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Vacation explorations can be the highlight of your year, especially for history buffs, as you can visit historical landmarks that teach you about moments you may never have heard about before. If you find yourself inwardly groaning at the thought of visiting yet ANOTHER museum, you can stop right now. These places to see in Big Bear for history lovers will not involve a single museum; sometimes the best places to learn are the spots where the history happened!
The first Gold Mine Camp was established in 1859, and today, you and your children can partake in this historic activity when you take them to Gold Rush Mining Adventures, located at 40016 Big Bear Boulevard. While the spot may not be exactly the same as those the early miners mined from, it still offers the same excitement they must have felt when striking that vein—without encountering the same dangers, of course!
You don’t often think of a trail as a historic sight, but this trail is a big part of our history and absolutely ranks amount historical places to see in Big Bear. This is where the miners made their living, fighting danger every day, but finding it worth it in the long run. These veins were rich and made their discoverers even richer. Each of the spots listed below can be found along the trail, with the mile markers noting the distance from the Big Bear Ranger Station.
This is where our town got its name and where the gold rush started for Big Bear. Named by the sheer number of grizzly bears that once roamed the valley, it was while hunting for a bear that he had wounded that Bill Holcomb first spotted flecks of gold along the trail.
Life in the early days of the Wild West often revolved around the saloons that could be found on any main street in any town, and anything that could happen there usually did—especially in Two Gun Bill’s Saloon. Back then, Two Gun Bill’s was where you could get a drink, play a game, catch up on the local gossip, and take your chances with the “soiled doves” that earned their living in the back rooms. Today, all that is left is some debris scattered about, but if you’re hiking the Gold Fever Trail and come across the spot that is located about 6 miles in, listen carefully and you may still be able to hear the sounds of history!
We’re leaving the gold rush part of Big Bear history and heading to an area that was loved by Hollywood enough to be showcased in many of the biggest movies of its time! After building a rustic mill on the banks of Cedar Lake, Hollywood would return again and again. Trail of the Lonesome Pine was the first to use the set, but as time passed, it could be seen in other movies as well! Even Elvis performed one of his trademark songs on the Mill in Kissing Cousins. The mill still stands today.
And our homes fit right in—with the addition of modern conveniences, of course! Designed to fit into the rugged beauty of our landscape, when you stay in a Big Bear Vacations escape, you’ll wonder why you ever chose to stay anywhere else. Contact us to reserve yours today and become a part of our future!
