of 0.1 in (0.25 cm) or more.
| Climate data for Big Bear Lake, California, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1914–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) | 72 (22) | 80 (27) | 82 (28) | 87 (31) | 98 (37) | 94 (34) | 93 (34) | 90 (32) | 85 (29) | 74 (23) | 70 (21) | 98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 60.1 (15.6) | 60.3 (15.7) | 65.1 (18.4) | 72.2 (22.3) | 78.4 (25.8) | 85.8 (29.9) | 88.7 (31.5) | 86.5 (30.3) | 82.1 (27.8) | 75.5 (24.2) | 68.3 (20.2) | 61.8 (16.6) | 89.8 (32.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.1 (7.8) | 45.7 (7.6) | 51.2 (10.7) | 57.3 (14.1) | 65.8 (18.8) | 75.1 (23.9) | 79.7 (26.5) | 78.7 (25.9) | 73.0 (22.8) | 63.4 (17.4) | 53.5 (11.9) | 46.2 (7.9) | 61.3 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.3 (1.3) | 34.3 (1.3) | 38.9 (3.8) | 44.1 (6.7) | 51.3 (10.7) | 59.3 (15.2) | 65.1 (18.4) | 64.1 (17.8) | 58.5 (14.7) | 49.0 (9.4) | 40.4 (4.7) | 34.3 (1.3) | 47.8 (8.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 26.5 (−3.1) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 36.8 (2.7) | 43.5 (6.4) | 50.5 (10.3) | 49.5 (9.7) | 44.0 (6.7) | 34.6 (1.4) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 22.6 (−5.2) | 34.3 (1.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.8 (−12.9) | 9.8 (−12.3) | 14.1 (−9.9) | 20.1 (−6.6) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 33.4 (0.8) | 40.8 (4.9) | 40.0 (4.4) | 32.5 (0.3) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 15.4 (−9.2) | 10.1 (−12.2) | 4.9 (−15.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) | −16 (−27) | −12 (−24) | −7 (−22) | 15 (−9) | 22 (−6) | 28 (−2) | 28 (−2) | 19 (−7) | 10 (−12) | −15 (−26) | −14 (−26) | −25 (−32) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.51 (115) | 4.39 (112) | 2.37 (60) | 0.78 (20) | 0.42 (11) | 0.15 (3.8) | 0.69 (18) | 0.82 (21) | 0.40 (10) | 0.79 (20) | 1.35 (34) | 3.31 (84) | 19.98 (508.8) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 13.4 (34) | 14.3 (36) | 11.7 (30) | 3.0 (7.6) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.2 (3.0) | 3.4 (8.6) | 11.0 (28) | 58.6 (148.7) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.6 | 6.8 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 5.5 | 43.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 16.0 |
| Source: NOAA[15][16][17] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,351 | — | |
| 2000 | 5,438 | 1.6% | |
| 2010 | 5,019 | −7.7% | |
| 2020 | 5,046 | 0.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 5,044 | [18] | 0.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Big Bear Lake had a population of 5,046. The population density was 808.5 inhabitants per square mile (312.2/km2). The racial makeup of Big Bear Lake was 72.4%White, 1.0%African American, 0.8%Native American, 2.2%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 11.3% fromother races, and 12.2% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.9% of the population.
The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.5% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.
There were 2,341 households, out of which 21.0% included children under the age of 18, 39.4% were married-couple households, 6.2% werecohabiting couple households, 25.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 28.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 35.6% of households were one person, and 17.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 1,326families (56.6% of all households).
The age distribution was 16.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% aged 18 to 24, 21.1% aged 25 to 44, 30.2% aged 45 to 64, and 27.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.9 males.
There were 9,452 housing units at an average density of 1,514.5 units per square mile (584.8 units/km2), of which 2,341 (24.8%) were occupied. Of these, 58.0% were owner-occupied, and 42.0% were occupied by renters.[20][21]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 64.1% of the population were born in California, 21.6% were born in a different state, 1.2% were born in a US territory or abroad to an American parent, and 13.1% were born outside US jurisdiction. Of those aged 5 or older, 82.4% spoke only English at home, 10.5% spokeSpanish, 2.1% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 1.5% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 3.6% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 91.3% were high school graduates and 34.9% had a bachelor's degree.[22]
The median household income was $74,728, and theper capita income was $50,506. About 8.0% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line.[23]
Big Bear Lake isSouthern California's largest recreational lake. It is about seven miles (11 km) long with a width of about one mile (1.6 km) at its widest point. The primary summer attraction in Big Bear has been fishing, which remains one of the most common activities.[5] The most abundant types of fish aretrout,bass andcatfish.[24] Hiking,mountain biking andhorse riding are also very popular.San Bernardino National Forest offers many trails in varying degrees of difficulty.[25] During winter season Big Bear Lake becomes askiing andsnowboarding destination forSouthern California. There are two ski resorts:Snow Summit andBear Mountain.[26] The firstWinter X Games were held in Big Bear Lake in 1997. The town was also home to theBig Bear Lake International Film Festival from 2000 to 2014. TheAlpine Slide at Magic Mountain, an amusement park, is located in the city.
In addition to these events, Big Bear Lake is known for its resident bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow. There is a YouTube channel dedicated to a live feed of their nest which allows viewers to watch their daily activities and observe their nestbuilding and feeding behaviors. The channel is operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley.[27]
The community is served by the Big Bear Lake Branch of the San Bernardino County Library. The 8,500-square-foot (790 m2) library is located on Garstin Drive near the southern shore of Big Bear Lake and offers books, videos, CDs, DVDs, audio books, e-books, computers, and internet access for patrons. The library was remodeled in 2009, with improvements that included additional public computers and a new circulation desk that allows for self check-out. Story times for younger children, teen programs, donated book sales, and special events are also held at the library.[28]
Big Bear Lake is acharter city under the laws of the state of California. It operates under the council-manager form of government. The city manager is Erik Sund.[29] The city council includes five members elected at-large. The mayor is selected annually from among the city council members. The current mayor is Perri Melnick.[30]
In thestate legislature, Big Bear Lake is in the19th Senate District, represented byRepublican SenatorRosilicie Ochoa Bogh,[31] and in the34th Assembly District, represented by Republican Assembly MemberTom Lackey.[32]
Federally, Big Bear Lake is inCalifornia's 23rd congressional district, represented byRepublican Jay Obernolte.[33]
Big Bear City Airport, ageneral aviation airport in theBig Bear City section of unincorporatedSan Bernardino County, serves Big Bear Lake.[34]
Free[35] local bus service is provided by Mountain Transit, formerly known asMountain Area Regional Transit Authority (MARTA), operates several fixed routes in the Big Bear Valley. Mountain Transit also provides service fromdowntown San Bernardino to Big Bear Lake.[36]
The Big Bear Valley is accessible by four California state highways:SR 18 fromHighland,SR 330 fromSan Bernardino,SR 38 fromRedlands, andSR 18 fromLucerne Valley.
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gold Mountain California News Media Inc. |
| Editor | Stacy Moore |
| Founded | 1941 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Big Bear Lake, California |
| ISSN | 1073-6867 |
| OCLC number | 28739053 |
| Website | bigbeargrizzly.net |
TheBig Bear Grizzly, the "Media of the Mountain", is a local weekly newspaper serving Big Bear Lake, California and surrounding communities. TheBig Bear Grizzly is owned by Gold Mountain California News Media Inc.[37][38] The principal edition ofBig Bear Grizzly is published weekly on Wednesdays.[39] A free edition, entitled theGrizzly Weekender, is delivered to most areas of the Big Bear Valley each Saturday. The newspaper also produces a weekly shopper's guide called theBig Bear Shopper.[40]
This paper covers local council meetings, festivals, fundraisers, recreation opportunities on Big Bear Lake and nearby, and other events in the area.[41]
It is in theBear Valley Unified School District.[42]
Abtenau, Austria
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