Im new to this area and want some info on the best place in Big Bear area to park/camp/ride. I ride an XR400 my kids ride quads. I have the maps from the discovery center and am deciding on crab flats is this a nice campground and if so is there alot of beginner trails nearby. Ive never ridden here so please are the trails real rocky and narrow like kennedy meadows. I went there last month not a good quad experience.Crab flats seems closer to my home and hopefully more quad friendly any info would be appreciated thanks.

 

I'm surprised you didn't like Kennedy. Did you not realize that the only thing open to ATV's was the Monashee Road? Did you try to take the quads out on the motorcycle trails?

Crab Flats is a good place to start. You can ride right from the campground. Road 3N34 goes down to Deep Creek, but after a couple of miles the road gets very rocky. Not suitable for kids, and not easy on a sport bike. Going the other way, you can ride 3N16, which is a wide open fire road. There are also some trails nearby (2N12 and 1W17). You might enjoy the trails on the XR, but they will probably be to tough for the kids. The roads can see a fair amount of traffic, so you always want an adult to ride out in the front, and an adult in the back is a good idea too!!

We are doing a kids ride on Sunday morning (8/24). From Pinnacles down to Deep Creek. All wide open fire roads. Join us if you can. See my post on the San Bernardino Mtns.

 

Where's a good area (not in a campground) to camp and ride in the arrowhead/big bear area? Looks like all the campgrounds are full for the labor day weekend. Do you allow to camp near the Crab Flat staging area? I never been to this area. I'm limited areas accessible with a 2wd truck towing 24' trailer.

Thanks in advance.

 

A lot of the best riding and camping areas are closed, either because they burned last fall, or are a high fire threat. As far as remote camping, none of the areas near open riding areas are that great (in my opinion). As far as what is open for remote camping and what isn't, you will need to contact the forest service.