When you’re looking for a place to relax, unwind, and enjoy a getaway experience at your own leisurely pace, Big Bear is the perfect place to set your adventurous sights. As scenic as it is endlessly welcoming, Big Bear has something for everyone to enjoy whether you’re looking to shop and dine your way through a stay, or you can’t get enough of time out in nature. When you’re headed this way on a solo journey, as a couple or with family and friends at your side, you’ll enjoy opportunities to connect with incredible wildlife as well when you add a stop at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo to your itinerary. The Big Bear Zoo is an inspiring destination that everyone in your traveling crew is sure to love and will inevitably learn a lot along the way as well!
A Zoo with a Cause
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is located at 42801 Moonridge Road in Big Bear Lake and is open to the public daily from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. While the Big Bear Zoo hosts a permanent collection of fascinating animal species, it also functions as a rehabilitation facility for orphaned, injured, or imprinted wildlife. The zoo and rehabilitation center has been helping wild animals find a safe haven since opening in 1959 and today, continues to work hard to help wildlife heal from injuries and ideally return to the wild when possible. Wildlife that are brought in for rehabilitation that can’t be returned to the wild stay on at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo to become spectacular ambassadors for their species. Those who visit the zoo can interact with these amazing creatures and foster an appreciation for wildlife and hopefully, a willingness to contribute to their conservation going forward.
What to Expect During a Visit
When Big Bear travelers make their way to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, it’s a chance to set your sights and even get up close to some of the world’s most fascinating creatures! The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is home to everything from bald eagles and arctic foxes to African pygmy hedgehogs and American crows. Bird enthusiasts will enjoy taking time to observe the American Kestrels and Sparrow Hawks on-site while time admiring the American white pelicans is always inspiring too. A visit here offers up the opportunity to see black bears roam around and see how bearded dragons thrive in a protected environment. The zoo also houses coyotes and Canadian geese as well as fallow deer, flying squirrels, and fox squirrels alike. Visitors can observe glossy snakes and box turtles alongside bobcats, golden eagles, gopher snakes, and the grey fox. If you’re hoping to see grizzly bears and king snakes as well as leopard geckos and great horned owls, you’re bound to be pleased! Guests won’t want to miss out on observing the gray wolf here as well as taking time to enjoy views of raccoons, ravens, mule deer, mallards, and more. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo additionally hosts a San Joaquin Kit Fox, snowy owls, snow leopards, sandhill cranes, skunks, opossums, vultures, and Western burrowing owls.
Planning Your Trip to the Zoo
While every trip to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo is bound to be one-of-a-kind, the team here has designed entrance options for visitors of all types so they can make the most of their experience. Individual entry tickets can be purchased at $16 for adults ages 13 to 59 and $11 for children 3 to 12. Those visiting who happen to be 2 or under can enjoy the Big Bear Alpine Zoo at no cost. There are discounts available for military members and senior visitors 60 years of age and up. Free parking at the zoo makes for a convenient visit no matter when you arrive and Visa and Mastercard are readily accepted on-site. Group tours can be scheduled in advance and discounts are available for those visiting in a group of 10 or more at a time. Be sure to check out the daily calendar upon arrival so you and your visiting crew can enjoy observing behavioral enrichment programs and sessions across the Big Bear Alpine Zoo at varying enclosures and exhibits.
Book Your Big Bear Adventure Today
No matter when your travel plans bring you to Big Bear, how long you plan to stay, or how many fellow travelers you’re excited to be adventuring alongside, the team at Big Bear Vacations has the luxurious, comfortable, and conveniently located vacation rental accommodations you need! Top off your stay in style when you book with us and let our team handle the details while you focus exclusively on the Big Bear fun ahead. Our property options are vast and varied giving you the choices you deserve when planning a one-of-a-kind adventure. Reach out today to learn more and to get started. We look forward to seeing you in sunny California soon!
