Riding to Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead
Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear sit at the far end of the Rim of the World Scenic Byway, State Route 18, which runs the ridge of the San Bernardino Mountains at around 5,000 feet with the basin laid out below it.
This is DROC’s longest regular single-day ride, roughly 200 miles round trip, and we have run it five times. The climb up from San Bernardino and the run alongside Silverwood Lake are the good parts.
How DROC rides it
- Start early and come fuelled. The first leg out of Orange County is freeway and it is better done before the heat.
- Altitude means weather. Snow closes sections in winter and afternoon thunderstorms build in summer.
- Lunch is usually at the lake before the return leg, which is when a long day starts to feel long. Eat properly.
Every time we have ridden it
- Long Ride to Lake Arrowhead August 2026, August 2026
- Rim of the world + Arrowhead + BigBear, July 2024
- A long ride to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear – April 2022, April 2022
- DROC-Big Bear Lake Ride, October 2020
- DROC Long Ride – Lake Arrowhead – Big Bear, June 2019
Route plans
These are the actual route plans DROC has used, with the map for each. Ride leaders pick from these rather than inventing a route every time, which is why the same roads come up again: they work. Nothing stops you riding them on your own.
| Route | Length | Hours | Last ridden | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead, BigBear | Full day | July 2024 | Route | |
| Arrowhead, BigBear, Lake Mathews | Full day | July 2024 | Route |
Ride it with us
Every DROC ride runs the same way: a safety briefing before we roll, staggered formation, a lead and a sweep, and regroups at every junction that matters. The full ground rules and the hand-signal guide are on the rides page.
See what is coming up, or join DROC. Bike nights are free and open to non-members, so you can also just turn up to one first.