Serrano Campground

This past weekend, Adelaide and I got away into the mountains with a couple friends. We headed into Fawnskin, on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, to check out the Lake Loop at Serrano Campground. This family campground is run by the Forest Service with Rangers on-site 24 hours per day. And boasts actual bathrooms and showers! Yup, flushing toilets and all. For this backcountry camper, it felt more like glamping.

We setup “home” in spot 106. The sites allow two cars, and they are very strict about this. All vehicles need to be backed into their designated parking spots, and we recommend doing this during daylight hours. Backing in during the darkness of night may result in pretty poor parking jobs lol. Don’t ask me how I know this.

The Lake Loop sites back up to the Alpine Bike Path, making it a perfect place to get in a lakeside nature walk. Or, if you’re feeling up to a bigger challenge, the Cougar Crest Trail is located just across Hwy 38. This trail connects to the PCT and can be taken all the way up to Bertha Peak which boasts some of the best views of the Big Bear Valley! Not feeling up to a hike? The Big Bear Discovery Center has some fun stuff to see and activities for the kids to enjoy as well.

The campground is also only a 10 minute drive into Big Bear Village. So, if you’d rather have a meal served to you than cook one at camp, your options are pretty endless. We opted to drive into town for dinner and had a nice meal at one of the local restaurants.

Quiet time is strictly enforced at Serrano from 10pm to 6am with Rangers doing a sweep of the grounds at 10pm to ensure that everyone is keeping the noise levels to a minimum. Firewood can be purchased from the Rangers and used in the fire pits provided at each site. And there is potable water available as well.

A walk down to the lake takes about 5 minutes and is highly recommended! Once you reach the lake, the Big Bear Observatory is just another 5 minute walk along the shoreline. And, you can fish in Big Bear Lake, so be sure to bring your fishing poles and bait. 😉

At the time of this writing, the campgrounds were open seasonally: from March through November. Single, non-holiday sites cost $32 per day for tent camping with a single vehicle. These sites book fast, so if you’re planning to go, visit Recreation.gov to see if there are any sites available during the dates you want to visit.

All in all, I really loved this campground. From the quiet time. To the running water. And the easy access to town. I highly recommend this family campground to anyone looking to camp in or around the Big Bear Lake area.

Have you visited Serrano Campground? What was your favorite thing about the sites? Have another favorite spot you love that you’d like us to highlight? Let us know in the comments below!

Hike safe, and see you on the trails!