Big Bear Parking

Everything about parking in Big Bear Lake in one place — compare all 9 lots below, or jump to a dedicated guide for the ski resorts, passes & reservations, free parking, or overnight/RV.

Compare every Big Bear parking lot

Lot	Type	Cost	Reservation?	Getting there
Castle Rock Trailhead Parking Lot	Trailhead	Free	No	At the trailhead
Cougar Crest Trailhead	Trailhead	$5 Adventure Pass required	No (Adventure Pass)	At the trailhead
Big Bear Discovery Center	Visitor Center	Free	No	0.6 mi walk to Cougar Crest
Pine Knot Trail (Aspen Glen Picnic Area)	Trailhead	$5 Adventure Pass required	No (Adventure Pass)	At the trailhead
Snow Summit Base Parking	Ski Resort	Winter: $25–$40/day upper lots (reserve online ≥1 day ahead); free remote lots + shuttle. Free in summer	Winter: upper lots only	Slopeside, or free shuttle ~10 min
Bear Mountain Ski Resort Parking	Ski Resort	Winter: $25–$40/day upper lots (reserve online ≥1 day ahead); free remote lots + shuttle. Free in summer	Winter: upper lots only	Slopeside, or free shuttle ~20 min
Sandalwood Overflow Parking Lot	Overflow	Free with shuttle service	No	Free shuttle to both resorts
Big Bear Village Public Parking	Village/Public	Free	No	In the Village (dawn–dusk)
Meadow Park Parking	Beach/Recreation	Free	No	At McDill Swim Beach

Ski-resort costs shown are winter upper-lot rates; those lots are free in summer. Tap a lot name for the full page.

Parking tips

Adventure Pass ($5 daily, $30 annual) is required at most trailhead lots — buy at the Discovery Center, 7-Eleven, or Big 5.
Arrive early on weekends — popular trailheads fill by 9–10 AM, and ski-resort upper lots by ~7:30 AM. Our sister project TrailheadParking.com tracks lot sizes and fill times for San Bernardino Mountains trailheads.
Village parking is free dawn to dusk (no overnight parking).
Skiing on a budget? Use the free Sandalwood remote lot + shuttle instead of a paid upper-lot reservation.
Some north-shore lots close seasonally (November–April) for eagle nesting.

Last verified 2026 · Checked for the 2026–27 season