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

See all

We camped here for the Toyo Tires event and it was pretty chill. You can find an empty spot and park 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. read more

Super cool trial ! Perfect for a light to medium trail . I have a 2 inch lift kit and oversized 37x12.50r17 tires inch on my truck . I had a blast . Came in January. The trail was open . The trials were long.! You could easily spend 2 hours going through one way !!! Amazing mountain peak views with forest . Definitely secluded! I'll be back ! read more

Holcomb Valley - Long cool trials ! - Hiking Near Me - Big Bear, California

My boyfriend and I decided to take an impromptu camping trip this weekend up to big bear lake and stayed at Holcomb Valley Campground. All of the other campgrounds were booked up for the weekend so we took a risk getting a spot early on Saturday morning. The road recommended by our GPS, Polique, was pretty rough to drive up (even in my Ford Escape) - very bumpy and all dirt/gravel. After arriving we had learned a better road up just opened, 3N09, which was also dirt and gravel but much smoother. We arrived around 9am and there were plenty of sites available (we got lucky because we are in between camping seasons). Ron, the host, and his beautiful German Shepard, Dutch greeted us as we drove in the campsite. He recommended a great spot that gets morning sun, which would be much needed after a chilly night. I've included some pictures of our site. Ron recommended a great hike that started at the campground and led to the pinnacles (boulders nearby). My boyfriend and I had a great time climbing and exploring around the boulders. We also encountered part of the gold mining tour sites (typically an auto tour). We gathered our own firewood from the areas around the campground as recommended by the host. The campground is a hidden gem and definitely off the beaten path. The sites were mostly full by evening. We were close to others but far enough away to have our own space with very respectful neighbors. There is no running water and there are vault toilets. The toilets smelled slightly from the outside but once in they weren't too bad (got slightly worse over the weekend but were cleaned often and had strong air freshener in each). We will definitely be back within the next month or so to explore some other hikes around the area and to camp here again. read more

See all

Holcomb Valley in Big Bear was a blast. We camped out by Pinnacle Rocks in a Roof Top Tent (RTT) with a group off off-roaders. We set up close to the entrance to where most climbers and hikers enter to climb or hike. We setup base camp there and it the trails for some off-road adventures. There are no public restrooms or amenities here so be sure you bring what you need and leave the area better than you found it. There are plenty of off-road trails around Holcomb Valley and the kids and I had a blast exploring various trails with a off-road group. This is a place that you can get lost in so be mindful of where you are going. I wouldn't want to traverse this place at night unless you have been here before. There are several mine claims that are protected by federal laws that you cannot camp in. Be sure to pay attention to signs and you'll be fine. We'll definitely be back to explore more of the trails we couldn't fit in the time we were there. read more

Hello Everybody!!! I stayed the weekend here with my husband and 2 sons. We went tent camping lol... not in a trailer. This place looks to be very well kept. Ok, the restrooms, people need to stop throwing pieces of tissue on the floor lol... but all and all we had a great time and and I did not see any trash anywhere but in the trash bins! Bring water to put out your own fire unless you see someone else's out of control lol.. then by all means. Great place to stay . Oh P.S the ride up the mountain is a bit bumpy and long. Take anti nausea meds if you get motion sickness read more

Self-guided auto tour Gold fever trail. Dirt , rough road, through the history of gold rush in the surrounding mountains and valleys of Big Bear. read more

See all

This review begins back in the late 70s/early 80s, when zippers were on everything, pastel was manly, feathered hair was the rage, and Star Wars ruled all. And with this, I was introduced to my first outdoor camping experience: Holcomb Valley....and it's stuck with me ever since. Above the smog of LA & San Bernardino County are the San Bernardino Mountains. In southern California, one can dip a toe in the Pacific Ocean, drive 90mins, escape the smog, and be in an alpine forest 7,000ft up. There are several mountain towns to visit, and Big Bear is the biggest one. For family weekend trips, my father and sometimes my grandfather would take my brother and I on adventures in the forest beyond Big Bear. Once in Big Bear, head north from the lake (there are a couple of roads to get you there). The roads aren't for the faint of heart. They become dirt washboard adventures fast. Be sure to locate Holcomb Valley on your GPS and follow all signs pointing to Holcomb Valley. When I was a kid, it seemed to take forever to get there. And when we were there, it felt like we were in a completely different world, it felt like we were in the wild. Holcomb Valley is notable because this valley at one point was all the rage during the Gold Rush times of the 1800s. But now there are just a few skeletal remains of buildings, and alot of nice country. There is campground here, and there are plenty of trails hike. The map also says there are some nice places to go rock climbing. Additionally, any remnants from the gold rush days are now preserved and have signs explaining their history. I remember being in a kid's heaven playing in the lush meadows, climbing rocks, spotting tadpoles, and toasting marshmallows. Nowadays this place is still a playground of sorts for hikers, mountain bikers, and lovers of nature. read more

Holcomb Valley - Hiking Near Me - Big Bear, California

See all

I really enjoyed staying at this camp site for one night. The dirt road to the actual site is pretty bumpy but it's worth it to get to the isolated camp site. The camp host was really friendly, sold us firewood for $8 a bundle. We enjoyed how close the hiking trails were, and the bathrooms were very well kept. Loved how each spot had a table/bench and a firepit, and there was enough room between each spot to make it feel more private. We saw the prettiest sunset as the sun went down and it was the perfect place to be. Overall I'd stay here again! read more

I have been here twice, both times driving in my SUV up the rock and dirt road. It was pretty bumpy. One can also hike up to Holcomb, and many do. The camp ground is often full in peak season, which means hundreds of campers. Make a reservation with the state park service, It is a real destination... whether hiking up to it or driving and then hiking once you are up there. It is many miles long. Holcomb Valley was a gold mining town. In fact, it had a huge payload which caused a rush into Holcomb which pumped the population into the thousands in months. A huge town was erected, and people started flocking in. There was a Chinatown, a Red Light District, and a huge population... in a flash." But the gold didn't last long, and in a couple of years the place was spent. Everyone abandoned it as quickly as they came. So what is left is a ghost town. Unfortunately there is not actually much left. And what is there is miles apart. The old bar is good. And the one surviving hut. But for the most part, the few things that are still there are enough for imagination to see this odd gold mining town in one's mind, as it was 100 years ago. read more

Beautiful, simply beautiful. There is more to Big Bear than skiing and snowboarding! Just on the north side of the lake is the gorgeous Holcomb Valley, full of great hiking trails and camping spots. I convinced my friend to go for at least a short walk after a long day of snowboarding, and we were lucky enough to find a great hiking trail that actually joined up as part of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Our short hike took us to a fantastic view of Big Bear Lake and Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. If you have the time, it's worth it to take a little detour from all the snow sports and get out and see a quieter side of Big Bear. Along with hiking trails, there are lots of backroads you can take for scenic drives, and plenty of mountain biking paths as well. Don't miss out on this lovely area if you can help it! read more

I am a climber, so this is a review of the Pinnacles Area for rock climbing. Overall, this is one of my favorite sport climbing areas in So Cal. The setting is great, away from the urban sprawl and high enough to really feel like you are in an alpine setting. There are lots of sport routes set up (with a few trad routes as well), so it is easy to find something in your range (unless you are Adam Ondra). The routes are all single pitch with anchors up top. There is very primitive camping in the area, and there are jeep trails you can take to get you closer to the crag, but the climber's parking lot and trail are pretty easy. read more

It's always a double-edged sword to let people know about secret places you love, but I have to share this gem of a campsite - the future of our national parks depends on people finding places they love as much as I loved this place, so here goes nothing. I stayed here for 5 nights this past week with friends and loved it. It was just after the Labor Day rush, so it was quieter than it would have been at other times, but it truly is a beautiful spot - not very RV friendly, except for Ron the camp host's, and he was awesome, so no complaints there (loved his dog Dutch too!). Great hiking, clean toilet, respectful neighbors, and only 3 hours (including traffic) outside of LA. There's no water or electricity, which is a good thing as it cuts down on crowds. Warning - no AT&T cell service, but apparently Verizon works. Great place to unplug. Highly recommend. read more

First off, Yelp doesn't have enough stars for this review. This is an amazing camp site and the host Ron and his good looking German Shepard, Dutch, are the best camp hosts in the world! I've been to Holcomb many times and each time is better than the last. It's a great camping spot off the beaten path and has very nice group sites. The fire pits are large, the bathrooms are well maintained, and the pine trees are a relaxing sight to see early in the morning. This camp ground is great if you camp via hammock, too! I normally come here to trail blaze the OHV trails with my Jeep and Holcomb Valley is a great site to plant your base camp. The surrounding area is an OHV playground! Trails difficulty can range from easy to very difficulty so make sure you pick your battles before venturing out! All in all, I would highly recommend this camp site to anyone whether you want to do a little wheelin or just want to relax. read more

Great place to camp for those who love and appreciate the quiet and beauty of the wilderness. Unfortunately, last nights experience was a group of disrespectful Military. Pathetic wastes of life. Arrived after 10 loud, obnoxious with no respect for others. We would have stayed an additional night had they not showed up. Nothing that the camp host can't handle though. Didn't catch his name but full of knowledge and very friendly. His dog, Buddy, is very friendly too. He's there through November so if your looking for a quick camp trip, this is the place. Camp fires are allowed-attended only-with a grill to cook on. Bathrooms are pits but kept clean. We will definitely go again. read more

Love this place, camp host Oscar was very informative, kind and was a wealth of information on the area's history. Did not spend the night but, will come the spring. There is vault toilet and no water....so, what you pack in is what you will pack out. Real camping done here. Has 19 back in only spots, with level enough places for a tent or a trailer in the spot. Great place to camp with Big Bear being only 4 miles away....can't wait to get out there next spring. read more

Absolutely beautiful location and worth the drive. We took our 20' travel trailer up here and it took us about 45 minutes . Be forewarned the dirt and gravel road is rough with a trailer, but I wouldn't let it deter you from coming up here. The camp was in between hosts so we can't attest to that but the ranger driving around was incredibly nice and helpful! Camp was generally quiet. We are definitely coming back once we get an off road suspension on our travel trailer! read more

So there's a main trail that leads you to the campsite. The official address that's given on the website leads you to a street that's a dead end, so advice, TURN LEFT RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT STEEET THAT GPS TELLS YOU. Once you're driving on white gravel, then you're headed in the right direction. Go early before 12 cuz its first come first serve. Overall decent campsite spacious and friendly and respectful people were there. They have pits so bring some firewood and lighter fluid and a combination lock for their "Bear-Safe". :) read more

I have been camping off and on at the Holcomb Valley campground for over 40 years...I just spent the better half of a two week stay there, The campground is well managed .The toilets were clean and the trash around the campground nonexistent..I met the caretaker there or camp host .His name was Rob or Ron something like that .He had a wonderful demeanor and was very friendly and helpful .The campground itself looked well run and cared for.It was quiet and peaceful.I wish they had water there and I thought that 20 bucks per night was a little steep considering it was dry camping ,but that aside you really couldn't ask for a nicer place surrounded by lovely scenery and Old West history. Holcomb Valley campground is by far my favorite campground in Southern California..I am glad it hasn't changed there it is just the way I remember it back in 1973. read more

This is a great campground, it's very close to the PCT for trail runs (as well as climbing Bertha peak), as well as the pinnacles for sport climbing. The camp host does a great job of keeping the area clean and the bathrooms well stocked. He's also really understanding about extra cars and etc and has helped us shuffle things around to accommodate our group before. great place, will definitely keep going back. read more

Awesome spot. Camp manager Kevin and his dog Buddy rule. Fun dirt road you have to drive up to get to this no reservation camp site.

This place was beautiful! I took a rock climbing course this semester and we had the opportunity to take a field trip here and camp for the weekends. This was my FIRST camping trip ever and I was glad that it was here. This place is popular for those who likes to rock climb and I can see why. From the campground going on foot it does not take that long to get to the rock-climbing destination. There are rocks for every level climbers but as always be cautious!! If you don't like to rock climbing there are plenty of trails for just hiking. The view are so pretty especially when the sun are setting. Just a little note the dirt road to get up here are bump so I would suggest you take an SUV or truck. We got up there just fine with our Honda accord but one of our tires were a little low on air by the time we got up there. Also, campfire right now is prohibit due to precaution of forest fire. I was a little nervous about the bathroom situation but to be honest the out house were pretty clean, well as clean as an out house can look. Overall, I look forward to coming back here with my friends for some fun out in nature. read more

This past weekend was our second time camping at Holcomb Valley campground - we were last there over Memorial Day earlier this year. Everything about our experience was great: it was well signposted, the bathrooms are probably the best maintained campground bathrooms I have ever seen, it is in a perfect location to access the climbing routes, it is quiet and peaceful and best of all, the host Ron is there for you if you need him but he won't micromanage or interfere with your weekend at all. We had some car trouble as we were leaving and Ron was there to help lending us his generator and battery charger and tire pump. We arrived around noon on Friday morning both visits and secured a spot no problem. There is ample parking nearby for additional vehicles. We will definitely be back! read more