Pine Knot Trail

This place Is awesome to hike but you need to type «aspen glen picnic grounds «on ur gps to find parking and when you park the beginning of the hiking trail will be In front, remember to purchase a pass, we didn’t and we where fine lol

Easy hike to Grand View Point. Not difficult at all. Trail was well marked and easy to follow. We went off the trail for a while trying to find anything unusual. Found the main trail again in about an hour.

We parked at Aspen picnic area recommended by many reviewers. So much fun!!! Loved the view and enjoyed the length of the hike. Lots of the trail was narrow so only one person at a time. There was snow in several places which made it a bit slippery so make sure to take good shoes if going during this season. It is definitely not a hike u can do if you have other things to do so make sure to carve out a couple hours if you can. The view at the top was definitely something worth finishing for. We didn’t enounter bikers like others but we went on a Friday and didnt see more than a handful of people. Dont forget your adventure pass.

Parked on a side street (free) right after the picnic area parking. We studied the map before setting on our hike and it came in handy once we were half way there because the roads do split and thankfully there are maps along the way to guide you. The scenery was beautiful, air was refreshing, and the sound was peaceful. I recommend getting there early because as the day continues you see more people and more groups. The grand view definitely is amazing but it’s even better when no one else is around.

This trail had such a Beautiful View and it was so peaceful… Only noise was coming from my 13 yr old daughter and her friend who had a rough time with the climb up. Being I hike alot this trail to me was an easy to moderate I wouldnt take my 7 year old son on it because of the length of walking. I am giving it a 4 star just because we came to 2 seperate forks in the road that didnt have signs pointing you in the right direction and you could easily end up on another trail…

Big Bear is very close to heaven

Found *GPS device* on trail –it it yours?
Probably flew off somene’s bike… if you lost it on 7÷26÷2015 let me know (and state the make and model of the device) so I can help reunite you with it.
Great trail, nice pace of altitude gain and scenic path though the view at top not very gratifying. Still, happy to spend time hiking this.

We walked this trail today and while the views were beautiful I guess I should have taken a map with me. We parked at aspen park, got an adventure pass from the little green building by the road.
I took my daughters with me (age 4 and 11) and it was hard for them but it was beautiful. It’s mid July and it was not hot at all. Lots of up hills and you caught views of big bear lake as you walk. But BEWARE of the mountain bikers, they come barreling down towards you and just randomly yell how many more bikes are coming.
Kinda disappointing because the visitors center said there were waterfalls and there wasn’t. But, it was a nice hike. The trail got thin on some spots kinda scary for my kids with the huge hills they could fall down but it was beautiful.

We loved this trail!
We went on a Thursday in the late morning and there were very few people on the trail. We did not see any mountain bikers until we were almost back to the parking lot.
There are restrooms located at the parking lot, and a small outdoor restroom at the group camp site about ¾ of the way up.
Another reviewer said it was about 7 miles round trip.
The hike is somewhat shaded but you will need to bring a lot of water (I drank two 32oz Nalgene water bottles and it was not very hot) as there is no water on this trail. The hike is not too steep, I would rate it moderate. Another reviewer said that there is a picnic area about half way, but it’s not a picnic area, it’s a group camp site, and I think it’s actually a lot more than halfway because it only took about 20 minutes past that point to reach the Grandview Point.
Also, the view is incredible. I could have hiked twice as far for the view and been content.
This is an excellent hike, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a somewhat lengthy hike that is not a full day hike.
DON’T FORGET YOUR ADVENTURE PASS!

Pro Tip: set your GPS and park at Aspen Glen picnic ground. The Pine Knot trailhead is in the back of this picnic ground. If you follow the Unilocal address, it takes you to a random spot up a road past the trail head.
This trail is huge. It would take around 6 – 7 hours total if you begin at Aspen Glen and make it to Grand View and then double back stopping for lunch. This trail is one way and does not connect with other trails. The only trail map is at the Aspen Glen parking lot so take a picture of it. Once on the trail, it is difficult to get lost as the trail is well marked. You have one split at the very beginning that gives you to option to turn right onto Cabin trail. This is a different trail altogether.
Pine Knot is «easy» level difficulty insofar as the grade and footing of the trail, but since it is so long, I would call it moderately difficult. Half way into the trail, about after 2 hours of hiking, you find a picnic area so make sure you bring lunch with you.
My only qualm is that you have really no idea how far along the trail you are since the trail markers are just blue spraypaint instead of real markers with distance information. I just find that a silly oversight. Most hikers will double back before reaching Grand View point as the sheer distance is not well communicated by signage. If you are not prepared for a 7 hour adventure, you will have to turn back early as well.
Trail is dog and kid friendly.
Last tidbit, the trail you have to share with mountain bikers. This adds some extra annoyance, but the bikers should be courteous and not ruin your experience.

First, a few important points (some of which I gleaned from fellow Unilocalers):
— Buy an Adventure Pass for $ 5. You can get it at the visitor center (cash only), discovery center, or the 7 – 11 (which is just minutes from the village.
–Park at the Aspen Park Picnic Area. We went around 9am on a Saturday and there were plenty of spots.
–The trailhead is past the restrooms. The hike begins to the right of the Pine Knot Trail sign. I was dumb enough to start at the left of it, which made for some cool steep climbs. But, still…
Hikers! This is app 7 miles of hiking if you choose to enjoy the view from Grand View Point. I highly recommend it, btw. Some shade from the trees at certain points, some winding sections, clear markers along the way, and definitely a thin trail for most of the hike. With that said, beware of mountain bikers! I’m pretty sure you’re not looking to get hit. All in all, a decent hike. I liked it because I just love hiking. But, I give it 3 stars because I have a weakness for steep inclines, and this trail didn’t really offer much in that department.
Oh, and the trail may get tricky at some points, because it intersects with other trails somewhere in the middle. This is where the detailed guidelines from the Modern Hiker came in handy. Here’s the link:
Enjoy!

Yesterday, Sunday. Not too many folk. Beautiful, sunny, warm and plenty of snow. Brought my snowshoes. Hiked more than used my snowshoes but, plenty of snow off trail to do that. Absolutely beautiful. Haven’t hiked altitude in awhile. Since it’s almost straight up it was a little laboring but so well worth it. Maybe one of my new favs. Hoping for one more snow so I can go one more time and use my snowshoes more. Took a picnic and drove to the N end of the lake after.
Parking lot is small. It was full so, I parked across the road in front of a rental cabin. No problems but, I did have a day pass.
Really fabulous day!

This review is for beginner level hikers. If you are pro or fit please disregard. This trail kicked my ass. It was snowy and uphill most of the way in the beginning. I almost lost a friend up there. Not literally but figuratively. That bitch would not wait for me. So I guess kind of literally. Don’t take a date here unless you want him to see what you’ll look like while giving birth. Admittedly the harshest part was post holing my way to the top since I didn’t realize it would be so snowy and wore sneakers. I read the reviews and it sounded so breezy so just be prepared if you know you’re a little vanilla when it comes to hiking。Surprise ending though because I did make it to the top and the view was beautiful and all the things everyone else said.

Great trail, took about 4 hrs total to get to grand view point and was worth it! I think it’s about 6.5mi to the top and back. Get parking pass at Chrome Shop in Big Bear Lake.

Pine knot trail is a good trail. Not difficult but if you’re not used to exercise I would pace yourself. The path is well groomed and trees turning with beautiful fall colors. Trail is dog friendly. Fyi make sure you have a adventure pass for parking or you’ll get a ticket as we did!:(its 5 $ thats how much the pass is for the day.

Awesome trail. Started on a late Saturday morning (11:30) and returned by 3:30, but my party and I also took our sweet time. You need a parking pass to park at the Glen Aspen parking lot down below. Then just follow the sign past the restrooms to get to the head of the trail. It’s good to have some sort of paper map from the Big Bear Visitor’s center or some sort of device to help you in case you get lost.
This trail is moderate and not difficult at all. It doesn’t always go up. It has moments when it is going down and you wonder if you’re on the right trail. You get to see about 3 – 4 views of the lake as you hike mostly southward toward the mountain range in the back. Those spots provide good photo opportunities of the lake (however they are peeks and glances, not full views… the best one is probably the first time you see it).
The nature walk is great… trees, animals, forest, etc… It was clean. Also people are polite and also be aware of bikers who are coming down the mountain. They were usually good about slowing down or alerting us that they were coming and also saying how many were coming behind them.
Great overall experience… and at the top there is a great view of the mountain range and forest south of Big Bear… however I was expecting an area with a grand view to get a good look at everything, but it really was just the top of a small hill and to get a good view you have to find it by going down the top a bit.
Def. recommend… can’t wait to try more trails at Big Bear.

My husband and I attempted to find this trail, we typed the address on the Unilocal listing into Google Maps and ended up driving down dirt roads and ending up nowhere near the trail, it really got us messed up and lost so I don’t recommend doing that!
We ended up thinking we had found the trail but didn’t and ended up going off trail, 4 hours later, we used the compass on our iPhone to get back to our car. (never thought I’ve used that!) Not the best hike.
Just don’t do what we did and «think» you found the trail. Actually find it or ask someone before you start out!

I love pine knot trail! We were in Big Bear Lake for memorial day weekend, and went 2 days in a row. One of the days we did the entire hike (important note: its ¼ mile from the beginning of the trail to the sign that marks the trail head, and another ¼ from the technical end of the trail to the summit, so be warned that in total the hike is 7 miles, not 6 if you go to the top).
The next day I just did a trail run of about 3 miles, which was a good challenge.
The hike itself is pretty, and fairly difficult. Not too bad, but not easy either. Make sure to be cautious of people on bikes if you go during a crowded time. But everyone we encountered was super friendly, so that helps. Views at the top are amazing, so hike the extra quarter mile to enjoy them.
Dogs are allowed on leash, in case you have a dog that can handle it. Just bring lots of water, as the first 1 – 2 miles are pretty open and exposed.

Yay! Excellent! We followed the trail directions from this site:
The trip up to the point is beautiful — pine trees, fairly well-​shaded, gorgeous boulders. It was not at all crowded and my husband and I made it to the point without feeling very winded at all, even though it is a gentle incline for the most part. There are a few parts that will make you work a little more, but they are interspersed throughout.
The trail, while still beautiful (and very well-​maintained; directions from the aforementioned website really weren’t that needed), started to get slightly monotonous a few hours in, which was also the point at which we saw signs saying that Grandview Point was near…
Oh my gosh — it was an incredible view. A solid 180 degree view of San Gorgonio and the surrounding mountains and river valley; we were totally surprised and blown away by how picturesque it was. Although it’s the middle of April, and CA is still in a dought — there was tons of snow on the mountains (the ones we saw from Grandview Point, not on the actual hike). Just gorgeous and totally worth any slight bit of monotony you might feel along the way.
Cons: a few reckless mountain bikers, one of which was speeding around a blind corner and almost hit my husband.
Parking requires a $ 5 adventure pass; you can get it at Bear Valley Bikes, which is at the intersection of Mill Valley Road and Hwy 18.

I prefer longer distance, moderate hikes over short, intense hikes with lots of steep inclines… [especially at this altitude where I can barely breathe as it is] which is why we opted for the Pine Knot Trail on this last visit to Big Bear over the more popular Castle Rock Trail and I already can’t wait to come back.
The hike starts our VERY rocky and treacherous! The ground is uneven and blanketed with rocks the size of baseballs, almost deterring me from continuing on. The rocks disappear about ¼ of a mile into the hike and the ground becomes like any regular packed dirt trail, nice and smooth, soft like sand in some areas, with little to no danger of rolling an ankle besides some sparse trail irregularities. Not a big deal. As you climb up the very gradual incline you are surrounded by all that beautiful Big Bear forest, giant xmas trees and other pines, tons of sequoia looking trees, lots of interesting plant and animal life, and even a couple of really awesome lake and mountain vistas at certain points. There are tons of picturesque scenes for snapping pics, which is one of my favorite things to do while hiking.
From start to finish the hike is a little over 6 miles, and like I said, moderate in difficulty [there were lots of young children, and people of all ages really, flying up this mountain with much greater ease than me] Mountain bikers also use this trail, but for the most part are courteous and use bells, whistle, or alert you well in advance so you have time to step to the side. There is plenty of shade and some nice cool breezes, making this is a great way to spend a few hours on a hot summers day in Big Bear and burn a few hundred extra calories.
To park and access this trail you need to grab a five dollar Adventure pass beforehand, and we did so at a nearby 7 – 11. For a full list of businesses selling these passes check
. A year’s pass will run you $ 30.
Scenic, well maintained, moderate, mountain hike!