Roads To Big Bear Toolkit
Why Roads to Big Bear Matters
With Big Bear Mountain Resort open for the winter season and Highway 38 seeing periodic re-construction efforts, we've arrived in a winter where Highway 330 carries most of our visitor and logistics traffic.
In response, Big Bear Mountain Resort (BBMR), Visit Big Bear, the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, San Bernardino County, and the City of Big Bear Lake have launched the Roads to Big Bear initiative — a coordinated effort to:
- Ease congestion during peak weekends
- Improve safety and clarity for visitors
- Support our local economy and guest experience all season long
A key part of the strategy is encouraging:
- Travel via Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley whenever possible
- Earlier arrivals (Thursday)
- Later departures (Monday)
This is how we work together to spread traffic out, reduce bottlenecks on 330, and still welcome a strong winter season.
Roads to Big Bear Toolkit – Please Use in ALL Guest Communications
We’ve created a Roads to Big Bear Toolkit specifically for you and your teams:
View Roads To Big Bear Toolkit
The toolkit includes:
Messaging for use in: Pre-arrival and confirmation emails
- Website content and FAQs
- Social media posts
- Printed materials and signage
- Photography and video assets you can plug into your marketing
- Maps and visual route guidance highlighting Highway 18 via Lucerne Valley
- Marketing assets to help you align with the valley-wide effort
Action requested:
1. Share the toolkit with all customer-facing staff
- Front desk and reservations
- Call centers and guest services
- Social media, marketing, and owners/hosts (including STR hosts)
2. Incorporate the messaging everywhere you can
- Include Roads to Big Bear guidance in confirmation emails and pre- arrival communications.
- Add a “Roads to Big Bear” or “Winter Travel Tips” section to your website.
- Use the social posts, images, and videos to reinforce the message across your channels.
Our goal is for every guest, no matter where they book or who they talk to, to hear the same clear, helpful message before they start their drive.
Come Early, Stay Late – Create Reasons to Extend Stays
The campaign only works if all of us help create reasons for guests to travel on non-peak days. We are asking every lodging, retail, dining, and activity partner to consider:
1. Thursday arrival perks
- Discounted Thursday night rates
- Early check-in for Thursday arrivals
- Thursday-only specials or experiences
2. Sunday night & Monday extensions
- Reduced Sunday-night rates or “Stay Sunday, Save Monday” offers
- Monday activity discounts (tours, rentals, attractions, spa, etc.)
- Sunday evening programming: live music, trivia, family nights, special menus
3. Midweek and extended-stay offers
- “Stay 3, Get the 4th Night at a Discount”
- Packages that bundle lodging + activities for Thursday–Monday stays
Please take a moment with your team to ask:
“What can we offer that encourages guests to arrive Thursday and leave Monday instead of adding to Friday/Sunday traffic?”
If you launch specific Roads to Big Bear deals or events, feel free to share them with us so we can help amplify where appropriate.
Digital Summit Recording – Deeper Dive into the Plan
We recently hosted the Fall Partner Digital Summit, where Visit Big Bear, the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, and a panel of community leaders walked through the Roads to Big Bear strategy in detail — including business impacts, supply chain considerations, safety messaging, and best practices for guest communication.
You can watch the full recording here:
Fall Digital Summit Recording
Passcode: #f%i@nU6
We strongly encourage you and your leadership teams to watch this session if you were not able to attend live.
Central Visitor-Facing Info Hub
Please also direct guests to the official visitor hub for live conditions and travel tips:
This page includes:
- Real-time road updates and links to Caltrans
- Winter readiness and safety tips
- Alternate route information and maps
- Ongoing campaign updates throughout the 2025–26 winter season