Before you drive to Bear Mountain: live Caltrans chain controls on SR-330, SR-18 and SR-38, Rim of the World cams, weather alerts, and paid-parking dates and free shuttle lots.
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Bear Mountain parking rules (full text)
- Reservations
- Online parking reservations must be purchased at least 24 hours prior to arrival; day-of from an attendant only if spots remain. Spots tend to sell out a few days before the weekend. Not included with lift tickets/lessons/rentals
- Fee
- $30-$40/day at Bear Mountain on paid dates; $75 oversized/RV. Daily paid parking is refundable. Paid parking dates 26/27: Dec 4-6, 11-31; Jan 1-10, 15-18, 22-24, 29-31; Feb 5-7, 12-21, 26-28; Mar 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 26-28
- Lots
- Bear Mountain base lot, 43101 Goldmine Dr; Clubhouse Lot, 43092 Goldmine Dr (across from Bear Mountain) – walkable. Free all season with free shuttle (not walkable): Sandalwood (103 Sandalwood), Fox Farm (41850 Garstin Dr), Brownie Lane (42044 Brownie Ln), Moonridge (42600 Moonridge Rd), Backward Look (42344 Moonridge Rd). On Traffic Management Plan dates, guests without reserved parking are directed to Sandalwood first
- Hours
- Base lot 7AM-4:30PM daily
- Fills
- Base lots usually full by 7:30AM on weekends, holidays and peak periods
- Pass holders
- Ikon, Ikon Base, BBMR Anytime/Midweek, Snow Valley Anytime pass holders park free at Snow Valley only; at Snow Summit/Bear Mountain they use offsite lots + free shuttle unless they pay. Premium Parking Pass (upper lots, all 3 mountains): SOLD OUT
- Overnight
- No free/public overnight parking in Big Bear Lake; RV overnight only by arrangement with attendant
- RVs
- Limited oversized/RV spaces $75/day or overnight. Day (7AM-6PM) bookable online; overnight (6PM-7AM) must be arranged with a BBMR parking attendant on arrival. No tents, tailgating, bonfires, fire pits or BBQs
- Carpool
- Resort encourages carpooling
- Drop-off
- Guest drop-off zone at each mountain; paid parking ticket/pass not required for drop-off. Turn on hazard lights and follow the orange parking lot signs
- Walk
- Base lot walkable to the lifts; offsite lots are not (use shuttle)
- Shuttle
- Free shuttle from offsite lots, ~5-10 min (paused until Nov/Dec 2026)
- ADA
- Free on-site ADA spaces, first-come first-served; arrive 90 min before lifts open
Source: Parking | Big Bear Mountain Resort. Always follow the resort’s posted rules.
Getting there
Typical drive: 2 hr 15 from Los Angeles, 2 hr from Orange County, 1 hr from San Bernardino. Check the Road and Chains lights before you leave.
Chains on the way up? Live: Do I need chains to Big Bear today? · What R-1, R-2 and R-3 mean · How to put on chains · Big Bear road conditions