WWingAwayWEEKENDSFly to lunchDestination guide 267
California · Couples · Two nights

Big Bear Lake

A mountain lake above Los Angeles.

Big Bear Lake is Southern California’s mountain getaway, a blue lake in the San Bernardino Mountains surrounded by pines, cabins and ski runs. Land at Big Bear City Airport, one of the highest in the region, stay at Northwoods Resort, walk the Village, rent a boat on the lake in summer, ride the alpine slide, and ski at Big Bear Mountain Resort in winter.

Mountain lakeSkiingOutdoors
See the weekend itineraryFlight & arrival details
Pink clouds at sunrise reflected in still water on Big Bear Lake
Sunrise on Big Bear Lake.
YOUR ROUTEKMYR to L35
STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE~1878 NM
ILLUSTRATIVE FLIGHT TIME~12 hr 46 min
WEEKEND STYLETwo nights · Rideshare or rental car

Time illustration: direct distance at 150 KTAS plus 15 minutes for departure and arrival, matching the discovery page. Use ForeFlight for your actual flight plan.

01 / Aviation & getting around

A high mountain airport.

L35, Big Bear City Airport, is a non-towered district airport at 6,752 feet with a 5,850-foot runway, about 10 minutes from the Village.

The FBO

Big Bear City Airport District

Big Bear City Airport, Big Bear City, CA

909-585-3219

High density altitude, especially on summer afternoons; compute performance carefully. Extremely noise-sensitive area: fly quiet procedures and avoid the high school one mile east. Mountain winds and turbulence. No live fuel price is shown.

Mountain flying: high density altitude on summer afternoons, strong winds and turbulence over the ridges, afternoon thunderstorms in summer, and winter snow and icing. About 1880 nm from Myrtle Beach: two long days each way with several fuel stops. Plan a week, or overnight on the way out and back.

02 / Where to stay

Lakeside boutiques, lodges and condos.

Rates and availability need travel dates. Winter weekends book early.

03 / Where to eat

Steakhouses, Himalayan food and a famous breakfast.

Reserve weekend dinners.

04 / Things to do

Lake, slopes and trails.

Snow chains may be required on mountain roads in winter.

02

Alpine Slide

A summer and winter slide at Magic Mountain.

Alpine Slide
05 / What’s happening

Sometimes the season is the reason to fly.

This prototype links to the local visitor site. It does not yet match events to your travel dates.

Concerts, festivals & local happenings

Check the local calendar when choosing a weekend, and confirm dates and tickets with the organizer.

Browse Big Bear events
06 / Suggested itinerary

Friday in. Sunday home.

A sample Big Bear weekend. This is a two-day flight each way; plan a week. No bookings or availability confirmed.

DAY 1

Arrive

  1. Arrival

    Land at L35, subject to weather, density altitude and your actual flight plan.

  2. Afternoon

    Walk the Village.

  3. Evening

    Dinner at Peppercorn Grille.

DAY 2

Explore

  1. Morning

    Ski or rent a boat.

  2. Afternoon

    The alpine slide.

  3. Evening

    Dinner in the Village.

DAY 3

Morning & home

  1. Morning

    A lakeside walk.

  2. Before leaving

    Compute takeoff performance and allow time at the FBO.

  3. Fly home

    Mountain winds and density altitude rise through the day; leave early.

07 / Good to know

Keep the weekend easy to change.

These details make the difference between an appealing list and a usable getaway.

Book in this order

Lodging first.

Very long flight

About 1,880 nm from Myrtle Beach: two long days each way.

Altitude

Nearly 6,800 feet; know your aircraft’s limits.

Best seasons

June to October, and ski season.

Reviewed · Destination 267

Reviewed November 6, 2026.

Picks and links reviewed by WingAway Weekends. Hours, prices, menus and availability change often, so confirm directly with each place before booking.

WingAway Weekends helps you discover the destination. Use ForeFlight and current official aviation information for route, performance, weather, NOTAMs and preflight decisions. Flight planning and PIC responsibility stay with the pilot.