Fun
There are a lot of fun things to do in Big Bear.
You’ll need an Adventure Pass before you park in most of the high-use national forest areas. They cost $5 per day, or $30 for the whole year and you can get them at just about any store in town. We often leave our adventure pass in the top drawer of the desk in the living room if you’d like to borrow it (but make sure you put it back for our next trip.)
The Big Bear Discovery Center is a great place to start any trip. If you’re into hiking they provide great maps and information. Our girls particularly liked the interpretive Woodland Trail hike–and we learned that one of the pines smells exactly like vanilla (Allison said “Ice Cream”).
The Moonridge Zoo is a terrific little zoo, especially for the kids. Don’t miss the feeding tour that starts at 3pm most days.