Winter is here! Which means cold and snow and best of all – snowboarding and other winter activities!
Getting There
Big Bear is only located about 2 hours from Los Angeles so it is the perfect destination for a day trip. If you leave around 6AM to 7AM, you’ll get there right on time (they open at 8:30AM).
Tickets
Things are a little different this year due to COVID-19. You will need to make reservations ahead of time unless you have a season pass. If you don’t have a season pass, you can purchase lift tickets as well as rentals and lessons on their website. You can even pre-pay for your parking online.
Lift tickets cost $115 on weekends and $99 on weekdays. Tickets do sell out so make sure to book early!
Group lessons only (without a lift ticket or rental) costs $84 per day.
If you want to get a package which includes lessons, a lift ticket, and rental, it costs $157. This is a pretty good price if you need to rent and want lessons since the lift ticket already costs $115 by itself.
This year, Brea and I decided to get a season pass. We got the Ikon Base Pass and its been worth it so far! You get unlimited access to both mountains at Big Bear Lake. Some other perks of having a season pass include: 10-15% off food and drinks (excluding alcohol), 10% off lessons, and 25% off lift tickets for your friends and family.
You can also prepay for your parking online (its about $20).
Even if you don’t know how to snowboard or how to ski, don’t worry – you can take lessons. That’s how I really learned actually.
Bear Mountain vs. Snow Summit
No matter which mountain you choose to visit, make sure to wear a mask! There are also precautions in place because of COVID-19. Pay attention to the guidelines and stay 6 ft. from others.
To be honest, if you are a beginner or its your first time snowboarding you might not know the difference between Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. I didn’t. But after going several times to both, I can see that there is a difference. Snow Summit has more traditional runs while Bear Mountain has more terrain and freestyle.
Currently, we like to visit Bear Mountain more because the trails that are open are longer with a big beginners area. You can check which trails are open on the Ikon app.
All of the snow is also man-made right now. But it is surprisingly soft and I don’t mind it at all.
You could also visit both mountains if you want – they are only about 2 miles from each other.
Due to COVID-19, there is no indoor seating for restaurants but there are a lot of outdoor seating. There are a couple vendors with a good variety of food and drinks.
Big Bear is the perfect day trip destination for all levels of skill because of how close it is (if you’re coming from LA) and the numerous activities you can do while there. If you find that you want to keep going, don’t forget to get a season pass!
