An All-Seasons Guide to Big Bear, California

Big Bear sits about two hours from Los Angeles at roughly 6,700 feet elevation and delivers a true four-season mountain escape. The town occupies a lake-wrapped basin in the San Bernardino Mountains, featuring snowy slopes in winter, wildflower-lined trails in spring, colorful fall foliage, and warm lakeside summers. The area functions as a "sky island," where isolated mountain ecosystems create a biodiverse sanctuary; the San Bernardino Mountains rank seventh in US biological diversity and host rare endemic species. Recreational options include skiing, biking, paddling, and strolling a storybook downtown. Driving is the most convenient access, with winding roads and occasional weekend bottlenecks.

While Southern California conjures images of endless sunshine and sandy beaches, just two hours from Los Angeles lies a striking contrast: Big Bear, a high-altitude hideaway that offers a true four-season escape. Tucked into the San Bernardino Mountains and wrapped around a namesake lake, this alpine town trades highways and palm trees for snowy slopes in winter, wildflower-strewn trails in spring, colorful foliage in fall, and breezy lakeside afternoons come summer.

At 6,700 feet above sea level, Big Bear is more than just a mountain getaway. It's a rare ecological marvel known as a "sky island," where mountainous ecosystems sit isolated above desert lowlands. Here, lush forests and glittering lakes sit overhead the Mojave's arid sprawl, creating a biodiverse sanctuary. In fact, the San Bernardino Mountains rank as the seventh-most biologically diverse region in the US, home to rare flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler