Big Bear (San Bernadino National Forest)

Big Bear is about 60 miles East and 35 miles UP from Los Angeles, or about 120 miles north of San Diego, but well worth the trip.   You need an Adventure Pass to use the forest.  These are available at any Ranger Station, and several retailers in the area.  There is some good rock crawling available, as I discovered. Click here to see how to get there.