Swim the Bear
About this race
Dive in to this incredible Open Water Swim Race on Big Bear Lake!
Join us as we bring a new discipline of endurance sports to Big Bear Lake. Swim the Bear is part of Big Bear’s Paddlefest. This year featuring both 1.2 and 2.4 mile races held back to back. The course starts on the sand at Swim Beach, head out to the tip of Eagle Point, and then returns for an exit onto the grass at Ski Beach Park. 2 Laps for the longer distance!
Registration includes: Race SWAG, Finishers Medal, and Awards Eligibility
Cash Prize for Overall Male and Female winners.
Age Group Winners Awards - Junior (<18), Open, Masters (40+)
Average water temperature in August is 70 degrees.
Wetsuits are allowed but not eligible for awards.
Pick your distance
Swimming
Swim the Bear - 1.2 Mile Open Water Swim
This is not a swim for beginners! This an alpine lake environment at nearly 7K’ of altitude. While we anticipate calm conditions on the lake the nature of our mountain environment means anything is possible. Swimmers should be prepared to handle rough waters and cold air temperatures at the start and finish.
Swim the Bear - 2.4 Mile Open Water Swim
This is not a swim for beginners! This an alpine lake environment at nearly 7K’ of altitude. While we anticipate calm conditions on the lake the nature of our mountain environment means anything is possible. Swimmers should be prepared to handle rough waters and cold air temperatures at the start and finish.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 3 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Big Bear Lake, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:38 AM and sets at 8:03 PM local time (PDT) in Big Bear Lake on June 28, 2026 — 14h 25m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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Other races near Big Bear Lake
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Big Bear Turkey Trot
Discover Highland Run
Redlands Turkey Trot
Tunnel to Towers National Golf Series Thanksgiving Golf Classic hosted by Citrus Wealth & Pbla
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 3 Big Bear Lake events
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