Big Bear, California is a beautiful town located in the San Bernardino Mountains. For the past 18 years we’ve been visiting Big Bear Mountain, renting cabins & enjoying all that this beautiful town has to offer.
However, when we purchased our own cabin here in 2021, we realized that there’s so much more we didn’t even know about visiting this mountain destination. So we want to share that with you here!
5 Hard Truths We Learned About Visiting Big Bear AFTER We Became Owners:
- FULL TIME RESIDENTS – While this is most definitely a vacation destination, you have to remember that there are still full-time residents & they’re not all rainbows & butterflies about visitors. Be mindful of this when wandering around town, driving & where ever you are staying. More recently, full time residents have become extremely critical of vacation rentals (especially in the Big Bear Lake area), ensuring visitors are minding all occupancy limits, parking instructions, noise levels & trash removal protocols. Simply put, be respectful of all that & they’ll be nice.
- SMALL BUSINESSES & RESTAURANTS – While many full-time residents might not be fans of the tourists who come up, small businesses & local eateries LOVE THEM!!! So come prepared to hit the town & support many of these local businesses! During peak season though (from November through February) be mindful that they easily get stretched thin. Expect long wait times. Take some games, like we do, and just be patient.
- COMMUNITY RESOURCES – Be mindful of the community resources. If eating out is not your thing & you plan on staying in & cooking, yes, there are 2 major markets in town, but be mindful that these markets are there to support the local community. In peak season especially, empty shelves from tourists leave local residents without much to fend from. Same with gas. So make sure to bring what you can and fill up your tank completely before heading up the mountain. Leave the resources on the hill for those who need it!
- VACATION RENTALS – It’s hard to “turn” a full Cabin (aka cleaning it thoroughly & getting it “Guest ready”) in 5 hours or less. So if you’re staying at a vacation rental, please be patient. House keepers are not just making beds & cleaning counters, they are completely striping every single bed & doing there best to clean every nook & cranny they can within this time & it is NOT easy (trust us, we’ve tried). So do your best to be respect your check-in and check-out times & be kind to your cleaning staff!
- ALL 4 SEASONS – While the appeal of mountain life here in Southern California is definitely the winter season & all the wonderful snow play time, after becoming owners & visiting the mountain year round, we’ve discovered that actually, some of the absolute BEST times to come visit are during the spring & fall. Changing colors & nature is at its peak during these seasons, rental rates are lower, the weather is perfection & there is still soooo much to do!!
So when planning your next trip up to Big Bear, keep these things in mind. It’s a beautiful & wonderful vacation destination, with so much to offer. We want to make sure to help keep it that way. And if you’re looking for a place to stay, we hope you’ll consider landing with us at Castillo Landing Cabin! Be safe, and enjoy your trip friends!
❤️ Alex & Laurie
Owners at Castillo Landing Cabin
