This is a wonderful little arboretum with free admission just north of Skypark along Highway 18…read more Be aware, however, that parking in the designated lot adjacent to the highway does require the purchase of an Adventure Pass (a mere $5/day), but the booth only appears to be open for select weekend hours. This may necessitate a visit to a nearby ranger station or business for pass purchase - and not as many local businesses carry these passes as once did. Coming from Lake Arrowhead (where the Visitor Center was closed), we tried the Lake Arrowhead 7-11 and Cedar Glen Trading Post before finding passes available at Cedar Glen Fine Foods. The trail itself is well marked, mostly shaded, and a little less than a mile in length. It's also circular in design, so you don't need to backtrack with the same scenery coming and going. A brochure on the local vegetation and points of interest is available at the trailhead, as well as public restrooms. Many trees and plants along the trail are also identified by placards. Being a dirt path, the terrain is comparatively flat, and numerous benches have been placed along the route for rest or contemplation. There are only a few spots with noticeable increases (or drops) in elevation, so it's perfect for young children, older folks, or leashed pets. Even on a Thursday around 1:00 pm we encountered other visitors along the trail, several walking dogs. Another nice touch is the walking path in front of the arboretum entrance where the meandering cement walkway between information kiosks is stamped with the prints of local wildlife species ranging from our little feathered friends to the big furries you'd not want to encounter on a forest walk. This is a great place for a quick stroll for all ages, and it showcases the diversity of the San Bernardino mountains. If you've passed it by on the way up to Big Bear via Highway 18, pull over for a quick "leg-stretcher" and check it out.

Lovely, easy hike with info on the trees! Friendly people at the both, as well as on the hike.read more

Crest park is nestled in San Bernardino mountains, located near big bear. It is a small park with a…read morefew parking spaces. However, it is such a lovely park to visit as for a picnic nature is surrounded all around. Often times when you visit you could be the other visitor at the time visiting almost like the whole area to yourself. Certain times of the year there could be snow and everything looks even more magical covered in snow. There are restrooms and every time I have visited it was as clean as clean gets. Don't miss the chance to stop here when I'm the area as the views are quite lovely. A recreation/local adventure pass is required. Adventure on! "Adventure is not outside people; it is within!"

Small picnic area on Highway 18, we had to burn some time before check in time and this was an OK…read morepublic area to pull over and see some snow during the off season. The picnic area itself is on the sunny area of the mountain, and the snow melts faster on this side. There are 4-5 picnic tables with benches underneath some trees near the parking lot. It's right on the edge of a mountain with no gates or paved trails so you can wander off and truly feel like you are in the wild. Because we went in February if you want snow action head across the street. There is a large area here with trees and leftover snow, there are flat areas and a small river for kids to make snowballs and play in. Spread throughout are also small hills good for short sledding with the benefit of not having to trek far back uphill over and over.

Great short hike, about 2 miles round trip, easy to moderate trail, beautiful trees, serene views,…read morepeaceful, and not busy. Stayed at an Airbnb close by and my kids wanted to explore the outdoors. Found this trail and it was prefect for what we were looking for. My 8 year olds enjoyed the view from the top, saw squirrels and birds, and only got tired towards the end. There is a dirt path and signs posted making it easy to follow. There were lots of trees providing shade and a cool feel. There were a few areas (stumps/down trees/rocks) to sit and rest at and some inclines, but nothing too strenuous or steep. It was very quiet and peaceful, and it felt like we were the only ones out there. Although we ran into 3 couples during our hike, we had the trail pretty much to ourselves. There is limited parking, but we were able to park along the curb and didn't have an issue. Worth checking out if you're in the area.

We came here on a Saturday and it wasn't very busy. The temperature was roughly 70 degrees, perfect…read morefor a hike. When we arrived, there was limited parking and no restrooms from when I seen so be sure to handle your business before you come. We weren't exactly sure where the trail began so we walked up the steep paved road and took a right at the top of the road and began the hike. This trail is full of incline areas so if you are expecting a nice stroll around the woods, you'll be sadly mistaken. I'd say this hike is closer to medium difficulty but it's a great time and very rewarding once you reach the top. Sadly you only get a "peek a boo" view of the lake due to the trees being in the way but hey that's nature for ya! This trail took a little over an hour for myself and my wife to complete and that's with peaks and taking in the scenery. I highly recommend this trail, the views, fresh air etc. is amazing!

I grew up in San Diego and I've lived in LA for many years and a year after year I keep telling…read moremyself that I have to check this place out. For this most recent long three-day weekend in Lake Arrowhead we decided to finally give this place a try. We are two adults in our 30s with no kids. It is important to note that because honestly, this place is for children 10 and under. It is not for teens or adults. It is honestly pretty underwhelming if you are an adult, but it can be quite charming if you are a child. It is also $55 per person and $15 for parking which is a bit expensive, but I understand the inflated price due to the location and having to staff it. One thing about this place that is nice is they don't have a bunch of add-ons once you get inside, so you really do just pay one price unless you decide to get food as well. The other part of this park is specifically designed for people into mountain biking. They have six different trails ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult and about half of the visitors seemed to be doing that which we would go back specifically for. The activities for adults are pretty limited, so the main ones that we did were the bike in the air that goes around the rim of the property. This is the ride that you see in all the marketing and is the most popular. It was probably the most fun we had but it was honestly a bit scary once you get to the steepest point. It's about 50 feet above the ground so it would be quite a fall down. After that, we tried some archery and ax throwing which was surprisingly fun. After that, there was honestly nothing else that we could really do given our age and size so we headed out after that. This would be a great place to visit during December with children 10 and under because they do have Santa Claus and people in costumes and what not and each of the buildings is alpine themed and is very quaint. They also have a very large area that serves as a wedding location so I'm sure that is also another part of this place. There is a large free parking lot attached in front with EV charging available as well.

We've been here 4-5 times and it was time for a review. Ticket prices are high, but I thought it…read morewas OK for 1x a year trip or once every 2 years. We've been here during the fall and winter and I would recommend coming for the winter decorations. The crowd varies during the year, when we came during the fall weekday, it was empty and there was no wait for any of the activities. We came last week (3 days before Christmas) and we had to wait for each activity. It wasn't bad, but it did make the day longer. If you plan to eat, I would eat earlier because in the afternoon lunch our food took about 1hr. The highlight of the trip for my kid is santa and I'm glad we did that first to get a reservations. We did the mountain bike part earlier in the fall and that was nice if your kid is into it. We rented all the gear and opted for the tour guide to help us get use to it.

I was recently camping in Crestline and I like to come down to Lake Gregory. This time I decided to…read moreget out on the water and the first available rental was the Swan boat that you pedal on the lake. It was very easy to rent and the team there is very friendly and helpful. It was $45 for one hour which was perfect. We felt safe and really enjoyed the boat, and the lake and all the views that came with it. I don't know why I didn't try this sooner since I've been coming up here a few years already. I will definitely make this a tradition every time I come up.

We rented paddle boards for two hours on the lake. The staff was helpful and informative, they even…read moregave us a place to put our belongings that weren't going out onto the lake with us. The weather was slightly cool and it was a little bit windy that day, but we still had a great time!

First review for Tavern Bay Beach Club though we've been coming here for 15 years. This is as well…read moreas Burnt Mill, a private beach so you must show your Lake Arrowhead Association card to get in. Between Burnt Mill and Tavern Bay, Tavern Bay I believe is more child friendly. They've always had a better playground and even better now since they renovated a couple of years ago. Better food consesseion (a must with kids) a larger beach (not so much this year) and a larger swim area. They have a large covered picnic area as well if you want to stay clear of the sun. If you want to paddle board, Tavern Bay is second to Burnt Mill. You cannot use your board in the swim area and where your able to paddle board, the water is typically choppy from the boats so this is where Burnt Mill wins out which has a larger no wake zone and a easy paddle to Lone Pine Island. Tavern Bay also has a large overflow parking lot which is great on a busy weekend.

Spotlessly clean, decent amount of parking, playground, snack bar and plenty of chase lounges at…read moreyour disposal. That's all good and well but the two real highlights are: 1. Looking across the water to the teeny, tiny swimming area buoyed off for UCLA as compared to what you have; makes you feel real fancy. 2. As long as its not glass, they let you pass. Feel like getting nice and buzzed up at 9:00AM then going for a dip to feel fresh water kelp comb between your toes? The world is your oyster my friend (BYOB).

Came across this beach Club while we were on our way from a OHV lane, it's for members only which I…read moredidn't know but I needed to use a restroom so I was focused on that. We saw the sunset and got our feet in the water -it was surprisingly warm!! People were so welcoming I had no issues with anyone and the facility was very clean. There's a playground with swings and slides and a campo rental among some boat docks. I posted pictures.

Burnt Mill is a private beach, part of Lake Arrowhead Association. Lake Arrowhead is a private…read morelake, the only way to join the association is to own property in Lake Arrowhead. With all that said, Burnt Mill is a quit little family beach. There's another beach on the other side of the lake; Tavern Bay which is larger but Burnt Mill is better for launching paddle boards and kayaks.

Baylis Park is small and just right off highway 18. You must, I repeat you must, everyone must have…read morean adventure pass presented in vehicle to park here. The parking lot is also very small. They have restrooms, picnic tables, and bear proof rubbish cans. There were loads of rocks and naked trees as the leaves had fallen off. It was also quite windy on the day I arrived. I thought it would be nice to snap a few photos of the city with the high elevation. It's also great for kids and also if you have pets. I'm glad I stopped by as it was really nice to soak up some sun (ooh girls just wanna have sun? Lol) and appreciate all the beauty surrounding me. I had my tripod with me as per usual. It's a nice place to have a picnic, stretch your legs, and take a breather! "Change your expectations for appreciations and the world changes instantly!" -Tony Robbins

A small little park on the rim drive…read more You are able to picnic and barbecue with a permit. We stopped by to enjoy the magnificent view. It was breathtaking.