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    Cougar Crest Trail

    4.5 (79 reviews)

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    Frank L.

    Great hiking spot with a gradual incline. I'd consider it a moderately difficult hike, but the high starting elevation can be challenging.

    View from above the PCT
    Mark H.

    A great hike with moderate elevation gain. It faces south so can be hot on a summer afternoon. I imagine that it would have less snow and ice than other hikes in the winter and spring. It took me 65 minutes to reach the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I liked using iNaturalist to identify plants on the hike. In summer, the Fremontodendron shrub offers spectacular yellow flowers.

    Ed T.

    Cougar Crest Trail is a 5.6 mile round trip that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. The best view of Big Bear Lake would be at the area with 3 benches. Walking further to complete the AllTrail's route was somewhat anticlimactic. Though you could hike further in to reach Bertha Peak. Limited parking spots. Trail was a steady incline to the top and mostly exposed to the sun. Short video of the hike: https://youtu.be/nBkKLX4vJF4

    Lena K.

    Such an awesome hike! I'm thoroughly impressed at what an scenic & spectacular views we had once we got to the point of Big Bear Lake. We ended up parking off Hwy 38 as the parking lot was full. There's not too many spots so on Memorial Day weekend, we figured it would be busy. We got there around 9:30am and we're back at the car a little after 2pm. We took a lot of breaks as & had many photo op's. My favorite pictures were from the random benches on the hike! I didn't realize how big/long the lake is until we were at the top. Wow!! You can see boats on the lake and unfortunately, seems the lake has less water or has receded. Darn drought. My favorite part, other than the views, was that at the end you intersect with the Pacific Crest Trail. How cool is that? It would've been great to see some PCT hikers. I feel like this hike was a nice workout too. Lots of rocks you are walking on & it's a gradual incline. I feel refreshed & happy to do this hike. Totally worth it if you're in Big Bear & have time for a 3-5 hour hike.

    View og Big bear lake from about 1 1/2 miles in
    Peter F.

    On my birthday went for a hike here with a friend, she actually showed me this trail. We went in a Sunday and it was practically empty, peaceful and full of fresh air. Ok when you get there as usual there is parking and porter Johns at the trailhead. And then it's off to the hills. There is an easy assent, which would make this friendly for all family members. There are plenty of spots to relax and pull your munchies and have a snack and enjoy the moment. Well we only went in a mile and a half. And had a great view of the lake. Oh and did I say we did run into a couple with two pretty huskies. They where ahead of us and actually we didn't catch up. Well to get to the point this is an easy trail fur a slow walk to enjoy the fresh air and magnificent trees. Ya might see a tree down, take a seat and look around.

    Sign near the crossroads where it intersects PCT
    Another C.

    A nice 3hr hike with a moderate incline all the way up then a moderate decline all the way down. Our group included a 38yo female, 47yo male, and 12yo girl. It was a bit hot. Definitely wear a hat and sunscreen. You're at high elevation so the sun will get you if you don't take preventative measures. Definitely bring plenty of water. Loved the view of Big Bear Lake!

    Beautiful view from top of trail
    Scarlett H.

    I'm tempted to give a 2-star rating but how dare I rate Mother Nature that low? But if you believe the description in the Discovery Center and think this is a moderate well-maintained 2-mile one way trail, you may be in for some surprise. The road condition is very ROCKY -- people with knee/ankle/hip issues might have a hard time. People with soft shoes will definitely suffer. We met a guy with light weight walking shoes and he seemed miserable. Very few signs along the way so unless you use GPS you won't know where you are in the trip. The views are very nice indeed. No questions. A key factor in the enjoyment of the hike is your physical condition. Be sure to take that into consideration when you read all the happy reviews as you don't know what their physical conditions were as compared to your own.

    Free sledding  you just have to walk your butt up the hill
    Crystal G.

    Good placed to go sledding. Super fun spot. Just walk your butt up that hill #YouCanDoIt #MerryChristmas #FreeSledding

    Arelly M.

    Great place to sled with the family. Walk about a 1 mile in and you'll find some pretty cool sledding areas.

    Doris W.

    We parked at the Discovery Center and walked to the Cougar Crest Trail head, which it said was about 0.6 miles away. Free parking at the Discovery Center until 5 pm. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. It's a pretty busy trail. There are a few good lookout spots and 3 benches scattered along the way. Coolest part of the hike, I thought, was it crosses paths with the Pacific Crest Trail. If you just go round trip on the Cougar Crest Trail I think it's about 4 miles. We kept on going up to Bertha Peak which is another 1.5 miles from the Cougar and PCT junction, total round trip was 7 miles. You go right on the PCT and then there's a sign pointing you towards Bertha Peak. There's nothing marking the top of Bertha Peak, and views are better along the Cougar Crest Trail...

    This is at the right, next to the start of the trail. (But don't go this way, the trail is to your left!)
    Liliana C.

    This trail was amazing!!!! We went around 2 pm on a Sunday and there wasn't too many people. Pick up a day pass at the discovery center to park in the parking lot assigned to the trail (only $5). It took us 3 hours round trip. It started sprinkling while we were hiking, it was awesome! Due to the rain, it smelled a lot like pine trees and flowers :) Take comfortable shoes, as it is a long hike. We will definitely be back! Seeing a deer at the end of our hike was definitely a highlight! :)

    Nicky N.

    You want FREE sledding fun???? This is the place to go. We opt out of playing 30 bucks for 2 hours of tubing. (Which literally saved us $240.) This place had bunny slope for kids, intermediate and semi advance slopes. You just have to be safe and go up thro the dirt path so that you have more levage/balancing going up. We spent the whole day here and had a blast. There's beautiful trees, lots of snow, beautiful scenery, fun slopes, benches to sit/admire mother earth, and hiking trails. This is a must hit up spot when you go to Big Bear. I'm so glad that we stopped at the snowboard store to ask the locals. You won't be disappointed. Free snow play and free parking. It's a WIN WIN SITUATION!

    Gizelle F.

    If you are looking to scale mountains or rummage through wilderness or nearly die, this is NOT the hike for you. Cougar Crest trail is a calm 4 mile roundtrip hike with gorgeous panoramic views that overlook Big Bear Lake. Easy for kids 10+, moderate for ages 6-9. So all you need is a little water bottle sunglasses and clothing pending the weather (gets cold in the shade!) The coolest thing is that this crosses the Pacific Crest Trail (going from Mexico to Canada), a pretty cool landmark! Dog friendly and people friendly, love this hike and would love to come back.

    April 1st, 2023

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Cougar Crest Trail

    Review Highlights - Cougar Crest Trail

    Just my personal opinion, I don't think you have to walk further up to Bertha Peak for "better" views.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Forest Bathing

    Forest Bathing

    5.0(1 review)
    2.7 km

    This was one of the most unique and incredible experiences…read more I found Selena on AirBnB Experiences and after reading the reviews knew I had to participate in Forest Bathing. We met at a public parking lot and she drove us in her SUV up into the mountains, to her secret spot in the forest. She provided lots of interesting, educational info along the 15 minute drive. Once we arrived, the experience started. She guided a moderate hike into the forest, showing us all of her favorite things. Fresh water brooks, waterfalls, unique, bold, and beautiful trees. The hike was fairly moderate, Indian Jones-esq at times, nothing too crazy, but not easy. As a plus size/not very active girl, I was able to do it. My 62 year old mom kept up fairly well too! Selena took lots of short breaks for us to catch our breath (elevation for flatlanders is rough!), gave us lots of educational info about what we were seeing, smelling, and hearing. She even provided us with a few edible plants along the way. The hike up to the fresh water source was truly spectacular. Once there we emptied our water bottles and filled them with the ice cold fresh water and guzzled it down. So crisp and clean and YUM! The hike back was just as refreshing. We then spent some time wind bathing, cutting chords, and energy healing, followed by 35 minutes of quiet time meandering the forest on our own. Afterwards we drank a fresh brewed tea Selena had made using ingredients she collected along our hike, and some healthy snacks and more fresh water, which she provided. It was 3 hours of really amazing, energizing, active, relaxing, healing Forest Bathing and for $40pp it was well worth it!

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    Forest Bathing
    Forest Bathing
    Forest Bathing - This book was suggested by the tour/hike guide, Selena - Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li

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    This book was suggested by the tour/hike guide, Selena - Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li

    Town Trail

    Town Trail

    4.8(4 reviews)
    3.3 km

    We have a place at Snow Summit that backs right up to the trail. It's a beautiful way you can start…read morethe day and go into town for breakfast. At 8am on a Saturday in July it was very quiet and gorgeous views, not too hot yet. I saw just a handful of hikers. I had been warned about the number of bikers whizzing by. On my way back at 10:30 there were indeed loads of bikers headed to snow summit. I have to say though, without exception, they all were gracious and said good morning and alerted me they were approaching. In turn I politely stepped to the side. It's all about sharing the road or trail and maybe go out early to avoid bikes. On another visit my husband and I took our French Mastiff for an evening walk and had him off leash. BAD idea! First of all evening is feeding time for lots of wildlife. Second, we didn't have him on leash. At one point we couldn't see him and called out. From around a bush comes our dog flanked by two female wolves three inches taller than him. We were able to coerce him away and get him on leash but it was a super scary situation. If he had been a small dog I'm not sure what would have happened.

    Easy access to this trail. We went from the end of Summit…read moreBlvd passing by the back of Snow Summit Townhouse Rentals. But from the other direction trailhead is at the junction of Forest Ranger Rd and 2N08 2.8 mile out and back. 300+ ft elevation. So little up/down hills. You can see Big Bear Lake at one point of the trail. Came during the fall after a small snowfall. Note: there may be some bikers on this trail as it converges with the bottom of a mountain biking only path.

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    Town Trail
    Town Trail - Groomed trails with stepping blocks over water areas.

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    Groomed trails with stepping blocks over water areas.

    Cougar Crest Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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