Mountain
Running Springs Real Estate
Quiet mountain living between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear
About Running Springs
Running Springs — quiet mountain living between lake arrowhead and big bear.
Running Springs sits at roughly 6,100 feet on SR-18 between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, with Snow Valley Mountain Resort at its eastern edge. It's a quieter alternative to its better-known neighbors — fewer tourists, fewer vacation rentals, and a market more weighted toward full-time residents and long-held second homes. Arrowbear Lake and Green Valley Lake are within the Running Springs market area.
Quick snapshot
Median sale price
$510,000
Population
≈ 5,000
Region
Mountain
Market overview
Running Springs real estate market at a glance
Running Springs is the natural middle option for buyers comparing Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear — slightly more affordable than Arrowhead, less STR-driven than Big Bear, with Arrowbear and Green Valley Lake as distinct sub-markets.
$510,000
55 – 80 days
≈ $345
Year-over-year: Steady — the quieter character keeps demand more predictable than the seasonal swings of Big Bear
Schools in Running Springs
School district
Rim of the World Unified School District
Running Springs is served by Rim of the World Unified — the same district as Lake Arrowhead and Crestline. Running Springs Elementary is the local K-5 campus; students continue on to Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate and Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead. Bus routes account for winter weather and the SR-18 commute between communities.
Notable schools
Rim of the World High School
High
6/10 GreatSchools rating (typical)
Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate
Middle
6/10 GreatSchools rating (typical)
Running Springs Elementary
Elementary
5/10 GreatSchools rating (typical)
School attendance boundaries can change — always verify the current assignment for any specific address.
Where to eat, drink, and play in Running Springs
Running Springs has a quiet local dining scene oriented around year-round residents and ski-day visitors heading to Snow Valley. Most full-service dining is in Lake Arrowhead (15 min west) or Big Bear (25 min east), but a handful of longtime local spots anchor the SR-18 corridor.
Cowboy Steakhouse & Saloon
Western steakhouse
Smiley's Tavern & Grill
Mountain bar & grill
Crab Cooker Mountain (food truck)
Seasonal mountain food truck
Green Valley Lake Market & Grille
Lakeside community grill (Green Valley Lake)
Things to do in Running Springs
Parks & outdoors
- ·Snow Valley Mountain Resort
- ·Arrowbear Lake
- ·Green Valley Lake
- ·Heart Rock Trailhead (nearby)
Shopping
- ·SR-18 commercial corridor
- ·Lake Arrowhead Village (15 min west)
- ·Big Bear Village (25 min east)
Landmarks
- ·Snow Valley Mountain Resort
- ·Arrowbear Lake
- ·Green Valley Lake (smallest natural mountain lake in the area)
- ·Keller Peak Lookout
Things to do
- ·Skiing and snowboarding at Snow Valley
- ·Year-round mountain biking on the Snow Valley lift system in summer
- ·Trout fishing at Green Valley Lake and Arrowbear Lake
- ·Pacific Crest Trail access via Deep Creek
- ·Off-roading on USFS roads in the surrounding national forest
HOA fees & rules in Running Springs
$0 – $300/mo (predominantly non-HOA)
Typical monthly HOA fee range
What's typically included
- Most Running Springs properties are non-HOA
- Arrowbear Lake Property Owners Association governs the small Arrowbear sub-area
- Green Valley Lake has its own community-managed lake access for residents
Rules overview
Running Springs is predominantly non-HOA, with two notable exceptions: the Arrowbear Lake Property Owners Association in the Arrowbear sub-area, and Green Valley Lake, which operates its own community lake access for property owners in that small mountain hamlet. Short-term rental rules are administered by San Bernardino County, the same regime that covers Big Bear City and Lake Arrowhead's county-jurisdiction parcels. Snow Valley Mountain Resort's lift operations don't translate into ski-in/ski-out HOA product the way Snow Summit does in Big Bear — Running Springs is mostly cabin-and-house product on individual lots.
Find your home
Homes for sale in Running Springs
Explore nearby
Nearby cities in the Mountain
Other markets in the same region — each with its own personality, price range, and pace.
Mountain
Lake Arrowhead
Private alpine lake community in the San Bernardino Mountains
Mountain
Big Bear Lake
Year-round ski-and-lake town at 6,750 feet
Mountain
Big Bear City
Big Bear Valley living with more room and a quieter pace
Mountain
Crestline
The most accessible mountain town in Southern California
Mountain
Idyllwild
Artist community in the San Jacinto Mountains, one hour above Palm Springs
Local expertise
Thinking about Running Springs? Let's talk.
Whether you're buying your first home, relocating, or selling a long-held property, we'll share what we know — market nuances, neighborhoods to watch, and how to win in today's market.