Big Bear · Trails & routes
Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve
Pebble plains and wintering bald eagles east of the lake
Managed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife
A 156-acre state ecological reserve east of Big Bear Lake. CDFW describes it as protecting a unique pebble plain plant community and vernal wet meadow habitat, and notes its significance for a wintering population of bald eagles.
CDFW purchased the property from The Nature Conservancy in 1989 to protect rare and endangered plant populations. Pebble plains are a habitat type found almost nowhere else on earth.
Getting there
- The reserve is on the Baldwin Lake side of the valley, off Highway 18 northeast of Big Bear City.
- Access rules, permitted uses and any seasonal restrictions on ecological reserves are set by CDFW — read the reserve page before visiting.
Safety & etiquette
- Pebble plain plants are tiny, rare and easily destroyed by footsteps and tyres. Stay on established access routes.
- Open, exposed, high-desert-edge terrain with no shade or services.
- Give wintering eagles distance; disturbing them is both harmful and illegal.
Keep exploring nearby
- Gold Mountain & Holcomb Valley 4x4 / OHV →
The historic gold-rush valley north of the lake, by vehicle
- Big Bear Discovery Center →
The forest's visitor information hub on the north shore
- Holcomb Valley Pinnacles →
Granite climbing & outdoor recreation area north of Big Bear Lake
What we don't publish
Trail maps, opening hours, eagle-viewing timing and current access: information currently unavailable here — CDFW is the source.