Enjoy spectacular views from the San Bernardino Mountain Range, abandoned gold mining towns, giant sequoias, 8,443-foot Onyx Summit, and perhaps some wildlife.
The Rim of World Picturesque Byway aptly describes the drive along Southern California’s highest mountain range, the San Bernardinos, with their spectacular sight of the surrounding mountains as well as the Los Angeles Basin. Along the way, you’ll pass several resort communities and wilderness areas, and you may even catch a little “gold fever” as you search the remains of an abandoned 1860s mining town.
Begin on California Route 18 just north of San Bernardino at the entry to San Bernardino National Forest. You’ll cross the San Andreas Fault at the bottom of the mountain range. Though the fault rumbles everyday, it’s unlikely you’ll be aware of the slight tremors. Once inside the national forest, the road begins a sharp ascent, climbing to 4,000 feet in just eight miles. The Inspiration and Panorama overlooks will be your initial photo stops, with their views of Waterman Canyon and surrounding mountains.
The adventuresome will take the 2-mile drive up Bear Springs Road in Rimforest to climb Strawberry Peak Lookout, a fire lookout point which stands at the dizzying elevation of 6,153 feet. Back in the car, you’ll soon reach the Heaps Peak Arboretum. A short hike through a densely forested area discloses some of the plant life native to California, including a small grove of giant sequoias planted in 1930 after a forest fire devastated the place in 1922. In the year 3000 or so, imagine how large these spectacular trees will be when they reach maturity. After Heaps Peak, past Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake (small resort towns with shops and restaurants), take a detour up Forest Road at Deer Lick Ranger Station to the National Children’s Forest. Planted by schoolchildren in the 1970s after a fire destroyed the original forest, it highlights handicapped-accessible trails with interpretive signs in braille. Back on California Route 18 going east, you’ll pass several ski resorts, including Rim Nordic Ski Area and Snow Valley, which offer skiing until late March.
The Lake View Point overlook offers gorgeous views of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area and the Big Bear Lake. As you enter the resort community of Big Bear Lake, make sure to stop at the Big Bear Ranger Station and pick up a pamphlet for the self-guided auto tour of the Gold Fever Trail. The 1860s gold rush will come alive as you pass abandoned mines, a lone gravesite and cabins. A few miles over the ranger station, turn onto Route 38 south past 8,443-foot Onyx Summit, the highest summit of the drive. You’ll also pass the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, home to a wide variety of wildlife including eagles, Nelson bighorn sheep, and mountain lions. The driving trip concludes back at the San Bernardino National Forest.
Starting Point:
San Bernardino, CA
Distance of Drive:
85 miles
Must Eat:
Big Bear Mountain Brewery
40260 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Phone: 909-866-2337
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Early spring to late fall
Points of Interest on Drive:
8,443-foot Onyx Summit
National Children’s Forest
Tagged with: beach • best time:yearround • California • summer destinations • wildlife
Filed under: Best Road Trips