Big Bear Alpine Zoo

Wildlife · Big Bear Lake, California

Not a zoo, exactly. A second chance.

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo entrance sign — 'Saving Wildlife Since 1959'
A wolf standing in fresh snow at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Brown bears together in their enclosure at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo
A raptor in close-up, feathers lit by the afternoon sun

The Alpine Zoo is a rehabilitation facility offering injured, orphaned, and imprinted wild animals a second chance — about 90% of the animals brought here are released back into the wild. The ones who stay are either too injured or too imprinted by humans to survive on their own. Almost every resident is native to these mountains: bears, mountain lions, eagles, wolves, foxes. It started in 1959, after a wildfire tore through the San Bernardino National Forest and left injured animals behind — the first residents were an orphaned black bear cub and two bobcats. Today it's home to over 85 species, and it's one of only two alpine zoos in the United States.

View on the Big Bear Experience Map →Official website ↗

Hours, prices, seasons and closures change — we do not publish any of them here because we cannot keep them verified. Check with Big Bear Alpine Zoo directly before you go.

More around Big Bear

Back to things to do in Big Bear.

Keep exploring

  • Things to Do in Big Bear

    A local guide to the best things to do in Big Bear Lake — the lake, hiking, family days out, restaurants and events, each one plotted on our interactive map.

  • Big Bear Lake Activities

    What to do on Big Bear Lake — marinas, boat rentals, fishing and shoreline parks, mapped by the local team behind The Big Bear Experience.

  • Big Bear with Kids

    Family-friendly things to do in Big Bear Lake — the zoo, the lake, parks and playgrounds, each one marked kid-friendly in our own interactive map data.