How to Get to Big Bear Lake
Three roads climb into Big Bear Valley, and picking the right one matters more than the route your phone hands you. One of them may or may not be open right now.
The short answer
From anywhere in Los Angeles, Orange County, or the Inland Empire, the default is I-10 to Highway 330 through Highland and Running Springs — roughly two hours from either LA or OC in clear conditions. If 330 is backed up, closed, or snowy, the alternate is Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley, which approaches from the desert side and is often the driest way in during a storm.
Whichever you pick, the last 25–40 minutes is a mountain grade with no shoulder to speak of. That stretch is where the drive time swings, not the freeway.
How far is Big Bear from…
The Los Angeles and Orange County figures are Visit Big Bear's published estimates; the rest are mapping estimates in clear conditions. Treat all of them as a floor — a Friday evening in January or a Saturday morning after fresh snow can add an hour or more.
The three roads up
Hwy 330 through Highland
The default
Off I-10 at Highland, up through Running Springs, then east on Hwy 18. It's the shortest climb and what every navigation app picks, which is also why it's the one that backs up on holiday weekends. Steep and tightly curved; it's usually the first road to go under chain control in a storm.
Hwy 18 through Lucerne Valley
The storm-day alternate
The back way in, climbing the dry desert side of the range. Longer on the map but frequently faster in bad weather — Visit Big Bear rates it the quickest climb. The switchbacked stretch locals call the Arctic Circle is exposed and high, and closes now and then for rock scaling.
Hwy 38 from Redlands
Check before you commit
The longest route and the gentlest grade, which makes it the traditional pick for RVs, trailers, and anyone who dislikes drop-offs. Closed for storm repairs through much of 2025–26 and open again as of August 2026 — see the status note below.
Highway 38 is open again — and some pages still say it isn't
Tropical Storm Mario washed out part of Hwy 38 in September 2025 and closed it for more than three months. Caltrans reopened it at 4 PM on 24 December 2025, then ran weekday-only closures — shut Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM, open nights and weekends — from 5 January 2026 while the $9.7 million emergency repair finished out.
That work was scheduled to wrap in June 2026. Checked on 3 August 2026, Caltrans' live road report for SR-38 shows no restrictions of any kind: no closure, no flagging, no chain controls. Hwy 38 is open.
Worth knowing because several tourism sites — including Visit Big Bear's own routes page — still carry the flat statement that Hwy 38 from Redlands is closed. That was true last winter and hasn't been updated since. Caltrans is the source that settles it: roads.dot.ca.gov or 1-800-427-7623. Check it the morning you drive, as you would for any mountain route in any season.
Driving to a specific place
Once you're in the valley, almost everything hangs off Big Bear Boulevard along the south shore or North Shore Drive along the north.
Coming in on Hwy 18 from Lucerne Valley? You'll arrive on the north shore. Visit Big Bear's own directions route you around North Shore Drive to the Stanfield Cutoff, left over the bridge, then right onto Big Bear Boulevard at the light — that's the standard way to reach the south shore, the Village, and both resorts.
❄️ Driving up in winter
From roughly November through April the roads up can go under chain control with little warning, and the rule people forget is that every vehicle must carry chains in a control area — including 4WDs that are exempt from fitting them. A clear sky at the bottom of the hill tells you nothing about the top.
⛓️ Do you need chains? R-1, R-2 and R-3 explained →Check before you leave
- Caltrans QuickMap — live closures and chain controls
- Caltrans road info: 1-800-427-7623
- roads.dot.ca.gov — per-highway restriction reports
- Fill the tank at the bottom; gas costs more up here
Two things first-timers miss
- Cell service drops on all three grades. Download your map before the climb rather than trusting live rerouting.
- The altitude is real. You gain about a mile of elevation in under an hour. Bring water; go easy the first afternoon.
Common questions
What's the best route to Big Bear?
Hwy 330 through Highland for most people most of the time — it's the shortest climb from the I-10. Switch to Hwy 18 through Lucerne Valley when 330 is closed, snowbound, or jammed on a holiday weekend.
How long does it take to drive to Big Bear from LA?
About two hours for roughly 100 miles in clear conditions, per Visit Big Bear. Winter weekends and holiday traffic regularly push that to three hours or more, and the delay is concentrated on the mountain grade rather than the freeway.
Which road to Big Bear is the least scary?
Hwy 38 from Redlands has the gentlest grade and is the usual recommendation for RVs, trailers, and drivers who dislike exposure — but confirm it's open before committing, since storm repairs have disrupted it. Of the two reliably open roads, Hwy 18 from Lucerne Valley has wider curves than Hwy 330.
What's the address for Bear Mountain?
43101 Goldmine Drive, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 — that's the base lodge and Base Lot. Snow Summit, its sister resort, is at 880 Summit Boulevard. In winter the upper lots at both are paid and reserved in advance.
What's the closest airport to Big Bear?
Ontario International (ONT) is the closest major airport, about 55 miles and 90 minutes out via I-10 and Hwy 330. Big Bear City Airport handles general aviation only — no commercial flights.