I was very surprised how quiet this campground was. Also clean. Had the beautiful experience of…read moretwo coyotes strolling through our campsite, not scared or aggressive just peaceful. The issues I had were people tying things to the trees leaving huge grooves in the bark, wood gathering, and too many cars and people in campsites. We had a group of about twelve next to us they did have two sites but all stayed at one site with 6 vehicles. Also no campground etiquette... please don't journey through my site. Teach your kids better... I will return as I did like the campground!

PINEKNOT FAMILY CAMPGROUND @ BIG BEAR…read more NOTE: bring hand soap, dish soap, etc! There are bathrooms provided but no sanitizing! Parking is available for only two spots in each lot you end up purchasing, it was super easy to park, our lot was 46, so it was a bit of a drive. It was a very friendly area, there was a fire place, a table, and even a stoned cabinet (to store food, etc). The place itself is very close to all the popular lakes and spots. The only downside was that you might not get a lot of sleep, there are many kids there who were keeping people up even at 5am... maybe it's the family itself! But definitely be aware there might be noises and loudness since it's very family friendly! Overall, i'd definitely come back, it was about $120 for two nights!

Large site, beautiful surroundings. Only problem was that I couldn't get hot water in the shower!read more

This was our first time camping here after struggling to get a reservation after many years. We…read moredidn't have much of a choice for our campsite, but FWIW, the campsite was still pretty clutch. We were close to showers and bathrooms, and our neighbors on both sides were very polite and pretty quiet (or kept to themselves; not blasting music or being overly loud). We were close to the lake so we were able to walk and check it out. Camp hosts were around to keep the bathrooms clean and to be around for any questions. If you walk around, you might see a camp host selling firewood at their site, which was really helpful so you didn't have to drive all the way to the front to purchase more. Overall, loved our stay. I am not sure if we would camp here again, but still enjoyed our time here. Thank you!

I recently visited Cedar Lake Camp with 43 students on an ASB retreat. It was a very pleasant…read moreexperience. The cabins were clean and very comfortable. We all enjoyed the amenities and different activities available to us. My students loved the food that was cooked fresh daily, especially the desserts. All the staff members were very kind and overly accommodating. We will definitely be visiting again.

Been here more then 4-5 times in past 15 years. Quiet, outstanding relaxation and man made lake…read moreused in several famous western movies. Remodeled central bunk house and outlying cabins very modern. Prices a bit less... then several bigger camps nearby. Food is great with excellent large salad bars.

My church was just up there this weekend my church is Compass Bible Church and we had a great time…read morethere. The food was delicious and the cafeteria was very clean. The only complaint I have was the lighting it was hard to find our cabin's but other than that. We had a wonderful time.

Cozy lodges and a peaceful, serene location for a mountain getaway. The archery and BB gun…read moreactivities were my personal favorite but there is also a pool, pickle ball courts, ziplining, and several other activity choices available. My only complaint/warning is the bathrooms in the lodge we were in (Hope Lodge) were very very tiny. Barely anywhere to hang your towel and couldn't open the shower door at the same time as the door into the bathroom.. that's how small it was lol. Other than that, the facilities were overall really great for a church retreat

Awsome time, great place for a quick retreat! We come here year after year. Always a good time.read more

We camped here for the Toyo Tires event and it was pretty chill. You can find an empty spot and…read morepark and camped out. Great spot to enjoy the nature. It is very dusty here so plan accordingly. We got to hang out, bbq and enjoy the night under the stars. Make sure you check the weather and plan accordingly as it gets extremely cold at night.

Quiet & spacious campsite just outside Big Bear city limits. Several places you can camp from the…read moreSkydeck at the border of the National Forest or a large drive-in fenced corral area. Many cute ground squirrels in corral area where we camped & my dog had a great time chasing them. An added atttraction is a very large fenced dog run for the large dogs. Access to the house bathroom & water and host was very accommodating. Definitely recommend here compared to the high camping prices in Big Bear area not to mention a much larger space.

What a shame. This cabin has such history & potential. The property itself had so much natural…read morebeauty. If only the owners put some maintenance, cleanliness & love into it. ..Upon arrival, we found no toilet paper provided. No Kleenex either, to at least use to relieve ourselves after a long trip. We had to contact Tea who sent over a guy to drop off 2 rolls...For 5 days. We then realized that there was only 2 towels. ..For 5 days. The following morning, as I went to use the stove, I found cheese stuck all over the stovetop, burners & latches. It was absolutely disgusting. I immediately started scrubbing it off, along with everything else in the kitchen. Thank goodness I carry cleaning supplies, as clearly it had not been cleaned from the prior guests. How, in a time of Covid, one can allow such a thing to happen is beyond me. There was also food on some of the dishes, crumbs & sticky particles on a couple of the pots & pans. Perhaps it's because they only provide one use worth of dish soap & 4 squares of paper towels. I later found hair that was not mine in the upstairs bed & some sort of gravel in the main bedroom. There were no large trash bags provided to empty the trash either. During our stay, there was a winter storm that blew open a window that didn't have a latch. The gust knocked over a candle thing that was on the window ledge that fell & broke into shards everywhere. I had to clean it up to be safe but there wasn't a broom available. Tea had to bring one over & I had to clean it up. That didn't help the fact that there was no latch on the window. Tea said they didn't know what to do to keep it shut, & it kept blowing open. My boyfriend found a nail & installed it as best he could to keep the window shut through the storm. When I tried to enjoy the bathtub, I discovered they have very little hot water. Couldn't enjoy the hot tub either because it was not working, with no water in it. On our final full day we attempted to go to out but couldn't because they apparently don't clear the road into Sky Ranch. I was scolded by Tea for not having snow chains. When we eventually got someone out to install chains, I was repeatedly messaged to move our car off the property to the street. They apparently brought in a snow plow to help us out, claiming they spent $150 just for us. As if we owe them for it. That's when I called Tea as opposed to texting & she threatened me that I'd have to speak to Mike. I was more than happy to do so, but he never contacted me. Instead, he went through Airbnb to message me to move our car off the property as they were afraid of damage to it from the storm. Be aware: it's not because they're concerned for your car for you- they're concerned about damage to your car on their property. Thus, the pressure to move it. .., I must say, I've always had such positive experiences with Airbnb. I've never felt unsafe or disgusted by lack of cleanliness or maintenance. During a pandemic, cleanliness should be of the utmost importance. To not clean in between guests puts everyone at risk . Failing to maintain simple things like latches on windows, nails sticking out of the floor & cracks on the glass windows is unsafe. It's really a shame because this property could really be so much more. I know there's some positive reviews about this property so I wonder why myself & several others have had such a poor experience with the cleanliness , maintenance & owners . I'd say read all the reviews, prepare yourself with cleaning supplies, a tool box, toilet paper and & positive attitude. If you want pics of what we saw/ experienced, please feel free to reach out to me.

I have never been to Big Bear. We stayed at the cabins at MCC. What a view. We had a trail right…read morebehind us. They have fire places and can by wood there or nearest store. Full kitchens, bedroom and a loft. I say they looked like Smurf homes. So cute. Don't let the pictures fool you. The places is big enough and comfy. I don bring my own Christmas decorations to lighten it up. I can't wait to go back in February.

Very cute cabins. They were clean and had fulll fridge and bathroom. Beds weee small but super…read morecute. Kids had a great time. We would love to return.

This place is AMAZING! The sites are spread out. You feel like you're in the forest all by…read moreyourself/ with you and just your family. We dry camped here in our camper over the weekend and loved that we didn't have cell service. We played board games, rode bikes, walked fallen trees like they were balance beams, enjoyed a camp fire, relaxed in our hammocks, read books and lots of quality family time. This place is a gem!

Stayed here twice, and it's been a good but not great camping experience. HVR is a hosted camp…read moresite on the north side of Big Bear Lake, so you'll drive a few miles on a bumpy forest road into the campsite. It was a former boys camp and the spacing between sites are either very big or quite compact (see attached map). We stayed in the B loop this time around and it was a mixed bag. Had some rowdy neighbors playing music one night until 1am and though it is technically quiet hrs after 10pm, we didn't exactly get a good nights sleep (pack those earplugs). Thankfully the second night was better but be aware- this is a flat pasture so sound will carry everywhere. The camp host Cowboy Ed was friendly and offers firewood for purchase for $10 a bundle. The toilets were often backed up and/or out of toilet paper- so that was unpleasant. Due to HVR's popularity on Hipcamp- it's really become overrun and lost a bit of its luster as it was formerly a great low key camp spot. If you're intent on booking- I would recommend booking during the week and also the further out remote sites which provide a more peaceful experience.

Buttercup is one of ten group campsites in the Big Bear Lake Recreation Area. It is located on the…read moresouth side of Big Bear Lake near Pineknot Family Campground and Snow Summit Ski Resort. It accommodates up to 40 people and 8 vehicles. Access is via dirt road, which we still managed to access in a BMW sedan (drive really slow and watch out for ditches). Amenities include 5 picnic tables, 1 double pedestal grill, 1 group fire ring and vault toilets (it wasn't too bad...even had toilet paper!). Drinking water is available (one spigot). I didn't know these types of campgrounds existed! Your group is the ONLY group on this campsite. Hence, these campgrounds book fast. They are pricier than your typical campgrounds at $120 a night. It is near Pineknot campgrounds, so we did see people occasionally exploring the forest. But, for the most part, we were pretty isolated. There was no sharing of the water spigots or vault toilets with any other group. We had a group of 20 people and it was perfect for us. Lots of places to set up a tent. Lots of shade...but I still recommend a canopy for during the day when hanging out near the campfire and picnic tables. I don't recall ever seeing the camp host. We had four dogs and they were pretty content on the site. There were mosquitoes, so bring your bug spray. There was no storage box for the food which seemed odd. But, we did try to store all the food at night in coolers, bags, or our cars. We had an open trash can which didn't even attract a furry critter during the night to our surprise. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here!

Recently came here with a large group for a few nights. Nice campground, reasonably clean. Large…read morefire pit. Only thing of note that happened: on our first morning at the site, a ranger stopped by to check up on us. He threatened us repeatedly, for several minutes, with a $10,000 fine because the fire pit was "half dry." Not hot or warm. Not unattended. Dry. With people in camp. We had poured gallons of water on it and stirred it repeatedly the night before. We turned our headlamps on and off to ensure that there were no remaining embers, and kept pouring water into the pit until it ran out of all four corners. I poked around the pit at 8am with my bare hands, hours before the inspection, and could find zero discernible hot spots. The ash was still thoroughly soaked at the time. Some of the ash apparently dried out before ~11 am, when he stopped by. Not at all surprising, given that the fire pit is on a slope. And we were threatened, at length, with a $10,000 fine. I still don't understand it. Hell, if we'd had a fire going when he showed up, it would have been "dry." Fires were permitted. Dry fire pits apparently weren't? Still confused. Forest fires are no joke, but the ranger here can be very unpleasant about it. If you plan to camp here, you need to go above and beyond the posted fire regulations to keep the ranger off your back. Soak the embers and pile ice onto the pit if you have it. That will keep the ash wet until late morning, when he makes his rounds. Other things to note: all but one or two tent sites were on a slope. The trash can mentioned in the 2014 review is gone: trash must be disposed of at dumpsters in the nearby Pine Knot campground. There are still no bear boxes, so food must be stored ~in vehicles. This seemed odd, since all of the individual sites at the Pine Knot campground had bear boxes. Everything else mentioned in that review (double pedestal grill, 5 tables, vault toilets) is still operational. No mosquitoes by September -- too cold.