When you hear about Southern California, the first thing that comes to mind is the beautiful palm trees, the greenery, and the mesmerizing beaches. They form the scenic beauty of Southern California. But have you ever thought about sledding in California?
The fact that California gives you a wide range of sledding opportunities might come as a shock to you. Also, the most exciting discovery is that California is also an amazing fit for people who like sledding.
The mountains that surround the Big Bear make an appropriate destination for sledding. Just in case you are expecting a day filled with sledding fun, there are several options available for you.
Here we are listing the 13 best sledding spots near big bear to make your sledding holidays more fun.
Table of Contents
Big Bear Snow Play
It is one of the most popular sledding destinations, but do you know it was earlier a ski hill? Yes, Big Bear Snow Play initially was a popular ski hill named Rebel Ridge. Later, it was changed to a top-rated tubing hill that you witness today.
You will be pleased to the brim experiencing the fantastic paces as you glide down the hill. This is a perfect sledding destination for you and your family to have a merry time. It gives you a chance to experience a very long tubing run, so the fun goes long.
It often becomes tiring to climb up back to the hill. But with Big Bear Snow Play, you won’t have to wear off your shoes walking back up to the hill. They offer a “magic carpet life” to ride you up back to the hill. This is one of the most interesting features of this tubing park.
This area does not let you feel that the snow is less. They use natural snow, but they are also capable of making their artificial snow on top of this. Isn’t it amazing? There is never a scarcity of snow in this tubing park, and you are sure to have an amazing time sliding down!
Ever thought of sledding during the night-time? They also offer you this wonderful experience. This will give you memories for a lifetime. The tubing park creates a colorful aura with illuminating red, blue, black, and green lights.
Not just sledding, this place also offers an amazing experience of GoKarting during summers. It is a perfect deal to have a great holiday with your family and friends.
Location
42825 Big Bear Boulevard Big Lake, California
Hours
It opens every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you want to experience night tubing, the timings are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost
$20 for children (Height- 36 inches to 42 inches)
$35 per person for adults.
Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain
This place, without a doubt, is no way behind in providing you with a unique experience. It is usually common to sled down on a hill covered with snow in most tubing parks. This park has something different stored in for you.
Here you experience sledding even through a track made of concrete surface. A specifically made sled will accompany this, and this gives you control over your speed.
It offers you a chairlift ride to take you to the peak of the hill. This will let you experience the scenic beauty of Big Bear and also a serene look that the lake offers. They will provide you with an individual sled, and it features a synthetic runner which is made of Teflon along with Ball Bar wheels.
Alpine Slide welcomes visitors in all the seasons and offers a lot of summer activities as well. It offers you GoKarting, a waterslide, and miniature golf with 18 holes. An amazing time for you and your family is guaranteed at Alpine Slide.
Location
This amazing spot is located exactly west of the Big Bear Village.
800 Wildrose Lane Big Bear Lake, California
Hours
Winters- Monday, Thursday, Friday (The timings are 10 a.m. till 4 p.m.)
Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m. to dusk)
Cost
Single ride- $6
5-Book ride- $25
Aspen Glen Picnic Area
It is an aesthetically pleasing picnic area that offers multiple sledding hills. They also have hills with gentle slopes, which makes it ideal for children as well. It is also the perfect place to create beautiful snowmen and even play with snow a little more.
If you are not fond of crowded places, you should visit this area early in the morning or around dusk. During the other times of the day, it often gets crowded. The beautiful picnic area also comes with a functioning barbeque station. So, this makes for the perfect place for a picnic if you want to relax after your sledding session.
The surroundings of the sledding area are too hard to miss. Make sure that you click lots of pictures and make a lot of memories.
Location
Aspen Glen Picnic Area is located 10-15 minutes away from Big Bear Village.
40105 Mill Creek Road Big Bear Lake, California
Cost
If you want to buy a Day Pass, it is for $5.
The annual pass will cost you $30
You are required to buy an adventure pass as this sledding spot is located within a national park.
Grizzly Ridge Tubing Park, Snow Summit
Are you looking for someplace where there are no long lines? Then, Grizzly Ridge Tubing Park is a perfect place for you. It lets you skip lines at a ski resort.
Grizzly Ridge Tubing Park provides you with an option of three wonderful tubing lanes. These lanes are groomed every single day. They offer heavy-duty tubes and high speed that will give you an adrenaline rush as you go down the sledding mountains in excitement.
If you want to stay away from crowded areas, this is a perfect option for you. They have a moving carpet lift so that you don’t have to climb back to the top of the mountain. This gives you an awesome experience, and you will not have to wait in long queues.
Location
It is located at the lake of Big Bear right down the Bear Mountain Ski Resort road.
880 Summit Blvd. Big Bear Lake, California
Hours
It opens every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last ticket is sold at 3:30 p.m.
Cost
They offer you free parking. It will cost you $25- $35 for a 1.5 Hour session. The prices also differ depending on age and also on the days of the week.
Gray’s Peak Trailhead
This sledding spot offers you an amazing experience at absolutely no price. Your search for finding a place to enjoy with your family ends here. This is located very close to Big Bear and is free. So, it is a win-win situation.
It offers gentle slopes which are neither too steep nor too flat. This makes it perfect for even the kids. If you want to relax after the sledding session, this place offers you a beautiful picnic area with a mesmerizing view that the lake offers.
They offer a great quality of restrooms and also hiking trails. Apart from this, it also has a lot of different snow activities.
Location
It is located on the lake’s opposite side, between the dam and Fawnskin city.
Gray’s Peak Trail, Fawnskin, California
Cost
It is free of cost.
Cougar Crest Trail
Cougar Crest Trail gives you a wonderful sledding experience while keeping you away from the crowd as well. The parking is sometimes hard to find. If you discover a perfect spot, the surroundings are worth having a look at.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the snow melts faster than the other areas. You should consider buying a froth sled. It is better than the plastic ones for this area. Be careful of any exposed rocks.
Location
It is located north of the lake, off Highway 38, and on the road’s right.
Cougar Crest Trail, Big Bear, California 92314
Cost
Free of cost.
Barton Flats Snow Play Area
Not just sledding but Barton Snow Play Area offers some other snow activities as well. Barton flats snow play area comes within the range of a national park. There aren’t enough large hills in this area. This makes it a perfect place for even the kids.
You can get an adventure pass and have a wonderful experience here with your friends and your family.
Location
It is situated off the Highway 38 and away from Redlands via the Jenks Lake Road West
Cost
The location needs an adventure permit that you can purchase for $5.
The Green Valley Lake Secret Sledding Hill
The beautiful Sledding Hill offers you a very different sledding experience. It has a unique history, and that adds to the experience. This place, before becoming a sledding hill, was a popular ski resort. It was passed from one owner to another until it was ultimately closed in 2008.
This place now serves as the perfect sledding hill. It gives you a perfect slope ride and leaves you away from worries of crashing with a rock and trees.
Location
It is located near the Lake Green valley just 18 miles west of Big Bear.
Cost
It is free of cost.
The Boulder Bay Park
The park offers a great spot for fishing. It becomes a sledding wonderland during winters. It has gained immense popularity as a sledding hill as well.
Boulder Bay Park makes a wonderful place for sledding, but along with it, the surroundings are also breathtaking. It gives you scenic beauty as well as an adventurous experience as well.
Location
It is located at 39148 California 18, Big Bear Lake, California
Cost
It gives you an amazing experience free of cost.
Rim of The World, the Snow Play Area
If you love playing with the snow and also sledding, then this Snow Play Area is a perfect place for you. You can sled and then built some snowmen and snow angels as well.
This place receives a heavy amount of snowfall as it is situated in the mountains of San Bernardino. This also makes it a perfect destination for your sledding holiday. It gets a heavy footfall near the weekends.
Location
It is located at 26577 CA-18, Rimforest, California
Cost
You can buy an adventure pass for $5.
The Snowdrift Winter Playground
This gorgeous winter playground is one of the major and one of the oldest tubing parks in the vicinity of Southern California. It is situated in the San Bernardino National Forest. You will require special permission to go sledding in this area. You can enjoy an amazing experience of sledding once you acquire the permit.
This area is suitable for all age groups, and it has slants made for all sledding capabilities. It is best if you carry a tube in place of carrying a sled.
Location
It is located at 34600 CA-18, Green Valley Lake, California
Woodland Trail
Woodland Trail makes a perfect place to sled. It has a lot of mini sledding hills. Generally, there is a lot of parking space, so you won’t have to deal with unnecessary hustle. There are comfortable bathrooms for your convenience.
Woodland Trail makes a perfect picnic spot as well. So, if you want to relax after a long day of sledding, it is a perfect destination. A lot of people describe this place as a sledding wonderland. Apart from this, it presents a lot of scenic views as well.
Location
It is located at 41948 N Shore Dr, Big Bear, California 92314
Cost
You will require an adventure pass worth $5 to experience this area.
Highway 18
It is an amazing experience to drive on Highway 18. The road goes through beautiful mountains and green forest areas. There also are a lot of sledding spots to look out for and try on this long road.
You will have to keep your eyes open to find a suitable spot. Once you find a perfect spot, you will have a wonderful experience.
Always try finding a safe parking spot and a safe sledding hill.
Location
The Highway extends from Bear Lake Village, and it runs to Running Springs.
Cost
The cost usually depends on the area and is mostly free.
Endnotes
Southern California is an amazing place to experience great beaches and forests. Adding to this, California makes a perfect spot for all the sledding lovers as well. It is always an amazing experience to build snowmen and snow angels.
A lot of sledding places in Big Bear offer a good picnic place as well. So, you can relax with the scenic beauty and the lake after the sledding session.
We hope that you head to Southern California and have an amazing sledding holiday.
