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Jet skiing on Big Bear Lake © Dan McKernan

Parasailing (facing page) © Greg Zook Photography

Water background (facing page) © Fotolia

Stand-up paddleboarding on Big Bear Lake © Scott Hoffman

Gateway to Adventure and DiscoveryThe Big Bear Discovery Center is an educational and informational portal to the San Bernardino National Forest

and is located within the heart of the Big Bear Valley. The goal is to create awareness and become a more re-sponsible caretaker of a national for-est while increasing your enjoyment and knowledge of the great outdoors.

Services include Adventure Passes; maps for hiking and biking and off-roading; camping informa-tion; and Forest Service permits. The Center offers naturalist-led interpre-tive tours such as snowshoe tours and bald eagle celebrations in the winter and Pacific Crest Trail and canoe tours in the summer.

BIG BEAR DISCOVERY CENTERYour “Gateway to Adventure and Discovery in the Great Outdoors!”40971 North Shore Dr. (Hwy. 38) 909-866-3437 • SBNFA.org

The grand centerpiece of our mountain resort is of course the lake. Above the lake are skies that abso-lutely pop with the prettiest blues you’ll ever see! Whether you choose to play on the lake or just view it from atop an overlooking vista its magnifi-cence will automatically draw you in.

The combination of a cool alpine lake, surrounding lush forests and approxi-mately 320 days of sunshine

per year is a magnetic force that lures you to Big Bear spring, summer and fall. Once Old Man Winter packs it in, the sun warms up the mountains, days become longer and outdoor recreation blossoms!

A walk or bike ride through the forest brings you face to face with colorful wildflowers and the in-toxicating scent of nature’s woodsy fragrance. Chattering squirrels and chirping birds bring the forest to life. You might even catch a glimpse of a deer darting through the trees. If you plan to take a trip with your sig-nificant other swaying pine and oak trees provide a romantic canopy as you bask in conversation and share a private picnic for two. If you have children, introduce them to a real 3-D adventure they can grasp. The fresh mountain air will stimulate your kids’ senses as they scout out animal tracks along the trails. Imaginations run wild as shrubs and tree logs be-come forts, and rocks become gems worthy of stuffing in pockets.

The lake is stuffed to the gills with trout, bass and catfish. It’s easy to get hooked on the great fishing dawn to dusk. If adventure on the water is what you seek then you’re in for a treat. Just about every main-stream aquatic sport happens here from motorized boats to people powered kayaks and canoes. There are even some activities on the cut-ting edge like New Zealand style jet boat rides and the Cable Wakeboard Park. Along the 22-miles of shoreline, several marinas provide all the gear you need to navigate your way on water.

There’s plenty of action in town too. Stop by for weekly and seasonal events and festivals like the Cowboy Gathering, Antique Auto Show, Big Bear Renaissance Faire and Art on the Lake.

With so much to see and do, there are numerous reasons to visit each and every season. Consider it an open invitation to have your fun in the sun. Fishing

© Dan McKernan