Bear Valley is within the Stanislaus National Forest and is reached by State Route 4.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13 km2), of which 99.58% is land and 0.42% is water.

Precipitation is seen for a lot of the year except for the middle of the summer, which can experience rare, but not unseen, thunderstorms.

Late fall to early spring brings in most of the yearly precipitation, typically in the form of abundant snowfall.

Furthermore, summers are warm with cool nights while winters are cold and relatively long.

[5] The 2010 United States Census[22] reported that Bear Valley had a population of 121.

33 households (49.3%) were made up of individuals, and 4 (6.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

41.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

"Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit: 2005 Pre-Fire Management Plan September 28, 2005 Edition," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 09-28-2005, pp.