Big Bear With Kids: 25 Best Fun Things To Do in 2026

Big Bear is a mountain town in Southern California just a short drive from San Diego or Los Angeles but it feels like a whole world away! We have visited during the summer months and winter; both are equally magical and fun for the whole family. It’s the perfect place to get away from the city. You will get to enjoy beautiful scenery, natural beauty, fresh air, outdoor adventure, and the best family memories. We love visiting Big Bear with kids!

Where To Stay in Big Bear With Kids

Every time we have go we stay at Sage & Rose Cabin through Destination Big Bear. It’s a large kid-friendly cabin that sleeps up to 11. Here is my Instagram reel on it. They have board games, a pack and play, kid dishes and cups, a hot tub, and arcade games and toys. It’s basically a kid paradise. It’s also in a great location right near all Big Bear has to offer. If you need something smaller or Sage & Rose is booked up, try booking through Destination Big Bear and they will be able to help you chose from their many cabins for your size of family. Both of those are affiliate links, but Destination Big Bear are the main people to rent from there. They clean the cabins for you, there’s 24/7 emergency service, and there’s a secure check-in process. Most hosts choose to rent out their homes through Destination Big Bear instead of Airbnb for that reason. 

When To Go To Big Bear With Kids

Big Bear is fun during the holiday season or the warmer months. When it’s cold and snowy, you can play in the snow, go snow tubing, or even cross-country skiing if you’re the adventurous sort. When it’s warm you can hike in the San Bernardino mountains, do lake activities like canoeing, and ride the Alpine Coaster!

What To Bring for Kids in Big Bear

If you’re going during the snowy months, I highly recommend grabbing some snow clothes from Amazon. We buy gender-neutral colors in every size and shuffle our kids through. Except I accidentally bought a pink snowsuit for the baby so there’s that. Our favorites are here! (affiliate link)

We always bring some food with us, but in case you forget there are tons of grocery stores and big chains like Big 5 to stock up on supplies. 

Where To Eat with Kids in Big Bear

For the kids, try Teddy Bear Restaurant for diner food. Unfortunately I ordered a very disappointing Egg’s Benedict that had gravy on it, but everyone else’s food was good. So if you go here do not get the egg’s Benedict. Also make sure to try North Pole Fudge nearby. You will not be disappointed. They have great ice cream too!

We also liked Saucy Mama’s Pizzeria! Good for both the kids and the adults. Tropicali is a blast, you enter through a big shark and they have poke bowls. The restaurant was a little loud for my kids as it’s a party / tiki atmosphere, but it would be easy to get the food to go and eat at a park. We also tried Sonora Cantina which had authentic Mexican food. Dank Donuts is a favorite and right by The Alpine Zoo. They do sell out though so go early!

Other restaurants on our list to try: Stella Luna, Masla Craft Indian Cuisine, Sweet Basil Bistro, Pickle’s Pie Shop, Moonridge Coffee Company, Muchachos Tortilla Bar. 

What To Do in Big Bear With Kids

Castle Rock Hike

We’ve done this hike with our kids a few times. It’s just the right length and has interesting terrain so the kids don’t get bored. The scenic views are amazing especially the view of Big Bear Lake and Big Bear Valley. It’s about 2.7 miles long and quite steep. At the end there is a large rock formation you can climb. The trail is well marked with cairns all along the path. It’s the perfect location for a hike with kids. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the San Bernardino National Forest. It took us about two hours to do slowly (walking with a 2 year old) and we had lunch at the top. We also took plenty of time to spot wild animals like chipmunks, lizards, and cool birds!

Alpine Pedal Path

If a ton of elevation gain isn’t your thing, try The Alpine Pedal Path. It’s a 5.7 mi easy stroll out and back trail that connects with Big Bear Discovery Center along the North side of the lake.. It’s paved so it’s stroller friendly with young kids! Apparently this is a great place to spot bald eagles nesting along Big Bear Lake. Bring your binoculars! 

Big Bear Alpine Zoo

This is definitely a hidden gem! They have all sorts of animals here including snow leopards, bald eagles, mountain lions, and yes even a black bear and a grizzly! We also enjoyed the golden eagle and albino raccoon. The Zookeeper talk on black bears was very informative and we learned a lot. It’s the perfect layout for a half-day adventure with a playground and snack bar in the middle of the exhibits. I would go early if you can, especially on a hot day as the animals will be more active! The gift shop is dangerous and we definitely walked out with some bear and bald eagle stuffies. 

Big Bear Discovery Center

We loved this little spot with our younger kids! They have a visitor center (with live footage of the bald eagles Jackie and Shadow!) and then a little outdoor area you can walk around with your kids. There are fun spots for them to play with natural materials to build and they had all the plants labeled for me to enjoy. Everything is within walking distance of the parking lots. This is a perfect chill family outing to help encourage little nature lovers.

By the way you cannot see Jackie and Shadow IRL. Their habitat is currently protected and blocked from visitors. However the nice docent at Big Bear Discovery Center told me that if you go to Captain Jack’s dock, he sometimes has a telescope set up where you can spy on the bald eagles. We didn’t get to go, but it would be worth a try for bald eagle fans!

Bowling Barn

A fun spot for some indoor fun if you’re looking for a break from being outside. It’s a big red building just like it sounds like and you will drive right by it as you enter Big Bear. They have a game room, an arcade, pool tables, and of course the bowling. The bowling is $50/hr for five people. Not terrible for what I’ve seen at other bowling spots around Southern California. Sweet Basil Bistro shares a parking lot and Tropicali is nearby as well.

Big Bear Snow Play

This is a great spot to go snow tubing in the winter, but they also stay open in the summer for Big Bear summer tubing! During the summer months you can also enjoy Big Bear Speedway, go karts, a zipline, and a ropes course. It’s the perfect place for family fun especially for older kids!

Snow Summit Ski Resort

If you’re looking for winter sports, this is a great place for kids to learn how to ski and snowboard. This resort has more of a family vibe where the other resort Big Bear Mountain Resort caters to more advanced skill levels. Snow Valley is also for beginners and is very family-friendly. So if you’re going to choose ski resorts for a family, Snow Summit or Snow Valley are your best bets! 

Bonus, Snow Summit is within a short walk from our fav cabin Sage & Rose!

Action Zipline Tours

For kids 8 and older this is a ton of fun in the summertime! They have zip lining tours in the summer and snowshoeing tours in the winter. Prices for the zipline tour are $155/person about. The tour takes three hours and covers 9 ziplines! Link here to learn more.

Mountain Room Escapes

Big Bear’s first escape room experience! It’s about $35/person and you can choose from a series of escape room experiences. It takes about an hour to go through the entire thing and solve the puzzle. Link here.

Mineshaft Coaster and Alpine Slide Big Bear at Magic Mountain

This was my kids’ favorite thing we did in Big Bear. You drive right by it as you come in, which is brilliant advertising really. We did the alpine slide and mineshaft coaster. I think I paid about $100 for our family of four to do both activities ($40 for the slide for the four of us and $60 for the coaster). If I had to choose one I would choose the coaster! You go all around the top of the mountain and there are amazing views! You can see right to the heart of Big Bear Lake. I caved and bought the photo and video package and I regret nothing. We will definitely be going again on our next trip. Easily one of the best things we did on our Big Bear vacation.

Jeep Tours

Take a ride on a Jeep through Big Bear’s backcountry! We didn’t get to do this but I researched it heavily and saw that you get to explore caves, ride around the Holcomb Valley, and I am pretty sure you get to drive! Prices start at $399 for a two door jeep. This is something I would do with older kids. They have a few different tours they offer, you can see more info here.

Canoe Ride On The Lake

Ok this was quick with our little family but I loved it. We rented two canoes from Big Bear Lake Kayaks near Boulder Bay. They actually have two locations, one is near Boulder Bay and the other is right in the marina so you don’t have to wheel your kayaks down. We chose Boulder Bay because apparently it’s more beautiful. So we did the kayak wheeling and it wasn’t too bad!

We rented two double kayaks and they added a middle seat for my 2 year old. Everyone got life jackets. The kids thought it was SO cool and we got to see fish jumping out of the lake all around us. The kids may have liked the mineshaft coaster best, but I loved our kayaking experience (though everyone got cold 45 minutes into our two hour rental and we had to turn around). Link to rent here. We made reservations, then missed them. They still had space for us though!

Big Bear Lake Farmer’s Market at Ski Beach Park

Every Friday night there’s a Farmer’s Market at Ski Beach Park right on Big Bear Lake. It’s a beautiful setting and fun to enjoy too! They have a ton of fruit to buy and crafts from local vendors. My kids went home with these cute crocheted animals that they kept close for the whole rest of the trip. It was a core memory eating raspberries in the fresh mountain air by the lake as we watched our kids play on the playground. 

Big Bear Village

A fun place to walk around in the evenings. Tons of food options here including Saucy Mama’s Pizzeria, Teddy Bear Restaurant, and North Pole Fudge. Also a wonderful place to find souvenirs for the kids. I particularly LOVE the flowers in the summertime. They also offer open carriage horse rides around the town. 

Big Bear Pirate Ship

We have yet to do this but I hear it is hilarious and super fun. Here’s what to expect from their website: The Big Bear Pirate Ship is a must visit each time you are in Big Bear Lake. We offer daily tours of the lake featuring live entertainment, and our own authentic Pirates. The lake tours can be, and often are different each time. Each captain who drives the ship has their own personality and style, and you always get a fantastic tour around the lake. Link here.

Lake Arrowhead is Nearby!

Lake Arrowhead is about an hour away from Big Bear and if you’re there longer it might be worth the day trip. Our favorite spot there is Santa’s Village, an all day mountain amusement park for kids! Here is my blog all about the best things to do in Lake Arrowhead with kids. If I had to choose between the two for a vacation, I would say Big Bear is larger and has more stuff to do.