6. Big Bear Lake, California
Visit here if you live in:
- Los Angeles or Orange County, CA: 2hr
- San Diego, CA: 2hr 45min
- Las Vegas, NV: 3hr 30min
- Phoenix, AZ: 5hr 30min
Big Bear Lake in Southern California is surrounded by singletrack, but you can still hit all the key trails in a long weekend of riding. To start, grab your DH rig and hit the all-new bike park at Snow Summit. Next, hit Cougar Crest and other nearby trails in an epic loop similar to the one I did back in 2012. And finally, be sure to check out the new IMBA-built Skyline Trail… and tell me how it is!
While Big Bear is still warm and dry compared to most of the nation, thanks to a 6,759-foot base elevation the area provides a cool respite from the hot summers of the Desert Southwest, and the mountains rising up from there are a gorgeous change from much of the rest of So Cal.
