Bikepacking Big Bear Lake in Southern California

There’s a scenic forest road situated high above Big Bear Lake in Southern California that only a few people know about. It takes about 1 hour of steady cycling from the city center to reach what is known as “Skyline Road,” and once you reach this magical place… the cycling is out of this world!

Time your bike ride just right and you might be lucky enough to have the entire road to yourself. As you cycle, take in the tall trees, period lake views, and the magic of the mountains.

Mountain biking on Skyline Road is an excellent one or two day trip. While it’s possible to complete this entire bike ride in a single day, you should consider camping at the top of Skyline Road while you’re out there. This route makes for an incredible overnight weekend-style bike tour!

Camping is permitted in certain spots alone Skyline Road for as long as 14 nights in a row. Camping is free and there are usually plenty of available spots.

The map below shows the route you should take if you plan to cycle this scenic road above Big Bear Lake in Southern California. Watch the videos from my short overnight bikepacking trip above and then download the map below to your smartphone or GPS so you can conduct your own bikepacking adventure in the mountains of Southern California!

WANT TO SEE MY BIKEPACKING GEAR LIST? — Click here to view a detailed breakdown of the bike, gear and clothing I used on this particular bikepacking Big Bear cycling adventure.

Click here to download the KLM file for this Big Bear Lake bikepacking route.