About four miles north of Big Bear Lake, a sprawling nature resort known as Holcomb Valley Ranch just hit the market for $12 million.
At 377 acres, it’s by far the biggest property currently available around the mountain city and also the most expensive.
Made up of meadows, forests, mountains and fields, the scenic retreat has served many purposes over the years, including a gold mining settlement, a cattle ranch and a campsite for Boy Scouts of America, which bought the land in the 1960s. Today, it primarily serves as a campground and event space, hosting weddings, corporate retreats and music festivals.
It’s being marketed as a development opportunity, and the ranch comes with approved use as an outdoor hospitality resort with 37 buildings that combine for roughly 14,000 square feet. There’s also approval for 380 lots that could hold luxury tents or guest cabins.
Century-old ranch buildings and an abandoned sawmill built during the mining days still occupy the land today. More recent structures include a 960-square-foot horse barn, a 1,400-square-foot commercial kitchen, a 2,800-square-foot pavilion, a swimming pool and shotgun, rifle and archery ranges.
For camping, there are staff quarters, a staff lodge and multiple cabins, as well as amenities such as a climbing wall, a zip line and an outdoor amphitheater. The water well can produce 172,000 gallons of clear water per day, and a storage tank can hold 100,000 more.
“It’s a great base camp for adventure,” said listing agent John Grant of Park Brokerage Inc. “Aside from its natural beauty, the property’s history adds to the unique character.”