Southern California ranks as one of the few places in the world where weather forecasters deliver both surf and snow reports during the same newscast. While surfers can choose from miles of beaches, there is only one resort destination for snow seekers in the know: Big Bear Lake. Surrounded by the San Bernardino Mountain National Forest at an elevation up to 9,000 feet, Big Bear Lake is a mountain resort community within a 100-mile drive from Los Angeles and Palm Springs.