Serrano Campground in Big Bear
Friday, July 18, 2008 14:08My husband and I (and our dog Kaylee) recently stayed for three days at 
Serrano Campground on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. We enjoyed how serene the area was - the north shore, Fawnskin, is much prettier than Big Bear City and even than Big Bear Village. There is something very restful and clean-looking amid the pines, sunshine and sagebrush on that side of the lake.
Serrano Campground is rather large, but since it’s divided into contained loops, you don’t get a crowded campground sensation.
We were camping in the Evening Star loop - the furthest one in from the entrance. We had a tiny lake peek - I could see boats in the distance going by on my little patch of blue, visible water. Ponderosa pines, sage and rabbit brush hid some of the sites (and also much of the the toilet building) from obvious sight.
We choose a loop without electricity, but the clean bathroom building did have flush toilets, sinks, full hot showers and real over-the-sink mirrors.
Every few sites sprouted hand pumps with clean cold water for cooking, cleaning and drinking.
Each site has its own handicapped-accessible picnic table, fire ring, trees and paved parking spot.
A plus for us - although the campground is peaceful and seems remote, the Village of Big Bear is really only a five minute drive back over the west lake causeway (the Stansfield Cutoff). So quick runs to Rite Aid for sunscreen, and grabbing
a hot dinner in town, were very doable for us.
The entrance hut sells bundles of firewood but nothing else. A small store/shack with ice, beer, coffee and some groceries lies 200 yards down and across from the campground entrance. A hand-written sign points the way.
Adjacent Hikes and Attractions:
- The gentle, scenic 2.3 mile Alpine Pedal Path run through Serrano Campground, ending a bit to the east at the cool-looking Solar Observatory (on a jetty out over the lake), and running past the Big Bear Discovery Center and rambling along the north shore of Big Bear Lake to the east end causeway.
- The Woodland Trail and Cougar Trail ( leading to the Pacific Crest Trail) are easily accessible via walking distance from Serrano Campground.
- The Big Bear Discovery Center is just off the entry to the campground, a tiny bit east on the north side of the highway. This is an excellent walking destination for families, as the Center is both a museum and a gift shop, and this is the best place to get oriented to the outdoor activities of Big Bear and the lake.
Reservations are necessary most weekends - especially in the summer. This is a very desirable campground among southern California residents for its easy access to Big Bear Lake…and for peace, beauty and tall shady pines.
Well recommended.
Stumble it!
jill says:
July 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
from another jill… looks like a great, peaceful, relaxing place… lake is calm, looks quiet! not a power boat in sight - can it be true?
thx for posting this
jill, calgary, canada
admin says:
July 18th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
There were power boats, but only a few, as this was a weekday. I would guess a weekend day in the summer would be full of jet skis and water skiiers with powerboats.
During the week, the place was pristine! With lovely slanting evening sunlight. The place is a keeper.
Sandra says:
July 18th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
It looks gorgeous and secluded. Great pics. The small shack must have come in handy.
admin says:
July 18th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Yeah, true. They didn’t have an awful lot in that store, but I am all for hot coffee and cold beer. Depending on the time of day of course.
We actually did grab coffee from there. Or Dan did. While I slept in he brought me coffee. He’s good like that.
polyGeek says:
July 18th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
This is an ideal place to camp in the summer because of the cool mountain air. In fact, the first night we were there we had to go to Big K to get warm clothes because it was so chilly. Who knew?
admin says:
July 18th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
That’s right, we even made a fire.
That Big Kmart wasn’t so hot though. They didn’t even carry men’s sweatpants. What’s up with that?
Rosie LaVertue says:
July 19th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Hi Jilly its me Rosie from Bella, great pictures
Going Camping in Big Bear at HippyGeek says:
July 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
[…] 7/19/08- I wrote about our Big Bear camping trip on Crestline Living and added photos. Was a lovely three days along Big Bear Lake. Filed under All […]
shirteesdotnet says:
October 18th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I drove by the campground a few weekends ago and all of the camp sites look like they are on top of each other. Are there any spots there that are a bit isolated from one another so there is some privacy? Any spot you might recommend? Thanks!
admin says:
October 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Hi Shirtee! I would use the Evening Star loop - it’s the furthest one in and seems to have larger sites, with more tree and shrubs between people. I didn’t feel like I was on top of other people there.
I saw that the loops closer to the entrance looked more tightly packed.
Also, my actual best suggestion is to stay at the campground on weekdays if possible (Fri-Mon are are the busiest days) and in the off seasons (like now, in in the mid to late fall, and early spring).
Have fun and let me know if you found the kind of site you were looking for. If there are good sites you’d recommend from your own experience, we’d love to know of them!
admin says:
October 19th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hi Rosie from Bella! It’s good to see you here. Thanks for the compliment on my pictures. It’s hard to take an ugly shot of such gorgeous country!