San Bernardino County, legally the County of San Bernardino, is located within the Inland Empire Region of California and is the fifth most populous county in California. The county seat is San Bernardino.

San Bernardino County Is the largest county by area in the United State. It is larger than each of the nine smallest states and larger than the four smallest states combined. The county is approximately the size of West Virginia. More than 80% of the land is owned by the federal government. This includes 35 wilderness areas that are protected areas.

The county is home to two major airports, San Bernardino International.Airport and Ontario International Airport.

Incorporated cities include Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Hesperia, Needles, Ontario, San Bernardino, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, and Yucca Valley.

Unincorporated areas include Arrowbear Lake, Baldwin Lake, Baker, Big Bear City, Blue Jay Crestline, Joshua Tree, Lake Arrowhead, Lucerne Valley, Morongo Valley, Mountain Baldy, Newbury Springs, Running Springs, Sugarloaf, and Wrightwood.

 

San Bernardino National Forest

The San Bernardino National Forest, established in 1907, is made up of two main sections, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains. The San Bernardino National Forest includes seven protected wilderness areas. The western border is adjacent to the Angeles National Forest.

The two tallest waterfalls in Southern California, Bonita falls, and Big Falls are located in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Silverwood Lake is a three mile long lake in the San Bernardino National Forest, in San Bernardino County. The lake is located on the West Fork Mojave River. Fishing is permitted if you have a state license and 136 campsites are available. There are sandy beaches where swimming and picnicking is permitted and several boat launch areas. Water skiing is permitted and hiking trails are nearby.

Jenks Lake is a six-acre lake in the San Bernardino National Forest near the town of Angeles Oaks. The popular lake offers excellent fishing for bass, rainbow trout, bluegill and catfish. The lake is fed by the Santa Ana River and snow melt. Hand launched small boats are permitted except for power boats.

 

Little San Bernardino Mountains

The Little San Bernardino Mountains are a mountain range in Southern California extending about 40 miles southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino County and Riverside County to the northern edge of the Salton Sea. Parts of the Joshua Tree National Park and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve are located within the mountain range.

 

San Gorgonio River

The San Gorgonio River is a 26.8-mile-long river in San Bernardino County and Riverside County. Its headwaters originate in the San Bernardino Mountains southwest of San Gorgonio Mountain. The river flows through Banning Canyon and the City of Banning before it joins the Whitewater River in the western Coachella Valley.

 

Lake Hemet

Lake Hemet is a 470-acre man-made lake, created in 1895, in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. The lake, which is in the San Bernardino National Forest, was created by the construction of the Lake Hemet Dam. It has 12 miles of shoreline and is owned by the Hemet Municipal Water District. Fishing and boating is very popular at the lake which is regularly stocked with bluegill, largemouth bass, and rainbow trout.

 

 

Bonita Falls - Bonita Creek

Bonita Falls are three waterfalls in the San Bernardino National Forest formed by Bonita Creek. The falls flow year-round and reach over 400 feet in height. They are the highest waterfalls in California.

 

San Bernardino Valley

San Bernardino Valley is a large valley in Southern California bordered on the north by the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains, on the east by the San Jacinto Mountains, on the south by the Temescal Mountains and Santa Ana Mountains, and on the west by the Pomona Valley.

Twentynine Palms is a small city in San Bernardino County and the Mojave Desert and serves as one of the main entry points to Joshua Tree National Park which lies immediately to the south near The Oasis of Mara. The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), the largest United States Marine Corps base in the United States, is adjacent to the city.

Joshua Tree National Park is located north of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, near Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert. The popular park includes nine campgrounds, rock climbing) and extensive hiking trails. Lookout point at Keys View offers views of Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, and the Salton Sea.

 

Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve

The Mitchell Caverns are three limestone caves located in the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve which is in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area in the Mojave Desert. Two of the three caves are open to the public. Guided tours are available on a reservation basis. Located in San Bernardino County, the caverns have been designated as a US. National Natural Landmark.

 

San Bernardino International Airport

San Bernardino International Airport, formerly Norton Air Force Base, is a 1,329-acre public airport in San Bernardino County. The modern airport has one runway that can accommodate the largest existing aircraft. Annual aircraft operations are nearly 50,000. Norton Air Force Base was placed on the closure list in 1989 and decommissioned when the Soviet Union collapsed. The airport facility was then expanded and converted to a civilian airport that serves all of San Bernardino County.

 

Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport is a 1,741-acre public, international airport in San Bernardino County located approximately two miles east of downtown Ontario. The airport has two runways. Annual aircraft operations currently exceed 105,000.

 

California State University, San Bernardino

California State University, San Bernardino, also known as Cal State San Bernardino and CSUSB, was established in 1965 in San Bernardino with a branch in Palm Desert which is in the Coachella Valley. The main campus is 441 acres while the Palm Desert campus is about 40 acres. The college offers Bachelor's Degrees in 123 academic areas, Master's Degrees in 61 areas, and two Doctor of Education Degrees. It also offers 23 different teaching credentials. Enrollment exceeds 20,000 students.

 

Calico Mountains

The Calico Mountains of California are a mountain range in the Mojave Desert located in both San Bernardino County and Inyo County. The mountains are located in a northwest-southeast direction and are just north of Barstow and Yermo. Calico Peak is the highest point at 4,491 feet in elevation. The Fort Irwin Military Reservation is nearby and the Calico Ghost Town, a major tourist attraction, is located at the western edge of the mountains just north of Interstate 15.

 

Calico Ghost Town

The Calico Ghost Town is a former mining town, founded in 1881 in the Calico Mountains of San Bernardino County in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. It was founded as a silver mining town and is a California Historical Landmark and major tourist attraction. Located just north of Interstate 15, the town is about three miles northeast of Barstow and about three miles north of Yermo. At its peak, Calico had over 500 silver mines and a population exceeding 1,200.

 

Southern California Association of Governments

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for six of the ten counties in Southern California, serving Imperial County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County. San Diego County's MPO is the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) which is a separate government agency. SCAG and SANDAG are the only Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Southern California. There are eighteen federally mandated Metropolitan Planning Organizations in California.