5 Fun Facts About Big Bear | Big Bear Vacations (2024)

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5 Fun Facts About Big Bear | Big Bear Vacations? ›

Big Bear Lake has hosted major film studios since the inception of the industry. Lassie, Old Yeller, The Parent Trap, and The Last of the Mohicans were all filmed in the area. So if you're visiting and see a place that's oddly familiar, you might have seen it first on a silver screen!

Big Bear Lake has hosted major film studios since the inception of the industry. Lassie, Old Yeller, The Parent Trap, and The Last of the Mohicans were all filmed in the area. So if you're visiting and see a place that's oddly familiar, you might have seen it first on a silver screen!

Big Bear is most notable for his involvement in Treaty 6 and the 1885 North-West Rebellion; he was one of the few chief leaders who objected to the signing of the treaty with the Canadian government.

Its water properties have led to the evolution of several unique species of fauna that occur only within the lake. Bear Lake is over 250,000 years old. It was formed by fault subsidence that continues today, slowly deepening the lake along the eastern side.

It's Home to the Rarest Bear on Earth

Cited by IMAX at the rarest bear on earth, the Spirit Bear can only be found in the Great Bear Rainforest. Also known a Kermode bear, the Spirit Bear is a subspecies of the North American black bear. Due its recessive gene, the Spirit Bear has white or cream coloured fur.

Etymology. Big Bear got its name due to the large number of grizzly bears that once roamed the area. Although grizzly bears went extinct in the valley at the turn of the 20th century, there are still thousands of black bears found in Big Bear Valley.

The elevation of Big Bear Lake, California, is approximately 6,750 feet (2,060 meters) above sea level. This makes it a popular mountain resort destination, especially for activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and fishing.

This is Where the Stars Live

It's rumored that Brittney Spears has a vacation home here, and Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny), Roy Rogers, and Max Factor have all lived here at one time or the other. Who knows who you might spot shooshing down the slopes next to you!

Big Bear Dam, located on the northern shore of the lake, has a beach that varies in size according to the water level and makes for a nice Big Bear Lake swimming spot. Visitors to Boulder Bay Park have the option to not only swim, but also kayak, fish, or picnic at this amazingly scenic Big Bear park.

Does Big Bear Lake ever freeze? ›

In the winter months (and occasionally in the fall and spring seasons) Big Bear Lake can freeze over at the surface. It is illegal (S.B. COUNTY CODE 52.0502) to walk, play, or otherwise be on lake ice at any time.

Great Bear is the largest lake in Canada, and the eighth largest on Earth. It has a surface area of 31,153 square kilometres – bigger than Belgium. It contains enough water to fill more than one billion Olympic-sized swimming pools. And its shoreline stretches 2,719 kilometres.

Today's Big Bear Lake did not exist until the late 1800s and early 1900s. Originally, Big Bear Lake was never meant to be a tourist hub. The first dam (1884) that flooded the valley was designed to collect water for irrigation of crops in the newer Redlands agricultural areas.

The bear is omnivorous. Its diet consists of berries, grain, fish, insects, birds and mammals. The bear will hunt deer and moose and also feed on carcasses.

Bears have 5 toes on each foot. Their large toe is on the outside of the foot and the small inner toe does not always register. Footpads are bigger at the outer edges. Front tracks are wider than rear tracks.

Not all black bears have black fur. Some bears may be brown or cinnamon- colored and some have a white patch of hair on their chests called a chest blaze. Black bears can live for more than 25 years. Black bears can smell and hear very well.