Big Bear Recreation Facility

Currently closed and gated off, supposedly for renovations but I couldn't get any information on when they will reopen. No one was actually there working and every phone number I tried to call was no longer in service. (Editor's Note: Big Bear Recreation Facility will re-open on April 1st, 2024. Online reservations will be accepted starting February 1st, 2024.)

Very disappointed! Location is the best but cost increases have exceeded value. Dramatic increase of prices ($159/$119)in early 2015 has caused a cost exceedance over value for these cabins. Located inside Big Bear, the cabins are overpriced for the area, the amenities are lacking for the cost and the cabins are in desparate need of updating. Cleanliness is also issue as our cabin had bird feces running down the back door. Services have dropped (no trash or linen service) and are not consistent with current 4-5 star accomodation pricing. Office is routinely closed during operating hours to accomodate personnel to PT. These cabins are simply no longer worth the cost - recommend leadership remove current management and re-evaluate pricing and/or renovate facilities. These cabins have awesome potential that is being ignored by management and are simply just no longer worth the price. My family will be going out in town next time.

We were in Big Bear visiting friends and "thought" we had a place to spend the night. Well, that didn't work out. Since I was going to visit the USMC Big Bear Recreation Facility anyway, I decided to see if they had a cabin available for the night. They did and it was less expensive than a hotel room ($100 for Sunday night). The location has much going for it, especially for getting away for some recreation. TONS of recreation activities available. The office staff were very friendly and helpful. Since I didn't have a reservation when I arrived, they called the reservation number for me to make a reservation for that night and pay over the phone. Then I checked in and we got a real nice cabin. The cabin was well equipped and would sleep 6 people. The cabin was in pretty good condition and was clean. The RV sites are small, but adequate for a small trailer or pop-up. We didn't have the combination to the restrooms near the camp sites, so I didn't check on them. Overall, we liked this place.

Went back with my RV this time. Not much has changed. Still a beautiful place to stay. RV sites are great. In my last review I stated that the "restrooms were the cleanest I've ever seen" well now this time it was the opposite. The lock was busted and held together with duct tape, soap dispenser was missing it's cover and was empty. It was all around dirty inside when I got there and was not serviced once the time I was there. Other than that, all is great. The staff is friendly and very helpful (except for not liking latrine duty).

This is a real hidden gem. Location: The only detractor is the dirt road to reach the park, some rough areas for a motorhome. Clean/Hosp: Site was clean as was campground, even with near 50 tent campers (the dumpster did overflow). Staff helped get backed in. Amn/Fac: RV sites require backing in and this can require a bit of maneuvering. Lots to do for adults and kids (tennis, basketball, horseshoes, hiking and biking as well as close to town. Value: A great deal considering the cost of staying in a resort town.

My husband, daughter and I stayed at the RV park in Big Bear. The 5 RV lots are AMAZING, the only thing is many of the fire pits are a good 50-70 feet from the RV. This can make shuttling food back and forth a bother. Also, the sites do not have a dump, you will have to take your RV to the dump site on your way out/in. This was a bit of a bother for us b/c we have a POP up RV (so we have to POP it up in order to dump). Overall the staff was VERY friendly and helpful. I did not think the bathrooms were all that clean (and they are cold) but clean enough.

One of the best RV campsites I’ve been to in Southern California, that is, if you like the ambiance of being in the mountain forest yet, in walking distance (1 mile) to the local stores and ½ mile to Snow Summit if you enjoy winter sports. This campground offers the best bang for the buck in the area for RV camping with hookups. The site was quiet with plenty of room for my great nephews to run around without treading through someone else’s campsite. We were the only RV in the campsite, the rest of the RV sites were full with tent campers, yet the tent campsites were empty except for one tent camper. There is a very nice playground for the kids, as well as, sand volleyball, tennis and basketball courts. The 1 mile USMC hiking trail was a real treat with a 1,240 foot elevation gain in the first tenth of a mile and a max elevation gain of 1,448 feet in the first half mile (from 5,952 feet to 7,400 feet) according to my Garmin GPS. Even the two 4 year olds made the hike without any problems or complaints. They really had a blast hiking in the forest. A short 5 minute drive to the other side of the lake and you can enjoy Big Bear Discovery Center; take the nature walk while you are there. For you Big Rig RV’ers, the site we had (#3) could accommodate a 38 foot rig easily. The hookups are at the very front of the site. They only have 30 amp electric hookups. There is no sewer hookup but they do have an easily accessible dump station. By the way, they do have the cleanest bathrooms and showers I have ever seen in a public campground.

We were disappointed after making reservations and upon arrival and after checking in discovered that pets are not allowed in the campground. The facility is very nice and we enjoyed our stay even though the party in the next campsite became a little noisy after midnight. Directions could have been a little more clearer after the turn off on Paine Rd., such as to how many miles to the turn-off to Moonridge Road. All in all, a great family campground.

Took my family to this facility (pictured) and stayed in the same cabin pictured on top. There's only one cabin with a deck, the rest are on a flat surface. All the cabins are A-frame with a bedroom, kitchen, dining table, family room and loft on top. For those of you who don't like bugs, remember your in the forest and your going to see a lot of strange creatures in the cabin. They're small and they manage to get in. There is no cleaning service so the cabins are only as clean as the last occupants leave them. The grounds still has all the amenities outside, tennis, horseshoes, volleyball, playground for kids and hiking trail (minus the bear, at least on this trip). Inside the rec room there is a pool table and lot's of games and movies you can check out for free. It is quiet and spacious not far from the lake. I definitely enjoyed my stay, next time I'll bring my RV. The RV site are very nice and maintained, with water and electric hook-ups. The dump station is near the restrooms. I must say the restrooms were the cleanest I've ever seen. The host are active duty Marines who are stationed there for 6 months at a time. The two there were very helpful. The office is open until 2200 hours. Check-in is 1400hrs and check-out is between 0900-1100 hrs.

My wife and I found out about this facility a few years ago when we used to store our VW EuroVan at Miramar. It is a charming "North woods" feeling place right near the charming town of Big Bear. It has tennis, horseshoes, volleyball, pool table, and great fire pits. It is quiet and spacious. We stayed there in our VW twice, then this past visit we camped, as we sold our van when we were stationed in Hawaii. It was great as usual, except for the shower room which is always a little dirty, and cold. Our only problem was our close encounter with a HUGE bear. He slapped our tent at 2 am looking for food. It was the most scared we have ever been. I recommend the place, but only in a safe camper.

In the 1980's we drove to Big Bear Recreation Facility in a small Dodge pickup with camper shell. We spent two nights sleeping in the back of our pickup while enjoying the Big Bear area. I am sure the campground is very different by now. 7000 ft. elevation. Driving advice from www.mountaindriver.com: The Front Grade - 1. The most popular route is Highway 330 from Highland to Running Springs, which turns into Highway 18 from Running Springs to Big Bear. This is the shortest route to Big Bear from the greater L.A. basin, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Orange County. This route is winding with some very tight and narrow sections. The Scenic Route - 2. The most scenic route is Highway 38 from Redlands. It is longer, adding about 10 to 15 minutes to the average drive time, but the road is easier to drive and usually has little traffic. This drive will enable you to see areas of the Grogorino Wilderness Mountain Area, just look out for wild animals that frequent this route. The Desert Route - 3. The third route is from Victorville to Big Bear. This route has the least amount of mountain driving, beware because it is very steep (up to 16%) and twisty. This may be the easiest drive overall, especially during the winter months when snowy conditions exist, but it is not easy if you are driving an RV or towing a trailer. This is the shortest route from Las Vegas and the high desert, but the longest from all other areas.