Traveling right now is stressful – the world feels like it’s falling apart and as much as you’d like nothing more than a weekend away, it also comes with the unknowns and the stress of feeling safe. We love getting away with our friends for trips – and a drivable getaway seemed like the safest way to go. SoCal has so many good road trip options it’s hard to choose one – but we loved and learned a lot about the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear communities on our summer trip – I hope my tips help you plan your trip!

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The Area

Lake Arrowhead & Big Bear Lake are about 45 minutes away from each other – albeit a VERY twisty turny 45 minutes away from each other – but completely different environments.

We’ve been up to Big Bear many times; I went for my birthday snowboarding trips every year for a handful of years – but we always went in the Winter. Seeing it in the summer is completely different. Big Bear is a more relaxed lake town, but very busy. It’s hard to find places to eat without lines, or beaches along the lake with an uncrowded parking lot. If you adjust your expectations to wait a bit and have some company at the beach – you can certainly have a great time!

This was our first time going to Lake Arrowhead – and even after reading that it was impossible to get to the beach I was CONVINCED that we would be able to. Our Airbnb host let us know he had two beach passes so I thought I just found the best Airbnb and we would have no issues! Well, I was wrong. I’m honestly not sure if it was never actually possible, if it was because of COVID-19, or some combination of the both. But, we showed up to the Airbnb and the beach passes were gone, and a line of excuses came in from our host. Once I actually called the Arrowhead Lake Association I was told that we would have never been able to get to the beach without the owner actually coming with us and signing us in – which he wasn’t in town to do. I was also told that they are voting in September to completely eliminate the ability for Airbnb hosts to sign guests in – so going to the beach at Lake Arrowhead may be a thing of the past.  

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Where to Stay

If you are set on going to the beaches at a lake, or renting a boat – Big Bear would be the easier choice. The town is full of Airbnbs and has way fewer restrictions. If you want the full Lake Arrowhead experience, check out the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa – you CAN go to their beach and pool right now!

Either way, wherever you choose – double if not triple check your access privileges as a non-resident of the area.

What to Do

We were determined to get onto the lake, and we did! We found some spots along both Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake to sit and enjoy the view, but I definitely had to adjust my expectations based on the ‘lake weekend’ I had in mind. Nevertheless, get on the lake however you can! A few things I would do next time:

• Lake Arrowhead Queen Boat Tour – with multiple departures every day and reasonably priced tickets, this would be a great way to get out onto the lake.
• SkyPark at Santa’s Village – bike trails, hikes, train rides and more – this spot would have been a good way to spend the afternoon!
• Lake Arrowhead Brewery – we tried and failed to go to this brewery – I was so bummed! Newly opened, great outdoor area – but understandably super busy and our group of 12 adults and 5 toddlers just couldn’t get in the door. We were able to grab some beer to go and it was delish!

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Like I mentioned, we were able to get onto the lakes a little bit and enjoy the views, sunshine, and splash around – and honestly it was great. I tend to want to go someplace and do literally everything the town has to offer but this trip was way more relaxed. Big breakfasts with friends in our rental house, bubble baths with the kids, and lake coolers that 100% did NOT contain wine. ?

Have you been to any of the lake towns in SoCal? Which is your favorite? I am loving lake life these days and would love to go visit some more!