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.

 

Sand to Snow National Monument

The Sand to Snow National Monument is a 154,000-acre U.S. National Monument located in San Bernardino County and northern Riverside'County in Southern California. Part of the monument is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and part by the Bureau of Land Management. A portion is located within the San Gorgonio. Wilderness area. The monument borders the Little San Bernardino Mountains as well as Joshua Tree National Park. The headwaters of the Santa Ana River, Whitewater River, San Gorgonio River, and the Morongo Creek are all located within the monument. The monument protects an importaht wildlife corridor and landscape linkage between the San Bernardino National Forest, the San Gorgonio Wilderness, the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness, and Joshua Tree National Park. Sand dunes can be found at the lowe(el~vations and snow in the mountains.

 

White Water Reserve - Whitewater River

The White Water Reserve, created in 2005, consists of 2,851 acres within the Sand to Snow National Monument in the San Bernardino Mountains and Riverside County. The preserve includes the perennial Whitewater River which has its headwaters in the San Bernardino Mountains. The river terminates at the Salton Sea after flowing through the Coachella Valley in Riverside County. The river was originally called Agua Blanco by early Spanish explorers.

 

 

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.

 

 

Cucamonga Wilderness - Cucamonga Peak

The Cucamonga Wilderness is a 12,781 acre federally designated wilderness area located in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains within the San Bernardino National Forest and San Bernardino County. Cucamonga Peak, which rises to 8,862 feet, is one of the highest peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains. The peak is located with in the Cucamonga Wilderness and is named after the Rancho Cucamonga Mexican land grant made in 1839 by Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The city located closest to Cucamonga Peak is Rancho Cucamonga.

 

 

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.

 

Old Woman Meteorite

The Old Woman Meteorite is on display at the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow, California. It is the second largest meteorite ever found in the United States. The meteorite was discovered in 1975 in the Old Woman Mountains in San Bernardino County which is in the Mojave Desert Region. It is 38 inches long, 34 inches high, and 30 inches wide. Made mostly of iron, nickel, chromium, and cobalt, it weighs 942 pounds. The Old Woman Mountain range is about 25 miles long and 15 miles wide. The highest point rises to 5,325 feet.

 

 

Santa Ana River

The Santa Ana River is the largest river entirely within Southern California. The 96-mile-long river rises in the southern San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation of 6,991 feet above sea level and then flows through San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and Orange County before it drains into the Pacific Ocean between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. The river passes through the cities of San Bernardino, Riverside, Anaheim and Santa Ana. Tributaries include Mill Creek, San Timoteo Creek, Temescal Creek, the San Jacinto River, Santiago Creek, Bear Creek, City Creek, Lytle Creek, and Chino Creek. The Santa Ana River watershed includes parts of the Cleveland National Forest, the San Bernardino National Forest, the Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness Area, the Angeles National Forest, and Chino Hills State Park.

 

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.

 

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a major United States Air Force Base and a major civilian employer covering 301 ,000 acres mostly in Kern County, but it also extends into San Bernadino County, and northern Los Angeles County. California City is approximately 18 miles to the north and Lancaster in the Antelope Valley is about 49 miles to the southwest. Victorville is 66 miles to the southeast. AFB is home of the Air Force Test Center, Air Force Test Pilot School, and NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. AFB was constructed in 1933 as Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range. The name was changed later to Muroc Army Airfield before it was finally changed to Edwards Air Force Base in 1950.

 

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.

 

 

Community Hospital of San Bernardino

Community Hospital of San Bernardino, founded in 1910 in the city of San Bernardino, is a 243-bed private, non-profit community hospital that is affiliated with California State University, San Bernardino. The non-denominational hospital is affiliated with Dignity Health. It provides a 24-hour emergency department, obstetrical services, surgery services, critical and intensive care services, and community education programs.

 

Gateway Seminary

Gateway Seminary, established in 1941, is a Baptist theological institute, based in Ontario which is in southwestern San Bernardino County. The seminary is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Gateway Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Online programs and certificate programs are offered in addition to Master and Doctoral programs.

 

Ontario Peak

Ontario Peak is a 8,693 foot high mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains located within the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino County. The peak is named for the city of Ontario which is located directly to the south. The best trailhead leading to the summit is in Icehouse Canyon.

 

Coxcomb Mountains

The Coxcomb Mountains are a mountain range in eastern Riverside County and San Bernardino County in Southern California. They lie within the eastern section of Joshua Tree National Park and east of Twentynine Palms and the Eagle Mountains. The mountains are located to southeast of the Sheep Hole Mountains. The highest peak is Specter Peak which rises to 4,482 feet. The Coxcomb Mountains are very rugged.

 

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.

 

 

Crowder Canyon Archaeological District

Crowder Canyon Archaeological District is a 1,120-acre archaeological district located in Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County. The site was occupied by Native Americans for hundreds of years and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has also been declared a U.S. Historic District.

 

 

Newberry Springs

Newberry Springs, founded in 1911 , is an unincorporated community and desert oasis in the western Mojave Desert or High Desert of Southern California. This small community is located about twenty miles east of Barstow and about forty miles west of the Mojave National Preserve. The area is irrigated by the Mojave Aquifer, the largest aquifer in the western United States. The aquifer supports a diverse agricultural industry including pistachios, apricots and alfalfa along with several man-made lakes that permit water ski and jet ski racing.

 

 

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.

 

Rancho San Bernardino

Rancho San Bernardino was a 35,509-acre Mexican land grant in present day San Bernardino County given in 1842. The grant encompassed present day San Bernardino, Rialto, Fontana, and Colton.

 

 

Ski Resorts in California