Top Reasons to Stay at Fireside Lodge

• Fireside Lodge is composed of chalets, cabins, and suites in the heart of Big Bear Lake in Southern California.
• With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, Big Bear Lake is a year-round recreation destination. Boating, swimming, and hiking are popular in the spring and summer, and there’s ziplining in town.
• One block from the lodge are two full-service marinas, where you can rent boats and jet skis or sign up for a paddleboat tour of the lake.
• Country-style accommodations range in size and can house between two and six people. Some rooms have private spas and full kitchens, and many are pet friendly.
• Guests can lounge by the lodge’s outdoor pool, which stays heated to a balmy 78 degrees into the late fall.
• Located half a mile from the lodge, Big Bear Lake Village is home to gourmet restaurants, gift shops, and a bowling barn.

Big Bear Lake, California: Outdoorsy Resort Community in the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada

The resort community of Big Bear Lake centers on the body of water it’s named after—an alpine lake situated nearly 7,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest and the snowy peaks of the San Bernardino Mountains. Los Angeles is less than 100 miles to the west, which is probably why Big Bear Valley has served as a backdrop for so many films and TV shows, including The Parent Trap, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonanza.

The lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and swimming during the warm months. You’ll find miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails in the surrounding forest. The 2-mile Castle Rock Trail weaves through groves of pine and cedar trees and past a waterfall before rewarding trekkers with a summit view of the lake. But Big Bear isn’t entirely rustic—head to the village, located on the south shore, for restaurants, shopping, an arcade, a bowling alley, and a visitors' center.

True to its name, the area once supported a thriving grizzly-bear population. Though that’s no longer the case, you still might see bald eagles, mule deer, coyotes, gray foxes, and even the occasional bobcat or black bear. For a guaranteed glimpse of wildlife, visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo at Moonridge, a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned wild animals that counts mountain lions, grizzly bears, and wolves among its residents.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.