Big Bear locals pride themselves on knowing just enough about their community to validate their local status. Whether you’re planning on living in Big Bear someday or you just want to be able to carry on a conversation with the natives, it helps to know some basic facts about our alpine paradise. The next time you have a chance to share your Big Bear knowledge, throw a few of these tidbits into the conversation.
Big Bear Trivia
- Big Bear was named after the Grizzly Bears that once roamed the valley.
- Local Serrano Indians called the area “Yuhaviat” or Pine Place.
- Gold was first discovered in the area in the winter of 1860.
- The gold rush was over by 1862 but miners still hunt for gold today.
- Big Bear Lake was created when the first dam was built in 1885.
- At the time, Big Bear Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world.
- Belleville, a ghost town in Holcomb Valley, once had a population of 1000.
- In 1912, the current dam was completed and tripled the lake’s capacity.
- The film industry has been making movies in Big Bear since the 1910’s.
- Elvis Presley visited Big Bear in 1962 for the filming of “Kissing Cousins”.
- Big Bear’s first ski lift was constructed in 1949 by Judge Clifford Lynn.
And if your trivia doesn’t impress your audience, try some Big Bear factoids.
Here are some interesting statistics:
- Big Bear Lake elevation: 6,743 feet
- Big Bear Lake length: 7 miles
- Big Bear Lake shoreline: 22 miles
- Max. water depth at the dam 72 feet
- Big Bear Lake capacity: 73,370 acre feet
- Busiest day on the lake: July 4th for the fireworks
- Big Bear Valley length: 12.5 miles
- Average sunny days per year: 300
- Average snowfall is 61.8 inches, can have upwards of 100 inches
- Average permanent population: 17,000
- Average daytime temperature in the summer: 72 F
- Average daytime temperature in the winter: 30 F
If all else fails there’s really only one other way to earn local status and it’s not by placing a bear paw sticker on your car. It’s by taking advantage of arguably the best property values ever offered in the Big Bear valley. Give our team a call and find out first hand just how affordable the title “Big Bear Local” can be.
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