Big Bear Lake's Pineknot Trail Offers a Fun Forest Adventure

The Pineknot Trail starting south of Big Bear Village is filled with variety, scenic views of Big Bear Lake and the high desert from a vantage point of 7,784 feet; meadows of lush ferns fed from mountain springs and rock formations decorating desert peaks; challenges for veteran hikers and level ground for those taking their time.

I learned about the trail on a list of hikes around Big Bear at the Discovery Center north of Fawnskin, 42300 North Shore Drive. I've hiked the Cougar Crest trail a few times since the trailhead was an easy walk from our camp site at Serrano Campground, but this time I wanted to try something new. My wife and I studied the different options and saw the Pineknot Trail was rated moderate to difficult, plus it offered views of Big Bear Lake. When hiking in the mountains, I like seeing out and above viewpoints.

Our destination was Grand View Point and it was listed as a 6-mile round trip taking 3 hours for experienced hikers.

We drove from the Discovery Center, across the bridge connecting North Shore Drive to Big Bear Boulevard, drove south past Big Bear Village and found Mill Creek Road and took a left.

The trail begins at the Aspen Glen Picnic Area off of Mill Creek Road. The sign for the trailhead is at the front of the parking lot and to the left when driving in.

Hiking the First Half of Pineknot Trail

The trail has a few short steep sections, but the early part is gradual enough to make access easy for those who aren't in shape. We hiked during a mid-August day starting at 11am. The sun-exposed areas were hot, but there was plenty of shade to enjoy a cool down and get refreshed.

The first view of Big Bear Lake comes after about 10 minutes to 15 minutes of hiking. There is a second view of Big Bear Lake that gives an even broader view of the water. Even though the trail makes its way above the town, there are no signs of the buildings below.

After 50 minutes to an hour of hiking, there is a wide lookout under trees on the left hand side of the trail. We weren't sure if this was Grand View Point or not since there were no signs marking either the spot or giving mileage to our destination.

We had lunch under the shade trees and enjoyed the breeze and watching the boats sailing on the lake. We could see the opposite shore and the white-domed observatory that sits on the water near the edge of Serrano Campground.

The Second Half of Pineknot

The main trail continues in a narrow line straight down the hill, while a trail mountain bikers like to take veers off to the right up a steep hill.

We found wild blueberry bushes and several springs watering the edges of the path. There was plenty of rain and snow the previous winter and the springs in late summer were evidence of the water.

We were surprised to find thick ferns in a meadow as we walked closer to the Deer Camp Group Campground near forest road 2N08.

Stay on the trail which is 1E01 at this junction. The trail continues with the group campground on the left hand side. Hikers coming back from Grand View Point told us it was only about a half-mile to the vista. However, it seemed there was no way we were walking to a lookout area. We were hiking on fairly level ground with a forest road on our right.

And then we reached the lookout along another forest road.

People drove to the site and a couple of benches made it comfortable to look out over a valley and Onyx Peak over 9,000 feet high. The final quarter mile walk took us away from the benches and up a fairly steep but doable grade. It was worth the final effort. A green valley lay below us and I caught a glimpse of Highway 38 winding through the trees.

I now understood how the Pineknot trail moved from its starting point of Big Bear Lake, traveling south and east away from the water. From our final vantage point, we could see Yucaipa to the south with wonderfully unobstructed views of Onyx Peak.

Pineknot Trail's variety makes it an enjoyable hike that engages the senses and stirs the imagination. It's definitely worth taking.

Trail notes

The drive from the Discovery Center to the intersection of Mill Creek Road and Big Bear Boulevard is about 2 ½ miles.

Hiking boots are not necessary on Pineknot, although I preferred wearing my Nevados boots instead of my Nike Gel running shoes. Sturdy shoes with tread on the bottom are always preferred.

Carry plenty of water when hiking in the mountains. We carried six 16.9 ounce water bottles up Pineknot, two were frozen and used to insulate our lunch bag. I'm an experienced hiker and runner and I drank two of the water bottles.

The trail is popular with mountain bikers who usually travel two or three together.

Our hiking time down the mountain was 1 hour 20 minutes and that included a brief stop.