There’s more ways than ever to spend family time in Big Bear Lake than ever before! No matter how young, or how old children are, there’s enough family-friendly fun to keep everyone coming back for more. Enjoy year-round thrill-seeking rides, gold-searching adventures, educational wilderness experiences and indoor puzzling challenges.
Discover our top ten outdoor adventures to enjoy this spring in Big Bear Lake.
Spring time in Big Bear is a great mix of seasonal fun. Skiing and snow tubing often extend into April and Big Bear Lake comes to life with fishing, kayaking, boating, and more April 1 when many marinas open for the year. The spring forest beckons with its fresh wildflowers making for beautiful hiking and biking. Spring is Big Bear’s shoulder season and tends to see fewer crowds and lower lodging rates. Once you’ve booked your stay, consider these activities:
Top 10 Outdoor Family Fun Activities
1. Hiking
Available year round, hiking trails offer an opportunity for little ones to discover the natural world. Be sure to bring sunblock, appropriate footwear, and water. Some trailhead parking lots require an Adventure Pass which can be purchased at our Visitor Center. Please help us preserve our environment and be sure all water bottles, food wrappers, and other litter make it into your backpack and out of the forest.
2. Biking
Bike rentals are available from many shops but Goldsmith’s Sports, Paddles & Pedals, and Bear Valley Bikes offer all the biking equipment you could imagine from e-bikes, to downhill bikes, kids carriers and safety equipment. Once you’re ready to cruise, see our Trails page to choose your route.
3. Kayaking
Kayak and canoe outings on Big Bear Lake can be enjoyed by anyone. Bring your own (be sure to purchase your lake permit from BBMWD) or rent one for the day from Big Bear Lake’s many marinas.
4. Fishing
Big Bear Lake is a hub for freshwater fishing and spring is the best season for reeling in the rainbow trout. Take the kiddos on their first fishing excursion or get expert help from a charter fishing guide.
5. Jet Skiing
Make waves as you zoom around on a high speed jet ski. Spring lake activities may be chilly so consider a wet suit when planning to get soaked.
6. Big Bear Zoo
Big Bear Alpine Zoo mixes family fun with education in wildlife preservation and sustainability.
7. Family Entertainment
Head to Alpine Slide Big Bear for a thrilling ride on the Alpine Slide and Mineshaft Coaster! These taboggan experiences allow the rider to control their sled down a twisting, turning high-speed track. The center also features a Go-Kart track, Soaring Eagle ride, and Miniature Golf. Big Bear Summer Tubing, Speedway & Ropes Course features more Go-Kart fun and a sky-high ropes course with numerous obstacles and challenges.
8. Scavenger Hunts
Learn about Big Bear and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you go! Check out Urban Adventure Quest and Riddle Routes with friends and family.
9. Farmer’s Market
Every Tuesday from 8 AM to 1:30 PM, the Bear Valley Farmers Market sets up shop at the Big Bear Lake Convention Center. The freshest local produce, handcrafted breads and hummuses, carefully blended coffees and teas, and artisan wares fill the parking lot from April through September.
10. Bear Valley Historical Museum
The Bear Valley Historical Museum was founded in November of 1967 by a small group of people who wished to preserve the colorful past of this beautiful valley. Located at the northeast end of Big Bear City Park off Greenway Drive. The museum is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
No matter the adventure you embark on in Big Bear Lake, there is bound to be a ton of fun for the entire family to enjoy!
Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain-
Discount Activity Packs for Kids/Teens at Big Bear Vacations
Stay and Play with your Big Bear Vacations team! We have discounted activity packs here at our Front Desk that can be added to your vacation experience. Bundle the Fun!
Everyone, young and old – including your teens, will love the alpine slide attraction at Big Bear’s Magic Mountain. It’s open year-round, but hours that vary by season. Enjoy a scenic view of the area as the chair lift takes you to the top, where you’ll prepare for the ride of a lifetime down the area’s only authentic bobsled experience. Teens will love driving their own individually controlled sled down your choice of two quarter-mile long cement tracks. Experience high-banking turns leading to long straightaways that will have your adrenaline pumping by the time you reach the bottom. Riders must be at least 36” tall to ride, and children under 48” tall must ride with an adult age 18 or older.
Discount Activity Tickets at Big Bear Vacations
We have partnered up with some of the best activity providers in town to offer our Big Bear Vacations guests discounts to fun to add to their vacation experience.
Tickets can be picked up at our Front Desk or discounts can be redeemed from our Guest App!
Choose from Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Yosemite Axe Throwing, Holloways Marina, GetBoards Big Bear, Goldsmiths Sports, and Blauers Boards.
The beauty of a lakefront village, fresh mountain air, and a slower pace than a big city might be just what you and your loved ones are looking for on the next getaway. Look no further than Big Bear, California. Big Bear and the surrounding area have many fun and exciting activities everyone – including the teenagers of the group – will love. You and your loved ones of all ages will find things to do in Big Bear to keep you busy and engaged no matter what time of year.
Big Bear Escape Room
In the last several years, escape rooms have become one of the popular family things to do in Big Bear. Gather your group and work together to solve a series of clues and puzzles and break out of the themed room in 60 minutes or less to win the game. There are different themes to choose from, each with varying degrees of difficulty. Search for lost gold, try to escape the asylum, or join the elite Bear Valley Search and Rescue team. Choose the topic or difficulty that’s right for you and make sure to book in advance. If there are multiple teens in the group, they can work a room on their own, but it’s also a great activity for the whole family.
Big Bear Lake
If the waters of Big Bear Lake seem to be calling your teen’s name, there are plenty of family things to do in Big Bear to keep them busy on the “all sports” Big Bear Lake. Adults of the group can rent a boat for plenty of in- and on-water fun. Cruise the lake or get your teen’s blood pumping with wakeboarding or water skiing. Visit one of the six marinas at the lake and rent gear for less intense water activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and more. Those who don’t want to get wet can opt to stay on shore and play in the sand, sunbathe, or plant the beach umbrella and just chill out for a while.
Urban Adventure Quest in Big Bear
Take the time to learn more about the place you’ve decided to call ‘home’ in a way a display in a museum can’t. While kids and teens may get quickly bored on a trip to a museum or gallery, visiting multiple different spots in a scavenger hunt-style adventure is a new experience that’s bound to keep them entertained. Your quest for information and to see the sights of Big Bear Lake and the surrounding area starts at the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce. The one-mile, one- to 1.5-hour activity is free and loads of fun for everyone. There are 10 challenges and two ‘bonuses’ that take you through the streets and all the way down to the water’s edge, and include points of interest like the Village, the lake, and two parks. Watch out for silly characters who want to offer you their ‘help’ along the way.
Adventure Tours
If hiking or horseback riding isn’t your teen’s type of adventure, Big Bear’s Action Tours may have something more exciting. The company offers tours on their zipline course – a nine-run mountain zipline that will have you and your teens speeding across at up to 35 miles per hour. When there’s snow on the ground, join them for a multi-terrain snowshoe tour through the area’s ponderosa pines and other mountain scenery. Another crowd pleaser is their Segway tour of the area that takes you through the town and surrounding forest on a guided tour. Tours are two hours or more, depending on the activity you choose.
Fun Things To Do in Big Bear with Teens
You came to the area for a retreat full of fun and relaxation. Extend that fun and relaxation to your accommodations by booking a vacation rental Big Bear Vacations. Make everyone’s favorite home-cooked meals in the fully equipped kitchen of your home away from home. Gather together and enjoy it in the dining area, settle in on the couch to watch a movie, or spend all your time outdoors. Choose a cozy one-bedroom all the way up to a sprawling five-bedroom for a reunion, or so your teen or teens can have their own rooms. Big Bear Vacations has a vacation rental that is just right for you. Our premium units include upgrades like stainless steel appliances, granite counters, hardwood floors, flat screen TVs, and more!
Contact us today to start planning a retreat in Big Bear to remember!
