1971 Map of Big Bear City

About this map

Big Bear City and the neighboring community of Sugarloaf anchor this high-altitude landscape during a period of transition in the late 1960s and 1970s. The map illustrates a developed residential grid near the Big Bear City Airport, contrasting sharply with the northern mining districts and the dry expanse of Baldwin Lake. Mining history is heavily represented through the presence of the Doble Mine, Mohawk Mine, and Blackhawk Mine, pointing to a legacy of extraction that preceded the region's mid-century growth. Grounded in the San Bernardino National Forest, the map also documents vital water sources such as Cushenbury Springs and Whiskey Springs, which were critical for both early prospectors and the cattle operations that frequented Smarts Ranch Road. The infrastructure of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line is visible in the northwest, serving industrial sites like the Marble Canyon Pit.