Bear Mountain (ski area) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bear Mountains
Bear Mountain Ski Resort, Big Bear Lake, California
Bear Mountains Location in California Show map of California Bear Mountains Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Bear Mountain San Bernardino National Forest
Nearest city	Big Bear Lake, California
Coordinates	34°13′36″N 116°51′37″W / 34.2267°N 116.8602°W / 34.2267; -116.8602
Vertical	1,665 ft (507 m)
Top elevation	8,805 ft (2,684 m)
Base elevation	7,140 ft (2,180 m)
Skiable area	748 acres (303 ha)
Runs	62 total 15% beginner 15% low intermediate 40% intermediate 30% advanced
Longest run	Geronimo 1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Lift system	12 lifts: 3 quad chairlifts, 2 triple chairs, 4 double chairs, 3 surface lifts
Lift capacity	16,590 skiers/hr
Snowfall	100 in (250 cm)
Snowmaking	100%
Night skiing	None
Website	http://www.bearmountain.com/

Bear Mountain, once known as Goldmine Mountain, is a popular ski area in Southern California, United States. It's a great place for skiing and snowboarding fun!

In 2002, another nearby ski resort, Snow Summit, bought Bear Mountain. This created a new company called Big Bear Mountain Resorts. Now, one ticket lets you ski or snowboard at both places! Richard "Dick" Kun, from Snow Summit, decided to make Bear Mountain a special place for snowboarders. This helped keep Snow Summit more focused on skiers. Because Bear Mountain has so many cool features and uneven ground, people often call it "The Park."

Fun at Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain is famous for its amazing terrain parks. It has one of the only Superpipes in Southern California. A superpipe is like a giant half-pipe for snowboarding and skiing tricks.

When there's enough natural snow, you can ski and snowboard through the trees. This is different from Snow Summit, where tree runs are usually closed. Even areas normally "out of bounds" can open after a lot of snow!

A Place for Champions

Did you know that Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White used to visit Bear Mountain when he was young? He spent a lot of time practicing his freestyle moves here.

Bear Mountain helped make freestyle skiing and snowboarding popular. It opened one of the first freestyle parks in the early 1990s. In the early 2000s, Transworld Snowboarding Magazine even named Bear Mountain one of its Top 10 Parks!

Jibbing and More

The fun of "jibbing" continues to grow at Bear Mountain. Jibbing means sliding or grinding on things like rails, boxes, or ledges. The resort has special areas like the Red Bull Plaza for this. They also have a weekly film series called "Sunday in the Park" that shows off cool tricks.

About the Mountain

Bear Mountain has three main peaks. These are Bear Peak, Silver Mountain, and Goldmine Mountain. Bear Peak is the highest point in Southern California that you can reach by a ski lift. It stands tall at 8,805 ft (2,684 m)!

Like most ski resorts in Southern California, Bear Mountain uses a lot of artificial snowmaking. This helps make sure there's always enough snow for everyone to enjoy.

New Owners

In 2014, another big ski resort, Mammoth Mountain, bought Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. Later, in 2017, Mammoth Resorts was sold to a group of companies. This group is now called Alterra Mountain Company.

Bear Mountain Trails

Bear Mountain has many trails for all skill levels. You can find easy runs for beginners, fun trails for intermediate skiers, and challenging slopes for advanced riders.