The Champion, My Friends!

Hike to Big Bear's Champion Lodgepole Pine and Visit Bear Valley Farms for the Holidays

If visiting one of the tallest Christmas trees in the world doesn’t put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will! We’re actually talking about Big Bear’s Champion Lodgepole Pine—a wild tree, not ornamented, but the festive feeling is still there. The 4.3-mile loop to reach it via Castle Rock Trail is truly one of the hidden gems of Big Bear.

The first mile is all uphill, with the altitude (7,500 feet) adding some challenge, but amazing views of Big Bear Lake make the ascent bearable. After reaching Castle Rock, the trail gets a bit hard to follow. Just head left, then stick to the right, heading away from the lake and toward the trees. Eventually the trail becomes clear again and is marked by yellow signs and arrows mounted to the trees. Continue until you reach forest road 2N86, then make a right and follow the road until you see a turn on your left to enter Bluff Lake Reserve—closed for the winter, but hikers can continue on the trail, passing by beautiful Bluff Lake. Another turn to the left leads straight to the Champion Lodgepole.

Tallest lodgepole in the world? Who knows for sure, but it’s a beaut—110 feet tall, 440 years old, towering above all the mere-mortal lodgepole pines around it. To complete the loop, follow the Bluff Mesa Trail to return to 2N86. Make a right onto the road and follow it until you hit the trail heading back toward Castle Rock, past Big Bear Lake to Highway 18.

Extra Cheer: Bear Valley Farms, just a few minutes down the road, is full of holiday spirit, and the young and young at heart will enjoy a hayride through holiday light displays, visiting goats at the petting zoo, shopping for Christmas crafts, and meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus. Warm up with a complimentary cup of hot cocoa and a Christmas cookie before leaving this foresty winter wonderland and returning to the real world.

Take CA-210 to CA-330 north toward Big Bear. Continue onto Hilltop Blvd./Hwy. 18 for approximately 29 miles. The trailhead will be on your right, roughly one mile past the bridge over the dam. Street parking is available. After your hike, get to Bear Valley Farms by continuing on Hwy. 18 through Big Bear City and turn right on E. Big Bear Blvd. The address is 1601 E. Big Bear Blvd. Open every Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Christmas. Buy tickets here. No dogs at the farm, but the hike is dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View