One of many loop trails in the Plumas Lakes Basin: Three-Bear-Lakes—Long-Lake Loop

Big Bear Lake

There are three lakes in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area south of Graeagle, California, named descriptively based on their size in correlation to the size or age of bears: Big Bear Lake, Little Bear Lake, and Cub Lake. Collectively, these are the Bear Lakes. They are roughly aligned from east to to west and can easily be accessed on the south side of a one-mile long trail section which coincidences with two trail loops: the Round Lake–Silver Lake–Bear Lakes Loop and the Bear Lakes–Long Lake Loop. Nearby, you have additional loop options, including other lakes, and—for a longer hike—you may even debate climbing further up to access the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) via one of the lake-area–PCT connector trails.

Here, I briefly describe the Bear Lakes–Long Lake Loop trail and show some of my snapshot taken along a half-day trip on an early-September day in 2026.

I started at the Round Lake Trailhead and followed the path—with views of the Gold Lake Lodge—to the Y-junction where one would turn left for the Round-Lake–Silver Lake Loop and where the right-turn trail gets you to Big Bear Lake. The latter path is a short connector trail to the Bear-Lakes–Long-Lake Loop, beginning (for those starting at  the Round Lake Trailhead) here at the north-east shore of Big Bear Lake. One can avoid this connector trail by starting from the Elwell Lodge trailhead. 

At Big Bear Lake a Plumas National Forest marker provides the ice-age context (interestingly, all in present tense):

The rocks in the background of the lake show striated surfaces caused by glacier movement. Fragments of rocks enclosed in the ice grind away at the bedrock and leave smoothed, grooved, or scratched surfaces. Water enters the lake from Little Bear Lake.

Leaving Big Bear Lake, you will soon come to its water source: Little Bear Lake, a shallow lake with an elongated, angled shape. The next quarter mile, and you will be at circular Cub Lake.

Rocky path between Little Bear Lake and Cub Lake

Another quarter mile, and you will find yourself at the loop-split junction above the south shore of Long Lake. On the way, I passed several patches of low-growing oak shrubs and various slightly cracked rocks that had shrubs growing on their top.

Shrubby oak acorns (early September 2026)

Crevice-anchored shrubs

Loop-split junction trail post

Turn right at the loop-split junction and enjoy the Long Lake overlook.

Long Lake and Mt. Elwell

Along the downhill path the the Elwell Lodge trailhead, rock shapes and rock positioning again caught my attention.

Being exposed or not? Rock on rock in the Lakes Basin

From the Elwell Lodge trailhead, you have half a mile which takes you back to Big Bear Lake. Turn left at the north shore junction you already passed earlier and relax along the final half-mile that takes you back to the Round Lake Trailhead. 

Getting there

Your starting point is the same as for the Round Lake hike: the Round Lake Trailhead near the Gold Lake Lodge.  

Related Trips

Trips 9 and 10 (pages 30 to 34) in: Mike White: Afoot & Afield. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA; 2nd printing November 2008.