Summertime at Snow Summit Ski Area
Snow Summit is a ski recreation area in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. It is located by Big Bear Lake and due to its proximity to Los Angeles area is a popular ski destination in the winter. So what goes on at Snow Summit during the summer? It turns out parts of Snow Summit are open to hikers and bikers with a couple of chair lifts operating so we decided to check it out.
After purchasing lift tickets we headed to the lift and saw a biker who was also headed there. Snow Summit has the only lift served bike park in Southern California.
This lift goes close to the top of the mountain which has an elevation of 8174 feet. There is a small restaurant nearby, Skyline Taphouse, for those that want to get something to eat or drink.
There was a group of bikers that got off the lift after us. For downhill bikers there are 13 trails some with features like jumps, fast berms, wall rides and technical rock sections to enhance the experience. For cross country bikers there are trails which connect to U.S. Forest roads and trails to make for over 60 miles of riding.
Our group was made up of hikers so we checked out a trail that made a loop around the top of the mountain. Parts of the trail was in trees.
We saw some views of the mountains behind the trees.
And some views of the mountains between the trees. This is San Gorgonio Mountain, also called “Old Greyback”, which is the highest point in Southern California at 11,499 feet.
Another view with Grinnell Mountain at 10,284 feet on the left.
We came across a large bowl shaped depression with equipment which in winter is used in snow making. On one of the structures we noticed there was a bird perched.
A closer view shows it to be a hawk.
Nearby Bear Mountain also has a ski area but does not have biking or hiking trails. Originally the two ski areas were owned and run independently. In 2002 Snow Summit purchased Bear Mountain and the ski areas were managed under one company.
This is another Snow Summit chair lift.
There was a view where a small portion of Big Bear Lake could be seen.
After the hiking trail loop was completed it was time to go down the mountain.
We opted to take the chair lift rather than hike. The chairs were now pointed the right way for enjoying the view while descending.
The snow making equipment for blowing man made snow on the slopes was parked for the summer.
A service road used for servicing the lifts and the restaurant.
Nice view showing the ski slope, Big Bear Lake and the mountains beyond.
More of Big Bear Lake to the northwest.
The view toward the northeast.
On the ground at the bottom is one of the hiking trails going down the mountain.
The lift chair in the foreground shows the carrier for the bikes. These have to be attached for the biking season and then removed for the ski season.
Almost back to the starting point. The closer buildings belong to Snow Summit and include restaurants and equipment rentals. There was a biker on the trail below.
This is a nice map Snow Summit created to show the biking and hiking trails.
While the majority of people who use the lifts are bikers there are a some hikers like us and a few who just go for the view. We had a good time and enjoyed the great views.
More Information:
Year-round recreation opportunities at Snow Summit
