Big Bear Alpine Zoo
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo, formerly Moonridge Animal Park, is a zoo in Big Bear Lake, California, United States. Its story as a place to visit starts in 1959. Around it, San Gorgonio Mountain (9.9 mi) comes first on our list.
A zoo & aquarium inside Big Bear Lake
You can stay in Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Alpine Zoo is inside Big Bear Lake, which has 151 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 74–80°. When to go ↓
Established in 1959
Big Bear Alpine Zoo dates from 1959. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The climate here
Every month near Big Bear Alpine Zoo is set out below.
Big Bear Alpine Zoo
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo, formerly Moonridge Animal Park, is a zoo in Big Bear Lake, California, United States. The zoo is one of two Alpine zoos in the United States. It specializes in the rehabilitation and release of local Alpine species and also has a permanent collection of animals in the zoo (most of which can not be released). The zoo is located across the street from Bear Mountain Ski Resort.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 160 animals · 80 species
- Established
- 1959
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.5K a year
Where to stay near Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in Big Bear Lake (151) and Big Bear City (35).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Big Bear Alpine Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear Lake 73% vacation homes | in town | — | 151 46 hotels · 1 motel · 6 inns & B&Bs · 80 lodges & cabins · 2 hostels · 12 campgrounds · 4 RV parks | 5,018 | $577K | — |
| Big Bear City 55% vacation homes | 4 mi east | 5 min | 35 11 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 22 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 11,431 | $464K | — |
| Running Springs 36% vacation homes | 14 mi west | 20 min | 18 3 hotels · 2 motels · 5 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 4,917 | $385K | — |
| Lake Arrowhead 55% vacation homes | 18 mi west | 25 min | 31 14 hotels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 10,639 | $597K | — |
| San Bernardino | 25 mi west | 40 min | 50 27 hotels · 19 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 222,044 | $422K | D− |
| Redlands | 22 mi southwest | 30 min | 22 10 hotels · 9 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 74,128 | $619K | C− |
| Yucaipa | 17 mi southwest | 25 min | 8 2 hotels · 3 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 RV parks | 54,953 | $502K | — |
| Banning | 20 mi south | 30 min | 11 6 hotels · 3 motels · 2 campgrounds | 31,852 | $352K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
While you are near Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Within 69 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw67 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw69 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
110 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
26 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
Big draw67 mi Theme parkDisney California Adventure10.1M visitors a year
Big draw66 mi Stadium & arenaAngel Stadium of Anaheim
65 mi Stadium & arenaHonda Center
45 mi MountainMount San AntonioPhoto credits
Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Joshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Disney California Adventure: CrispyCream27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen, Public domain · Honda Center: Arnold C (Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Mount San Antonio: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0
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What people ask about Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Is Big Bear Alpine Zoo in Big Bear Lake?
Yes. It’s inside Big Bear Lake, CA.
When is the best time to visit Big Bear Alpine Zoo?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 74–80°.
How far is Big Bear Alpine Zoo from Riverside and Anaheim?
About 37 miles southwest of Riverside and about 57 miles southwest of Anaheim, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Big Bear Alpine Zoo?
San Bernardino (SBD), about 23 miles away.
Where should I stay near Big Bear Alpine Zoo?
Big Bear Lake (in town, 151 places to stay), Big Bear City (4 mi, 35 places to stay) and Running Springs (14 mi, 18 places to stay).
Ask a local in Big Bear Lake
Share what you know in Big Bear Lake’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.