Is Highway 38 open to Big Bear right now?

Highway 38 is open with no restrictions reported.

Highway 38 is the long way up from Redlands and the highest road into the valley. Here is what Caltrans is reporting on it right now.

Highway 38 is clear.

Caltrans imposes chain control segment by segment, and every segment has its own elevation. A restriction on one road up the mountain often does not apply to the other two.

Highway 38 leaves Redlands through Mentone and climbs the Santa Ana River canyon past Angelus Oaks, over Onyx Summit, and down into the east end of the valley at Big Bear City. It is the only one of the three approaches that reaches Big Bear without going through Running Springs.

Onyx Summit is about 8,464 feet, the highest paved pass into the valley and one of the highest through-routes in Southern California. That single number explains almost everything about how this road behaves.

It is also the longest and, when it is open, the gentlest climb of the three — a steadier grade with fewer tight switchbacks than City Creek on Highway 330. Drivers towing trailers or nervous about the drop-offs often prefer it in summer for exactly that reason.

Height. With the snow level near 6,500 feet, Onyx Summit is roughly 2,000 feet up into the weather while the top of Highway 330 is still below it. Highway 38 can be shut or under R-2 control while the other two roads are bare pavement, and that is a normal storm day rather than an unusual one.

It also reopens last. A pass that high holds snow and ice after the storm has cleared lower down, and it gets less traffic to keep the surface worked in.

If the live status below shows Highway 38 restricted and you have a choice, Highway 330 to Running Springs and then Highway 18 is usually the road that is open.

In summer and autumn it is the pleasant drive: the Santa Ana River canyon, Angelus Oaks, the Heart Bar and Barton Flats campgrounds, and the trailheads on the south side of the ridge all sit on this road. If you are camping on that side of the mountain you are on Highway 38 anyway.

It is also the sensible route when a slide has closed City Creek on Highway 330, which happens more often than the elevation difference alone would suggest.

Coming from Palm Springs, Yucca Valley or the low desert, Highway 38 is the natural approach and the alternatives are considerably longer.

Is Highway 38 open to Big Bear today?

The live Caltrans route report for SR-38 is at the top of this page and refreshes automatically. Because this route crosses Onyx Summit at 8,464 feet, it is the approach most likely to be restricted or closed on any given winter day, and it is worth checking the other two highways before you commit to it.

How high is Onyx Summit on Highway 38?

About 8,464 feet, which makes it the highest paved pass into Big Bear Valley and roughly 2,400 feet above the top of Highway 330. It is that difference in elevation, not distance, that decides which road is open in a marginal storm.

Do I need chains on Highway 38?

More often than on the other two approaches. Caltrans imposes chain control segment by segment and the Onyx Summit segment is the highest control point on any road into the valley, so it goes under restriction earliest and comes out of it last. Read the live chain status on this page before you drive, and carry traction devices even with four-wheel drive.

Is Highway 38 or Highway 330 better for getting to Big Bear?

In winter, Highway 330 is usually the safer bet because it tops out about 2,400 feet lower. In summer, Highway 38 is the longer but gentler climb with a steadier grade, and it is the route for the Santa Ana River canyon campgrounds. Check both live statuses on this site rather than choosing by habit.

Three state highways reach Big Bear Valley and they do not reach it at the same height, so one can be closed while another is bare pavement. If Highway 38 is restricted, one of these is usually the road that is open.

Snow is not the only thing that closes a road into the valley. Wildfire, collisions and power-related work all show up on the incident feed, and a storm bearing down on the mountain shows up in the forecast before it reaches the pavement.