The forest is divided into two large areas or tracts on United States Geological Survey maps, a northern and southern portion.

At its widest parts, the northern portion of the forest runs about 57 miles (90 km) on an east–west dimension.

The eastern portion of the forest extends about ten miles east of Big Bear City and includes the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

The southernmost portion is bisected by the Riverside County line and borders the Morongo Indian Reservation north of Cabazon.

While most National Forests include lumber resources, these two areas also include: The two tallest waterfalls in Southern California, Big Falls and Bonita Falls,[citation needed] are located in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Other coniferous trees, such as white fir, bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa), incense cedar, and western juniper also thrive here.

[10] Yellow Post Camp Site Info Dated Feb 2014 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow_camp_site_info_big_bear.pdf