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Established Camping

Pineknot

16 Reviews

Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

<strong>This campground is temporarily closed due to road damage caused by heavy snowfall. We hope to have it open later this month and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Reservation holders will receive an email with additional information. </strong>

About

National Forest

San Bernardino National Forest

Overview

Pineknot Campground is located in the mountains of San Bernardino at Big Bear Lake. It is a popular destination for many outdoor enthusiasts looking for respite from the busy cities nearby. While the campground can accommodate RVs, it is best situated for tent camping. It is in a prime location for mountain biking.

Recreation

Its location at the base of a ski mountain provides visitors with unlimited access to popular lift-served mountain biking trails. Hikers also enjoy the campground's proximity to a number of trails that vary in levels of difficulty. Big Bear Lake offers a variety of water-related recreation opportunities, including boating and fishing. A marina is located about five miles from the campground. The cold waters of the lake aren't too popular for swimming, but canoeing and sailing on the lake are viable options.

Facilities

The campground offers dozens of single-family sites for tent or RV camping. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Firewood is available for purchase. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. No hookups are available. Trash collection bins are also available and a campground host is on-site. A dump station is available across the lake at Serrano Campground. Additional parking is available just outside of the campground.__

Natural Features

The campground sits at the base of Snow Summit Ski Resort at an elevation of 6,900 feet. It is nestled in a dense forest of fir, pine and oak trees, which provide ample shade in the campground.

Nearby Attractions

The adjacent town of Big Bear Lake provides opportunities for shopping and dining.

Charges & Cancellations

Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations.__ Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites.__ Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility.__ Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation.__ Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies.__ Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location.__ Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date.__ If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.__ Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund.__ Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure.__ Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777."__ Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July__

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Big Rig Friendly

Rent an RV near Big Bear Lake, California

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Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

16 Reviews

CThe Dyrt PRO User
Reviewed Sep. 8, 2023

Hidden Gem! Walk into Big Bear City!

Great campground. Hidden gem for sure. It was secluded and quiet. Had great connectivity for calls, just nor zoom calls. It is a bit tricky to find the road in, but drive up Summit until you hit employee parking, then drive through the employee lot, hang a left and a quick right and you are there. Sean was our Camp Host and was pleasant and on point with firewood. We will be back for sure!

Site29
Month of VisitSeptember
J. J.
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2023

Lots of Pine Trees; Butted up against Snow Summit

Pineknot is a decent, if not average, campground in Big Bear that wasn't too crowded for a summer week. The entrance is a little strange and hidden; I Google mapped it so I knew where it was. I didn't realize that the campground sat at the bottom of Snow Summit Ski Resort, but it was quiet and peaceful nonetheless. Each site comes with a bear box, which was good b/c the camp host mentioned a bear had been frequenting sites. After walking around the campground, I think 19 and 47 are the best sites for privacy. We stayed at 30 and were able to see neighbors on all sides of us, but all of our neighbors were quiet.

Site30
Month of VisitSeptember
Amanda B.
Reviewed Jun. 21, 2022

Clean, pretty, private, wildlife, nice hosts, near essentials

We love Pineknot campground and have camped there 3 or 4 years in a row now. The last few times we have gone we have stayed in 19 because of its location and layout. We hear coyotes at night, and have seen raccoons and I swear I saw a bear but my husband insists it was a raccoon 😅. The bathrooms are clean and are flush toilets with a sink. Campground has nice walking/biking areas and it's right next to the snow summit which we discovered recently has a lot of fun especially if you bring a mountain bike.

Site19
Month of VisitJuly

Location

Pineknot is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

From I-10 in Redlands, take Highway 330 to Highway 18 in Running Springs. Continue east on Highway 18 at Big Bear Lake Dam, go straight at the dam and follow Highway 18. Turn onto Summit Boulevard and continue to a block wall. Turn left into the campground.

Coordinates

34.235875 N
116.886078 W

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