Three Bears: Big Bear Lake

Shasta-Trinity National Forest

DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3

Brown line for day 3. Click for interactive map

We had nothing to do on the final day but retrace our steps back down to the trailhead. We had plenty of time to do it, so I could record, on this final day of summer, the few flowers we had passed on the way up. It must be said that the canyon looked a bit better under the morning sun, too.

Mount Shasta is hiding again.

Thin clouds over the very pointy bear teeth of the ridge around Big Bear Lake.

Folks weren't ready as fast as I was and I was deeply aware that I hadn't gotten the likely most common photo of Big Bear Lake from near the end of the trail, so I headed up the short way to the lake. The group that had arrived after us to camp there was still packing up and would start down just barely before us.

At the edge of Big Bear Lake.

The whole of Big Bear Lake in poorly executed panorama.

Everyone was already moving down the trail when I got back from having a morning look at Big Bear Lake and so I continued past the now abandoned camp without stopping. The first of the flowers I wanted to record were right at the creek crossing just below the lake.

Rose spirea along the creek where brush grows thick.

The sky reflects from Bear Creek where the brush is thin.

Wet rocks and little pools where water comes down from other spots.

Pearly everlasting in a thick meadow with built wooden steps to prove the trail really goes some of the places it goes.

Looking up to the granite with Little Bear Lake behind it.

The trees mostly take over the view.

The trail flattens out a little and there's a couple well used trails off toward the creek where there are some more well used camps.

Waxy checkerbloom.

The frosted paintbrush seems to be getting a little seedy.

Velvety goldenrod.

Some big trees around a bigger tree.

Some trail on a minor short ridge between oaks and manzanita.

The tops of the canyons are getting further away.

Window views.

I'd been certain the bridge was just down a short bit more for over a mile by the time we finally got to it. It's a lot of down! Once there, we hung out a little and got a better look at the waterfall from below the bridge.

Looking down at Bear Creek from the bridge.

The waterfall looking from below the bridge. The bridge is the dark thing crossing at the very top.

Not too much energy in the clouds today.

Leaving the wilderness once more.

We hung out at the lowest Bear Creek crossing for a little bit of lunch.

Bear Creek as it empties into the Trinity River.

Bear Creek with all its well rounded rocks.

Trinity River, likewise with well rounded rocks, some a bit larger.

And with finishing, we were ready to follow the short, somewhat rough (a carefully driven car should make it) road back to the highway we could hear on the far side of the river.


*photo album*




©2026 Valerie Norton
Published 16 Jan 2026