Lake Arrowhead

History

The area now known as Lake Arrowhead was originally called Little Bear Valley. In the late 1800s, developers began damming Little Bear Creek to create a reservoir for irrigation and hydroelectric use. By 1904, the Arrowhead Reservoir Company had taken over the project, but in 1913, a landmark court decision prohibited the diversion of water across watershed boundaries, halting further irrigation plans. In 1920, a Los Angeles-based group purchased the lake and surrounding land, forming the Arrowhead Lake Company. Between 1921 and 1923, they built a Norman-style resort village that included a pavilion, outdoor theater, dance hall, golf course, beach, and hotel. The development officially opened in June 1922 and began attracting tourists and second-home buyers from Southern California. Lake Arrowhead continued evolving as a resort destination through the mid-20th century, frequented by Hollywood celebrities and wealthy families. In 1960, businessman Jules Berman and partners acquired the lake property, launching new development through the Lake Arrowhead Development Company. By the late 1960s, the area was acquired by Boise Cascade, which subdivided large portions for residential sales before exiting in the early 1970s. Today, much of Lake Arrowhead’s infrastructure—roads, water, and sewer systems—is managed by the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District (LACSD), which was formed in 1978 after the dissolution of prior private utilities.

Geography

Lake Arrowhead is located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, about 20 minutes north of the San Bernardino city limits. Its economic center is at the intersection of State Routes 173 and 189. The CDP has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.1 km), of which 17.7 square miles (45.9 km) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km; 6.46%) is water. Lake Arrowhead is a private lake governed by the Arrowhead Lake Association and is for restricted use by Lake Arrowhead property owners. : Lake size: (capacity) : Shoreline: : Elevation: 5106.70 (capacity) : Maximum depth: : Lake width: : Lake length: Outside of Lake Arrowhead Village there are several residential communities, which include Cedar Glen, Blue Jay, Rimforest, Skyforest, Twin Peaks, Crest Park, Hook Creek Tract, Deer Lodge Park, Arrowhead Villas, Grass Valley, and Agua Fria. There are three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in the area. north of Lake Arrowhead is the Pacific Crest Trail. Santa's Village at Lake Arrowhead was a popular theme park from 1955 to 1998, and reopened in 2016. It was the first franchised one in the United States, with two others in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Illinois.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Steller's Jay

  Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  5,558
• Mountain Chickadee

  Poecile gambeli (Ridgway, 1886) · Aves
  5,531
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,907
• Acorn Woodpecker

  Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  4,684
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,332
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,116
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  4,059
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  3,381

Most recent

• M 2.67 — 2026-09-08
  39 km NE of Big Bear City, CA
• M 3.2 — 2026-09-02
  6 km SE of Ontario, CA
• M 2.78 — 2026-08-16
  6 km SE of Ontario, CA
• M 3.04 — 2026-08-12
  10 km WSW of Corona, CA
• M 3.22 — 2026-08-01
  17 km E of Desert Hot Springs, CA
• M 2.54 — 2026-07-17
  6 km NE of Cabazon, CA