Somewhere to Love Visiting

People already love coming to Big Bear.

They come for the lake, the snow, the trails, the fresh air, and the feeling that life moves a little differently up here. They celebrate birthdays, teach their children to ski, take their first boat ride, hike beneath the pines, and return year after year to continue family traditions. We should want to share Big Bear with them.

Tourism supports our local businesses, creates jobs, and introduces people to a place we are fortunate enough to call home. Visitors are not the problem. The challenge is making sure tourism strengthens our community without overwhelming the mountain, its infrastructure, or the people who live and work here.

Big Bear Tourism should not just be measured only by how many people arrive. It should also be measured by whether they had a meaningful experience, treated the mountain well, supported local businesses, and want to return with greater appreciation.

Our goal should be thoughtful growth—not simply more visitors, but a better experience for everyone.

Welcome to Our Home

Big Bear is a destination, but it is also our home.

Most visitors want to treat it with care. Sometimes they simply need to understand that the lake, forest, roads, neighborhoods, and businesses they are enjoying belong to a living community.

When we show pride in our community, that pride can be contagious. Visitors who see clean public spaces, clear expectations, and locals who genuinely care are more likely to treat Big Bear with that same respect.

Respect the Mountain—and the People.

A great visitor experience depends on people.

It depends on the server working through a packed holiday weekend, the cashier managing a long line, the snowplow driver clearing our roads, the first responder answering another call, the housekeeper preparing a rental, and the small-business owner doing everything possible to take care of customers.

Traffic, bad weather, long waits, and crowded weekends can be frustrating, but frustration is never an excuse to mistreat someone. The people serving our visitors are working hard, often during the busiest days of the year. They deserve patience, gratitude, and respect.

That culture of kindness must begin with us—and our elected officials should set the highest example. Leadership is not just shaking hands, posing for pictures, or saying the right things in public. Genuine character is revealed in how someone treats people when there is no audience, no recognition, and nothing to gain.

We should elect people who are genuinely kind, who lead with respect, and who understand that their example helps shape our entire community.

Kindness is contagious. If we model it in our homes, businesses, public meetings, and everyday interactions, EVERYONE will feel it—and carry it with them.

Plan for the Future-- Before the Future Arrives

Infrastructure may not be the reason someone visits Big Bear, but it can determine whether they leave with a wonderful memory—or a frustrating one.

Visitors may come for the scenery, but infrastructure shapes their entire trip.

They notice whether roads are safe, signs are clear, parking is understandable, restrooms are available, trash containers are maintained, and public spaces feel clean and cared for. They also feel the frustration when traffic becomes gridlocked or there is nowhere appropriate to park.

There are creative, practical ways to plan proactively. We can anticipate demand, strengthen infrastructure before it fails, coordinate across agencies, and make decisions based on what Big Bear will need ten or twenty years from now—not only what gets us through the next budget cycle.

The situation facing our Fire Department did not happen overnight; it grew from decisions made—and avoided—years ago. Delaying difficult choices only makes the solutions more expensive and leaves future generations to clean up the mess.

We need people who are ready to fix the messes in front of us while making sure we do not leave new ones for future generations to pick up.

Thoughtful leadership means looking ahead. It means maintaining what we have, planning responsibly for growth, asking hard questions early, and being honest about what our community will need. It means investing wisely today so tomorrow’s residents are not forced to solve problems we could have prevented.

Big Bear’s future is coming whether we prepare for it or not.

A Shared Responsibility

Creating somewhere to love visiting is not the job of one.

It requires cooperation among the city, local businesses, lodging providers, resorts, public-safety agencies, transportation partners, environmental groups, and residents.

Our pride, patience, and care for this mountain can inspire others. That does not mean ignoring disrespectful behavior or accepting damage to our community. It means welcoming visitors while being clear about what it means to visit responsibly.

People already love visiting our mountain.

Our responsibility is to make sure their experience deepens that love—and that they leave understanding why this place deserves their care.

Big Bear should be Somewhere to Love Visiting.