Back
Highway 38: Mentone to Big Bear, San Bernardino Mountains, California
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped

Drives California The Inland Empire

Highway 38: Mentone to Big Bear

CA 38, Big Bear Boulevard · Mentone → Big Bear City

Sweeping43 mi1 hr7,500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 8,400 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

Highway 38 is the long way up to Big Bear, and the quiet one. It leaves Mentone as Mill Creek Road, runs up Mill Creek Canyon into the San Bernardino National Forest, and then climbs the canyon wall in a long run of curves to Angelus Oaks, on the ridge beneath the range's highest peaks.

Past Angelus Oaks the road levels out through Barton Flats, a stretch of pine forest and campgrounds, and follows the upper Santa Ana River past the turnoffs for Jenks Lake and the San Gorgonio trailheads. Then it climbs again to Onyx Summit at 8,443 feet, the highest mountain pass in Southern California, before dropping into Big Bear City.

The whole route is part of the Rim of the World Scenic Byway, which continues west on Highway 18. It's gentler than the Highway 18 approach, with one properly twisty section on the climb to Angelus Oaks, and it carries far less traffic.

Along the way

  1. Mentone (Mill Creek Road)
  2. Angelus Oaks
  3. Onyx Summit
  4. Big Bear City (Highway 18)
Elevation
7,500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 8,400 ft
MentoneBig Bear City
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
MentoneBig Bear City
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Storms have washed out sections of Highway 38 near Angelus Oaks, and repair work and winter weather can close it, so check Caltrans before you go.
  • Chains or snow tires may be required after winter storms, and Caltrans can turn back vehicles without them.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Caltrans highway conditions: Highway 38.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 38 from Mentone to Big Bear take?

Highway 38 from Mentone to Big Bear City is 43.2 miles and takes about an hour, climbing about 7,500 feet to Onyx Summit.

How high is Onyx Summit on Highway 38?

Onyx Summit on Highway 38 is 8,443 feet, the highest mountain pass in Southern California.

Is Highway 38 open to Big Bear?

Storm damage near Angelus Oaks has closed Highway 38 before, repair work can bring weekday closures, and winter storms can bring chain controls; check Caltrans highway conditions before you go.

Is Highway 38 or Highway 18 better to Big Bear?

Highway 38 from Mentone is longer but quieter and gentler than Highway 18, with fewer crowds and one twisty stretch on the climb to Angelus Oaks.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 126 drives in California ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Highway 38: Mentone to Big Bear, from Mentone to Big Bear City