Bear Valley
Big Bear (the region) Big Bear is the mountain basin as a whole—the broad high-country bowl in the San Bernardino Mountains that includes the lake, the dam, the valley floor, and all surrounding communities. Historically, this is how miners, loggers, ranchers, and later tourists referred to the area: one mountain valley, many places within it.
Think of “Big Bear” the way people say “Death Valley” or “Victor Valley”—a regional name, not a town.
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is both:The lake itself (created by Bear Valley Dam in 1884), and
The incorporated city on the south shore.
This is the commercial and civic center:
Village shops and restaurants City government Major resorts and marinas
If someone says they’re “going to Big Bear” for the weekend, this is usually what they mean.
Big Bear City
Big Bear City sits on the eastern valley floor, away from the shoreline.Key character:
Unincorporated (county-governed, not a city)
More residential and working-class
Airport, light industry, long-time locals
Historically, Big Bear City reflects the settled, year-round side of the valley—mechanics, builders, airport workers, and families who stayed when the tourists went home.
Fawnskin
Fawnskin lies on the north shore, quieter and more deliberate.Distinct traits:
Small, unincorporated lakeside community
Home to the Big Bear Discovery Center
Historically tied to logging and early settlement
Fawnskin keeps an older Big Bear feel—less bustle, fewer lights, and a closer relationship with the forest.
Plain-spoken summary
Big Bear = the entire mountain valleyBig Bear Lake = the lake and the main city
Big Bear City = east-end residential valley community
Fawnskin = north-shore, small and traditional settlement
Each has its place, and together they form a single mountain basin that still works the way it always has: one landscape, several ways of living in it.
A few more names that belong to Big Bear in the older, practical sense. Most aren’t cities at all, just places people have always known by name.
Moonridge
Moonridge is a neighborhood, not a town, on the south side near Bear Mountain.Older ski-area housing
Mid-century cabins mixed with newer builds
Long treated as its own place by locals, even though it’s within Big Bear Lake
People still say “I live in Moonridge” the way ranchers once named draws and ridges.
Boulder Bay
Boulder Bay sits on the west end of the lake.Residential, lakeside
Quieter than the Village
Often spoken of as a separate area, especially by boaters
It’s Big Bear Lake on paper, but Boulder Bay in conversation.
Sugarloaf
Sugarloaf is south of Big Bear City and has long had its own identity.Unincorporated
Historically working-class
More permanent residents than vacation homes
If Big Bear City is the valley’s backbone, Sugarloaf is one of its ribs.
Erwin Lake
Erwin Lake lies between Big Bear City and Baldwin Lake.Older homesteads and cabins
Semi-rural feel
Often overlooked, but well known to locals
It reflects the valley before tourism took over.
Baldwin Lake
Baldwin Lake is the dry lakebed east of Big Bear City and the small settlement around it.Ranching history
Wind, space, and distance
Feels closer to the desert than the resort
This is where Big Bear quietly transitions from mountain basin to open country. One last old rule of thumb If a place in Big Bear: Has a mayor ? Big Bear Lake Has a post office or airstrip ? Big Bear City Has trees, cabins, and silence ? Fawnskin, Sugarloaf, Erwin Lake Has wind and sky ? Baldwin Lake Same valley, many ways of living in it—just as it’s always been.
San Bernardino. The Pinyon-Juniper woodland, Deer, coyote, gray squirrel, and the occasional bobcat Southern Pacific Railroad
Big Bear Lake
Discovery Center
Holcomb Valley
State Highway 18
Van Dusen Road
Big Bear Lake, CA
Bear Valley (Big Bear Area)The Bear Valley area includes approximately 135 square miles of unincorporated land surrounding the City of Big Bear Lake, located in the San Bernardino Mountains. The valley is entirely surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest.
The Bear Valley Community Plan area is located approximately 100 miles east of Los Angeles and 40 miles northeast of San Bernardino. Its mountain environment, alpine climate, and extensive recreation opportunities have long made it a popular destination for residents of Southern California.
The Big Bear community occupies an approximately 12-mile-long mountain valley with an average elevation of 7,200 feet above sea level. The valley is enclosed by surrounding mountain ridges and steep, rugged slopes. Prominent surrounding landforms and landmarks include Delmar Mountain (8,398 ft), Bertha Peak (8,201 ft), Snow Summit (8,182 ft), Castle Rock, Hanna Rocks, Sugarloaf Mountain, Nelson Ridge, and others.
Wildlife
Within the Bear Valley area, Big Bear Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in Southern California, with a surface area of approximately 10 square miles and 23 miles of shoreline. The lake supports the largest population of wintering bald eagles in Southern California, provides year-round habitat for waterfowl, and is a major destination for wildlife viewing.Surrounding habitats include pinyon–juniper woodland, mixed conifer forest, subalpine forest, willow riparian corridors, and one of only two naturally occurring quaking aspen groves in Southern California. These habitats support a wide range of wildlife species, including the California spotted owl, southwestern willow flycatcher, and southern rubber boa. Mule deer, coyote, gray squirrel, and the occasional bobcat are also commonly observed.
Plants
Bear Valley is notable for its exceptional botanical diversity, including plant species found nowhere else in the world. Several unique plant communities are federally listed, and three locations on National Forest System lands are designated as Critical Biological Areas due to their rare plant and wildlife resources.History
The historical development of Bear Valley follows patterns common to turn-of-the-century mountain regions in Southern California.Gold discoveries in 1860 triggered a brief mining boom, which in turn created demand for timber. Logging and sawmills soon became major activities. As mining declined, livestock and cattle grazing expanded, reaching peak importance between 1880 and the 1940s, particularly within Bear Valley itself.
The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in Southern California in 1876 accelerated regional growth and increased interest in mountain water resources to support expanding agricultural communities. In 1883, Frank E. Brown organized the Bear Valley Land and Water Company, acquired land, and constructed the first Bear Valley Dam in 1884, creating what would become Big Bear Lake.
The lake quickly attracted recreational interest. In 1911, a new multiple-arch dam was completed, tripling the lake’s capacity. By 1915, completion of the “101-Mile Rim of the World” highway and improvements in automobile travel dramatically increased visitor access. Resort development expanded rapidly through the 1920s, and recreation replaced mining and ranching as the valley’s primary economic base.
In 1934, the Big Bear Sports District was formed to promote winter recreation, leading to the installation of the area’s first ski lift and the beginning of Big Bear’s long association with snow sports.
Source
Adapted from:Bear Valley Community Plan
Adopted March 13, 2007
Effective April 12, 2007
Ecology
San Gorgonio Mountains
Upper San Gorgonio Mountains
Ethnogeography
Cahuilla Indians
Serrano Indians
Gold MountainDoble
Doble Cemetery
Champion Lodgepole Pine
Children's Forest