Apple Valley, CA Outdoor Activities

As they zigzag across the densely wooded mountains near Big Bear, Action Zipline Tours’ high-speed ziplines send riders screaming past trees on exhilarating rides to the bottom. Punctuated by a scenic walk across a suspension bridge, the three-hour tours traverse a series of nine ziplines that carry their riders between treetop platforms at speeds approaching 45 miles per hour.

Along the northern edge of Big Bear Lake sits Fawnskin Harbor, a tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Captain John's Fawn Harbor & Marina calls this serene alcove home, housing boats and doling out rental watercraft. From the harbor's docks and moorings, visitors launch pontoons, speedboats, canoes, and kayaks toward Grout Bay, a bald-eagle nesting site that also teems with great blue herons, osprey, and beavers. The wildlife sanctuary can also be infiltrated via standup paddleboard, a Hawaii-born craft that delivers a challenging core workout. Tours on an electric boat cruise the boulder- and tree-ringed bay area while passengers explore the lake, learn local history, and glimpse the lake's namesake surreptitiously brushing his coat.

Joshua Tree Guides is exclusively staffed with passionate guides—each trained by the Professional Climbing Guides Institute—who convey their intimate knowledge of rock climbing in guided tours and classes for adventurers, families, and beginners. During private climbing tours, engaging guides lead climbers to one of an endless number of vertical opportunities and ensure that each rock scaler feels the thrill of conquering the terrain while remaining sturdy and safe. Each tour is customized to the climbers’ comfort levels, making the experience an excellent introduction to outdoor climbing or a chance for familiar climbers to pinch the cheeks of adorable rock faces they've never encountered. Whether climbing locally or during a custom trip with Joshua Tree, climbers put any number of territory-conquering techniques to use, such as slab climbing, top roping, and climbing in a single-pitch environment. Joshua Tree has also trained U.S. Special Forces teams in modern climbing techniques and works with a variety of national corporations, including Google and Red Bull.

When 20-year climbing veteran Zeke Federman started a rock-climbing school, he needed to situate its headquarters someplace that was more than simply rocky. The spot he settled on falls squarely on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range—an area boasting a varied landscape and steady climate that is friendly to year-round mountaineering and offers challenging routes to both beginners and experienced climbers with their own pet mountain goats. Zeke's climbing academy, Sierra Rock Climbing School, leads students on guided excursions across the region's higher-altitude cliffs. His staff of Professional Climbing Guides Institute–trained guides has won points with clients for combining an easygoing demeanor with a serious attentiveness to safety and the needs of beginners to go slowly. In addition to small groups, the company has also guided successful climbing outings for large corporations such as Google and Frito-Lay, and appeared in segements on The Bachelor and Dr. Phil.

Equipment crafted by companies including K2, Rossignol, and Burton lines the walls of Goldsmith's Boardhouse & Ski Rental, where experienced staffers help snow explorers to hit the slopes in style. Snowboarders and skiers on their way to carve up nearby Snow Summit, Big Bear Mountain, or a local mall Santa display swing by Goldsmith's to pick up gleaming new gear or all-inclusive rental packages that fit feet with cushy boots before outfitting riders with a snowboard replete with bindings or skis paired with poles.