Families flock to Big Bear, located less than four hours from downtown San Diego, for skiing in the winter and watersports on the lake in the summer. But another must-do Big Bear activity is a lesser-known one: the mountain town is one of the best off-roading destinations in Southern California. “People have been off-roading up here for decades and decades. It started getting really popular in the ’70s,” says Desi Hauer, who owns local tour company Big Bear Off Road Experience.
Jeep maintains a bucket list of “Badge of Honor” off-roading trails in the US. Of the 68 trails on the list, California is home to six. Three of those—Gold Mountain, Holcomb Creek, and John Bull—are located in Big Bear. “People travel from all over the world to try to complete those trails,” Hauer says. “Not only do they have amazing views and scenery, but they have some very challenging terrain.”
John Bull is perhaps the most famous of the three trails, thanks in part to the entrance: 100 yards of massive boulders many call the Gatekeepers. Unlike many trails, the rocks and boulders on the John Bull trail are loose, which means they shift as vehicles roll over them, leading to constant, exciting changes. But it’s not for beginners—its black diamond rating means it’s among the most difficult on Jeep’s Badge of Honor list (similar to ski trails).
That’s why you won’t find yourself trundling down John Bull with Big Bear Off Road Experience, which provides customers the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of off-roading.
The company offers a guided tour in which participants drive their own off-road Jeeps, following behind a lead vehicle. Guides will show you how to air out the tires and spot you through the obstacles on the trails. “We teach them all about the techniques—driving over rocks, boulders, obstacles—and we go do it,” Hauer says.
According to Hauer, while the introduction of trail-capable vehicles to showroom floors has made off-roading more accessible (enthusiasts used to have to build the cars out themselves), those vehicles cost upwards of $80,000. Repeat customers from San Diego and Los Angeles look to Big Bear Off Road Experience to go off-roading a few times a year without making a major investment on a Jeep of their own.
Hauer initially started a wakeboarding and waterskiing school in Big Bear, but he soon realized that many people were more interested in experiencing the high performance boats than learning to wakeboard, inspiring him to give a similar customer base the chance to get behind the wheel of off-road Jeeps. Those who don’t want to drive, though, can hop on Hauer’s 12-passenger TourZilla for a thrilling off-road tour of the valley.
Of course, the area’s off-road trails aren’t just limited to four wheels. The mountain town also draws dirt bikers with its annual Big Bear Run.
Molly Williams-Sunday and her husband, Steven Melhan, run Mystic Moto in the village. The unique store is part motorcycle-themed gift shop and part candlemaking bar called Ritual Provisions. The couple moved to Big Bear four years ago and is now part of a core group of dirt bikers. “We just came up for mountain biking initially. Once we moved in, we started discovering all the trails for dirt bikes,” Williams-Sunday says.
Williams-Sunday and Mehlan previously lived in San Diego, where you have to drive at least an hour to find accessible land to ride on. In Big Bear, though, you only need to go 15 minutes to find a trail. There’s a solid posse of regular dirt bike riders in Big Bear, but plenty of out-of-towners come out to ride in the spring and summer—and often roar into the main part of town. Soon, Mystic Moto plans to offer guided rides with dirt bikes for rent.
Off-roading in Big Bear is a year-round activity, thanks to the area’s multiple elevations (even if some trails are snowed in, you can always find an open one). So next time you’re in the area, take a break from the slopes or boats to try the trails on for size.
