Day Three

Get ready for a stellar mountain adventure. Today is the day you fully experience the mystique of the mountain. Book an appointment with Big Bear Off-Road Adventures and embellish the opportunity to cruise through the rugged mountain terrain in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Your guide even offers door-to-door service.

How to Prepare
Grab some grub, the camera and that snazzy adventure cap you bought just for the trip and see the sights. The great part about a chartered tour is that you can venture off the usual trails and see some incredible sights that you can't see on your own. Of course, if you want to drive out on your own, you'll have to stay on the blazed trails, and get an Adventure Pass from the Big Bear Discovery Center. The information booth also offers serene points of interest and sights along the way.

Clark's Summit
Highly suggested on your chartered tour is the path to Clark's Summit. This route showcases fascinating granite rock creations, soaring conifer trees and cabins from the early 20th century. There's a chance you'll see a few black bears, but don't keep your hopes up for spotting a grizzly because they were wiped out in 1906. The grizzly now represents a mere slice of Big Bear's history. It's nearly impossible to pass through town without spotting a grizzly replica somewhere along the way.

Atop Clark's Summit, which happens to be the highest peak in Southern California, you'll see a brilliantly diverse landscape carved over millions of years, as the Santa Ana River meanders through the valley.

Moonridge Animal Park - Big Bear Zoo
After your off-road excursion, grab a bite to eat at the Southwest Station. Then check out the Moonridge Animal Park. Many of the animals here have been taken in for injuries, or have been orphaned in the wild. This unique focus has saved the lives of hundreds of animals over the years because these creatures have no chance of existing in the wild. The Moonridge Zoo is their true sanctuary.

Dinner & a Movie
For dinner, sample the delectable Italian cuisine at Paoli's, or try some steak and seafood at the Captain's Anchorage. Top off your evening with a flick at the Village Theatre, or call it a night. You've had an action-packed three days.

Hopefully now, after your three splendid days in Big Bear, you feel refreshed because there are still places in the world away from the hustle and bustle, where you can enjoy an activity-rich getaway.