A Family Adventure Weekend in Big Bear with Olivia Paladin & the MX Grand Prix
What happens when you combine motocross racing, downhill mountain biking, zip lining, rock climbing, wildlife and a cabin within walking distance of the action?
For Olivia Paladin and her family, it became three packed days of summer adventure in Big Bear Lake.
Olivia visited Big Bear August 21–23 during the second annual Big Bear MX Grand Prix at Bear Mountain. With someone in her group competing in the race, Destination Big Bear helped her find a home base close enough to the resort that the family could walk to the event, then fill the rest of their getaway with kid-friendly adventures around the mountain.
The result is a pretty good blueprint for families whose idea of a vacation involves a little less sitting around and a lot more exploring.
Meet Olivia Paladin
Olivia Paladin is a lifestyle and family content creator who shares pieces of family life, travel and everyday adventures with her audience.
For her August trip to Big Bear, Olivia traveled with her young son along with friends and their daughter, creating a getaway that had to work for both the adults and kids.
With the MX Grand Prix anchoring the weekend, the rest of the itinerary became an opportunity to see just how much a family could pack into a summer trip to Big Bear.
The Main Event: Big Bear MX Grand Prix
The timing of Olivia’s trip wasn’t accidental.
The Big Bear MX Grand Prix presented by O’NEAL returned to Bear Mountain August 19–23, 2026 for only its second year, transforming terrain normally associated with skiing and snowboarding into an off-road motorcycle race course.
Race classes span an unusually wide range, from young riders to 60+ competitors and from beginners to professional racers. The course takes advantage of Bear Mountain’s elevation, ski runs and fire roads, creating a race setting unlike a traditional motocross track.
And the event is growing quickly.
The inaugural 2025 race sold out approximately 700 racer entries in less than 48 hours. In 2026, the event returned with more than 900 riders expected, drawing competitors and spectators to Big Bear for five days of racing and mountain activities.
With 2027 event details still to be announced, the MX Grand Prix is quickly becoming an event worth keeping on the radar for families who love motocross, action sports and mountain adventure.
A Slope-Side Cabin Made the Event Part of the Stay
When you’re traveling for a major Big Bear event, where you stay can completely change the weekend.
Because someone in Olivia’s group was competing in the MX Grand Prix, proximity to Bear Mountain was a priority. Destination Big Bear matched the group with a cabin in the gated Comstock Homes community near Bear Mountain Resort in a cabin called Bear Mountain Skiing and Snowboarding.
Instead of repeatedly loading the kids into the car, driving to the event and dealing with event traffic, they could walk from their cabin to Bear Mountain.
They could even watch some of the MX Grand Prix action from the front yard.
The community also gave the families amenities to enjoy between adventures, including a pool, hot tub and tennis courts.
It turned their cabin into more than somewhere to sleep. It became their home base for the entire weekend.
Planning a trip around an event at Bear Mountain? Browse Destination Big Bear cabins near Bear Mountain and Moonridge to put your group closer to the action.
What Do You Do With Kids in Big Bear? Apparently, Everything.
They packed a lot into three days.
Between the MX Grand Prix and downtime at their cabin, Olivia’s group explored Big Bear by bike, by zip line, on foot and just about every way in between.
🚵 Downhill Mountain Biking
Big Bear’s ski slopes don’t go quiet when the snow melts. Summer transforms the mountain into terrain for downhill mountain biking, giving families with older or more adventurous riders another reason to visit outside ski season.
🧗 Rock Climbing
Big Bear also gave the family a chance to climb, scramble and test themselves vertically with a rock-climbing experience.
🚲 Pump Track
The kids also got to trade the mountain trails for the pump track, where riders can practice turns, balance and momentum on a looping course of rollers and berms.
⛏️ Mining & Fossil Finding
Not every adventure needed to involve speed.
Mining and fossil finding gave the younger members of the group something hands-on to explore, adding a slower activity between the weekend’s bigger adrenaline hits.
🌲 Zip Lining
Then they took the adventure off the ground.
Zip lining added a completely different perspective to the trip, combining mountain scenery with a little adrenaline.
🦘 Bungee Trampolines
Because apparently regular jumping wasn’t enough.
The bungee trampolines brought another kid-focused activity into the itinerary and another opportunity to burn off some seemingly endless vacation energy.
🐻 Big Bear Alpine Zoo
The family also visited the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, adding wildlife to a weekend otherwise dominated by bikes, climbing and racing.
The zoo specializes in the rehabilitation and care of alpine wildlife and gives families an opportunity to learn about animals found throughout the region.
🏁 MX Grand Prix
The reason behind their Big Bear weekend. With a racer in their group, the family could walk from their cabin to Bear Mountain to experience the MX Grand Prix and watch the action throughout the weekend.
Build Your Own Big Bear Family Adventure Weekend
You don’t need to recreate Olivia’s itinerary for activity.
What her trip demonstrates is how easily a major Big Bear event can become the centerpiece of a larger family getaway.
Come for motocross.
Stay for mountain biking.
Add a zip line or climbing adventure.
Give the kids time to explore, mine, jump and discover wildlife.
Then head back to a cabin where everyone has room to decompress before doing it all again the next morning.
For families who would rather hear “what are we doing next?” than “I’m bored,” Big Bear offers plenty of ways to build a weekend around the things your family already loves.
Planning for the Next Big Bear MX Grand Prix?
The Big Bear MX Grand Prix has now brought racers and fans to Bear Mountain for two consecutive summers, with both editions generating substantial interest. Details for the 2027 event have not yet been announced, but motocross families can start thinking about the kind of stay they want when the event returns.
If you’re coming to compete, proximity matters.
Cabins near Bear Mountain and Moonridge can reduce the amount of driving your family needs to do during a busy weekend, while giving everyone a comfortable place to regroup between races and adventures.
And if you’re coming as a spectator, make a trip out of it. The race can be the reason you come to Big Bear without being the only thing you do while you’re here.
FAQs
Yes. The MX Grand Prix brings racers and spectators of different ages to Bear Mountain, making it an easy event to build a family weekend around. Between races, families can explore other Big Bear activities including mountain biking, zip lining, rock climbing, mining experiences, wildlife attractions and more.
The Big Bear MX Grand Prix takes place at Bear Mountain Resort in the Moonridge area of Big Bear Lake. Staying near Bear Mountain can make getting to and from the event easier, especially during a busy race weekend.
Look for cabins near Bear Mountain or in the Moonridge neighborhood. For Olivia Paladin’s trip, Destination Big Bear found her group a cabin in the Comstock Homes community close enough to Bear Mountain that they could walk to the event and even see some of the action from their front yard.
Yes, there are vacation rentals in the Bear Mountain and Moonridge areas that may be within walking distance of the resort. Distance varies by property, so check the individual cabin location and route before assuming you can walk to the event.
There is plenty to turn race weekend into a larger family vacation. During Olivia’s stay, her group went downhill mountain biking, visited a pump track, zip lined, tried rock climbing, went mining and fossil finding, jumped on bungee trampolines and visited the Big Bear Alpine Zoo.
Families traveling with younger children can mix bigger adventures with activities such as the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, mining and fossil experiences and other kid-friendly attractions. Choosing several different types of activities can also make it easier to plan around the ages and interests within your group.
No. You don’t have to race to make the MX Grand Prix part of your Big Bear trip. Families and spectators can come to experience the event and then build the rest of their getaway around Big Bear’s outdoor activities and attractions.
The MX Grand Prix returned to Bear Mountain for its second year in August 2026. Details for the next event should be confirmed through the event organizers before planning your trip. Once dates are announced, booking accommodations early can give you a better selection of cabins close to Bear Mountain.
A three- to four-night stay gives families time to experience a major event like the MX Grand Prix while still leaving room for other activities. Olivia’s August 21–23 trip is a good example: the race was the reason for the visit, but the family was able to fit numerous Big Bear adventures around it.
For a major event weekend, book as early as possible once event dates are confirmed, particularly if you want a cabin close to Bear Mountain. Properties with desirable locations, larger capacities and family-friendly amenities can have limited availability during popular event weekends.
