Big Bear City is an unincorporated mountain community in San Bernardino County, California, set along the east shore of Big Bear Lake and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. It lies about 27 miles northeast of San Bernardino, at an elevation of roughly 6,800 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, immediately east of the incorporated city of Big Bear Lake. The two communities together form the core of the Big Bear Valley, one of Southern California's principal alpine destinations. The area's identity is built on four-season mountain recreation. In winter, the slopes of Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, draw skiers and snowboarders from across the region. In summer, the lake becomes the focus, with boating, fishing, and watersports, while the surrounding forest offers hiking, mountain biking, and camping. This seasonal rhythm supports a resort economy of lodges, cabins, shops, and restaurants, and shapes a housing stock heavy with cabins, A-frames, and vacation homes. Big Bear City itself is a year-round residential community as well as a recreation base, with a permanent population that supports schools, churches, and local services. Public education is provided by the Bear Valley Unified School District. Housing ranges from modest mountain cabins to larger lakeside and forest homes, with a substantial share of second homes and short-term rentals. Mountain Highways 18 and 38 provide the principal access, and winter travel can require chains during storms. Big Bear City suits those drawn to high-elevation, four-season mountain living within a couple of hours of the Southern California coast and desert. It offers a true alpine lifestyle, access to one of the region's most popular recreation areas, and the quiet of national forest surroundings, while remaining connected to the Inland Empire by mountain highways.