Big Bear Lake Cabin | Meadow Views, Fireplace & Pet-Friendly

This cottage is located in Big Bear Lake, California, where it is situated near the southern shores of the lake from which the area gets its name, close to Metcalf Bay, Bear Mountain Ski Resort, and the village's shops and restaurants. Here, guests will find themselves in the heart of one of southern California's most popular destinations among those seeking a getaway to the great outdoors. Surrounded by the natural splendor of the San Bernardino Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest, providing an extensive range of year-round activity options, and boasting multiple ski areas, numerous trails, six marinas, and thousands of acres of recreational lake water, Big Bear Lake is much more than just a lakeside vacation spot; it is a gateway to a magnificent landscape bursting with possibilities for relaxation and adventure.

Stretching about seven miles from east to west, the lake itself is one of the main draws of the area. Its snow-fed waters are home to catfish, crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, and trout, while its shores are surrounded by coniferous forests in which chipmunks, squirrels, coyotes, and raccoons can be commonly spotted amid cedars, white firs, and a variety of pines, such as Ponderosa, sugar, and lodgepole. More elusive residents of the surrounding forests and mountains include black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, gray foxes, and mule deer.

To help them explore these forests and see some of the abundant wildlife around the lake, guests will find ten nearby trails for hiking, biking, and/or horseback riding, which encompass a variety of lengths and difficulty levels—ranging from the easy, 1.5-mile Woodland Trail loop, to the moderately difficult, 5.5-mile Cougar Crest Trail, to the very difficult, 14.9 mile John Bull Loop Bike Trail. Besides the forests, these trails also take guests to breathtaking mountain vistas and alpine meadows that burst with wildflowers in the spring, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and goldfinches.

To the southeast and southwest of the lake, guests will find Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snow Valley Mountain Ski and Snowboard Resort, and the Rim Nordic Ski Area, providing many slopes and trails for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. In the summer, Big Bear Mountain Resort also offers a nine-hole golf course and a lift-serviced mountain bike park.

Last but certainly not least in terms of outdoor attractions, the surrounding San Bernardino National Forest encompasses more than 800,000 acres of diverse landscapes, geological features, and ecosystems, ranging from rugged mountains, semi-deserts, and hot springs to evergreen forests, oak woodlands, and pinyon-juniper stands. These environments, in turn, provide habitats to an equally rich diversity of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons. Altogether, the forest is home to 71 threatened or endangered wildlife species and 85 sensitive plant species.

In addition to all of these outdoor attractions in the Big Bear Lake area, guests will also find a variety of indoor attractions, such as Big Bear Funplex (an amusement center with arcade games, laser tag, and ice skating), Big Bear Discovery Center (offering nature exhibits, eco-tours, and trail maps), and the Big Bear Valley Historical Museum (housing thousands of artifacts from the area's past). In the town of Big Bear Lake and neighboring Big Bear City, guests will also find a large variety of restaurants, bars, shops, and spas.

The cottage is about an hour and 45 minutes from Los Angeles, two and a half hours from San Diego, and an hour from San Bernardino, where guests will find the nearest international airport.