Bear Mountain Ski Resort in Big Bear Lake, California

Painted in 1988

When one thinks of outdoor recreation in Southern California, surfing or sailing often come to mind. But, thanks to Bear Mountain, there’s also plenty of skiing and snowboarding to be done. Located just over two hours from Los Angeles, Bear Mountain features Southern California’s highest lift-served peak and something for every skier. With 1,600 feet of vert, 62 runs, and 12 lifts, Bear Mountain has everything you’d expect from an established resort, and then some. While Bear has plenty of traditional ski terrain, its crown jewel is its terrain parks. Instead of just having designated park areas, Bear designates 85% of its terrain as “freestyle.” That means that there are jumps, rails, boxes, and half pipes littered around the mountain. And it’s all set up in a way that makes it easy to progress from safe, easy features to more intimidating and challenging options.