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The lake only came into being in 1885 when the orange growers down the hill needed to tap into water from the mountains. That's why the first dam was built.
Before then, the Serrano Indians had used the place for hunting and gathering for around 2,500 years. Their name for the area was Yahaviat, which means Pine Place.
Today the water in the lake is used for recreation, and it is a huge draw. Boats of every kind enjoy Big Bear Lake, which is 7 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide at its widest part. Fisherfolk line the banks, and swimmers venture out for a splash.
A local license plate proclaims that up here there are "Four Seasons of Fun," and that is certainly the case, although many visitors seem to ignore the two best ones and stay away during spring and fall.
There is such a variety of things to do up here that it would be easy to write a weekly column for all the months of summer. Besides the lake, there are so many different places to visit.
For instance, there's the Moonridge Animal Park, which is looking to move from its current location in about two year's time. Debbie Richardson, the director, explains that it really isn't a zoo.
"Most of our animals have been rescued," she said. "They often can't return to the wild, and so we look after them here."
There are a great range of creatures at the park, and the staff of volunteers and full timers is dedicated to caring for them.
If you're looking to find out about the local fauna and flora, then you need to stop in at the Discovery Center on the North Shore. Here, Dennis Thomas and his staff will explain where to go and what to see. They arrange tours, canoe trips and even host well-attended concerts at the amphitheater at the rear of the facility.
The local population of about 17,000 throughout Big Bear Valley is swollen on weekends and holidays, but with so many rental houses and lodges even the busiest events leave plenty of room for all. In the winter, of course, weekends bring the skiers and snowboarders. But when the snow is gone, the chairlifts are used to get bicyclists to the top, where they can ride across some of the finest vistas in the state.
It's important to remember that Big Bear Lake is very high - 6,750 feet above sea level - 1,500 feet higher than Denver! This guarantees 300 days of sunshine each year, but that sunshine is very strong, so don't forget the sunscreen - you'll need it. The same sunshine also means that once a winter storm passes through and the roads have been ploughed, the surface soon dries. Motorcyclists know this and can ride year-round.
Big Bear is something of a magnet for all types of visitors, who enjoy its fine shopping and entertainment.
Every year, Big Bear attracts several large organized gatherings. There's the Corvette rally, the antique car clubs and the wooden boat shows. There is an Octoberfest, a Renaissance Faire and the annual Old Miners' Days, all of which draw big crowds.
There are plenty of marinas on the lake where boats are for hire, and several larger craft push out hourly for tours of the water and the scenery. There is even a pirate ship (from the movie "Time Bandits") for those with slightly quirky tastes.
If you have an interest in the past, check out the museum at the east end of the runway at Big Bear Airport. Here you can see how the earliest visitors to the valley lived and eked out a living digging for gold and trapping furs.
Over the last 10 weeks, we have visited some very diverse places, from the far deserts of Joshua Tree and Edwards Air Force Base to the fun palaces of Scandia and Raging Waters. In between we've looked in on the Claremont Art Museum and the Citrus Museum in Riverside to see how man has put his mark on his surroundings. Big Bear Lake happens to be my personal favorite, but in the end, it's really just a matter of choice.
There's so much in the Inland Empire to enjoy.
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