Where to Go and What to See in San Bernardino County, CA

San Bernardino County is by far the largest county in the United States by area. It is no surprise that there are plenty of things for you to enjoy doing while out here. With nearly 20,000 square miles of space, you will find numerous unique places in San Bernardino County that make it one of the best spots in the state of California.

Enjoy the Outdoors

San Bernardino County is home to some of the most unique park spaces in the country. Travel out to the eastern end of San Bernardino County to visit the famous Joshua Tree National Park. Enjoy the land mass that takes up nearly 800,000 acres of space and includes many trails and recreational sites. Look for the Joshua trees that give this park its name. These distinct trees feature thick wood surfaces with some bright green bristles sticking out from their sprawling bodies.

Stay cool while traveling along the Mojave or Colorado Deserts. Both of these deserts are partially situated in San Bernardino County. Get a grip on one of the many rock climbing paths situated around some of these desert spaces.

Look For Great Wildlife

While in San Bernardino County, you will find many exciting forms of wildlife that call this area home. Spot the desert birds as they make their way along the landscape. Look for the cactus wren, verdin, and greater roadrunner among others. Go to the Barker Dam in the central part of the county as it is a popular birding space.

Travel just outside the Bear Mountain resort in San Bernardino County to visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo and Moonridge Animal Park. This is a zoo that houses many local Alpine animals plus many that are currently being rehabilitated. See the animals in various simulated habitats as they are taken care of and closely monitored throughout the whole day. These include grizzly bears, cougars, black bears and wolves among many others.

Climb the Mountains

Climb up one of the many mountain peaks along the way in eastern San Bernardino County at the Dead Mountains Wilderness Area. Bring your climbing gear as the mountains are around 3,000 feet in elevation. Go nearly 3,600 feet in the air at the summit of Mount Manchester, the tallest spot in the area. Get a good view of the river or the nearby towns of Needles or Laughlin, Nevada. Spot the smoke trees along your climb.

Enjoy Shopping

Spend the day shopping at one of the many retail centers around San Bernardino County. Head to the Inland Center or find bargains at the Waterman Discount Mall in San Bernardino. Travel out to Ontario near the intersection of I-15 and I-10 to visit Ontario Mills, one of the largest shopping destinations in all of California. Shop at one of nearly 200 retailers situated around Ontario Mills. These include a few outlet shops run by many prominent designer labels. You could find sizeable discounts on some of these products, what with them being sold directly by the labels themselves.

This is just a small sampling of the things you can do in San Bernardino County. This part of California is massive and deserves to be explored all the way through for its beauty and unique features.