8 September 2026 · 2 minute read
Towing up to Big Bear without scaring yourself
Seventy two miles and four thousand feet of climb. The lake is worth it. The grade is where people learn what their truck is rated for.
Sunset over Big Bear Lake, with a canoe out on the water. Photo: Steve Hedin, CC BY-SA 3.0
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The grade is the whole story
Seventy two miles from the yard but about a hundred and five minutes, and the reason is the last twenty. The 330 out of Highland climbs hard, bends constantly and has very little shoulder.
A half ton truck that tows a loaded trailer fine on the flat can run hot on that climb. Coming back down is the half that catches people out, because brakes fade and there is nowhere to pull over and let them cool.
Know your numbers before you book
Look up your truck's tow rating and then look up the loaded weight of the trailer, not the dry weight. Dry weight is what it left the factory at with no water, no propane and nothing in it.
If those two numbers are close, take the 38 through Lucerne instead. It is longer and far gentler. Or let us tow it and meet you up there.
Serrano is the only full hookup on the lake
Serrano has full hookups and a view and it is booked months out for summer weekends. Pineknot, Holcomb Valley and Hanna Flat are water and power or dry.
Being dry at seven thousand feet is a different thing than being dry in the desert. You use less water and far more propane, because the furnace works all night even in July.
It is a four season destination
This is the one place on our list that is genuinely good all year. Summer is the lake and the trails. Winter is the ski hills and a very quiet campground.
Chains can be required on the 330 from December through March and that applies to the tow vehicle and the trailer. If you are going up in winter, tell us and we will talk it through.
Altitude changes how everything behaves
Sealed packets puff up, the refrigerator takes longer to pull down and anybody who lives at sea level will feel the first day. Drink more water than you think you need.
Engines lose power with altitude too, which is part of why the climb feels harder than the map suggests.
What we would send you out in
A short travel trailer if you are towing it yourself, or a Class C if you would rather drive one vehicle up the hill instead of two.
A motorhome handles that grade better than most half ton trucks pulling a trailer, and it is one less thing to think about on the way back down.
Written by The yard team. Call or text (909) 259-7837 if you want a second opinion on a site before you book it.
