Big Bear Alpine Zoo
A mountain zoo that rescues injured wildlife, where you can see grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and snow leopards up close.
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center. It cares for local and mountain animals that cannot be released into the wild due to injury or because they were raised by humans. These include grizzly bears, black bears, gray wolves, mountain lions, snow leopards, bald eagles and about 60 species in total. In 2020 it moved to the new Moonridge site, which has more space. A full walk around takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, which makes it good for children. Admission is about 20 US dollars, and during peak-season weekends it is advisable to buy tickets online in advance. It is located between Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, so it can be scheduled on the same day as skiing or snow play.
Opening hours
approx. 10:00–17:00 (earlier closing in winter)
Nearby sights
- Bear Mountain
- Big Bear Snow Play
- Snow Summit
- The Village at Big Bear Lake
- Big Bear Discovery Center
- Alpine Pedal Path
- Cougar Crest Trail
- Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain