A participant in a green helmet carves a turn in a mono-ski at Big Bear while a USARC adaptive instructor skis close behind.

Big Bear Lake, California · Since 1983

Skiing, snowboarding, and summer on the water.

USARC teaches adaptive recreation to people with disabilities — with trained adaptive instructors, specialized equipment, and a lesson built around what you actually want to do.

Smiles Seen, Memories Made, Lives Changed.

Register for winterVolunteer with us
  • 43Years of operation
  • 1,000sLessons provided
  • 2Seasons, winter and summer

Our mission

What USARC is here to do.

The United States Adaptive Recreation Center is committed to guiding people with disabilities toward the creation and affirmation of rewarding lifestyles by:

  • Facilitating challenging and adventurous recreational programming.
  • Enabling achievement with superior instruction and personnel.
  • Confronting limitations resolutely and educationally.
  • Developing independence through a cooperative reliance on others.
  • Providing resources for sustained participation with peers, friends and family.
  • Creating awareness throughout the disabled and able-bodied communities.

Programs

Two seasons, one mountain town.

Lessons run all winter on the slopes at Big Bear Mountain Resort and all summer on Big Bear Lake. Equipment and instruction are matched to each participant, not the other way around.

A smiling skier in an orange blind-skier bib heads down a groomed run at Big Bear.

Winter program

December – March

Alpine skiing and snowboarding for all ages and abilities. Mono‑ski, bi‑ski, stand‑up with outriggers, and guided skiing for participants with visual impairments.

Explore winter
Participants and adaptive instructors in yellow kayaks wave and smile on Big Bear Lake, pine-covered hills behind them.

Summer program

June – September

Adaptive water skiing, paddleboarding, and kayaking on Big Bear Lake, plus day and overnight camps that get participants out on the water and into the mountains.

Explore summer
Two USARC adaptive instructors on a personal watercraft run alongside a participant on a sit-ski across Big Bear Lake.

Volunteering

Training provided

No prior experience with adaptive sports is needed, and you do not have to be an expert skier. USARC trains every adaptive instructor before they work with a participant.

Get involved

Now taking reservations

Winter reservations are open.

Winter reservations open by phone every year on the first Tuesday in November. Fill in the participant information first, then call to book a lesson.

Fill in the participant form

Getting started takes three steps.

Fill in your participant information

One form covers the participant's health, equipment sizing, and what they hope to try. It tells USARC about the participant. It does not book a lesson.

Fill in the form

Call to reserve

Winter reservations are open now. Call (909) 584‑0269 and leave a message with the participant's name and the dates you would like.

We'll call you back

Reservations are first come, first served, and calls are returned in the order received. Staff then match the right adaptive equipment and an instructor to the lesson.

Participant stories

Every lesson is built around one person.

A first-time skier and a returning racer need different equipment, different instructors, and a different day. USARC plans each lesson individually, which is why a participant who came once at eight is often still coming at eighteen.

“This is our daughter’s third year participating with USARC and we look forward to this experience every year. We always know she is in capable hands and there is nothing better for us than seeing her get so much joy from skiing. Thank you for everything you do!”

Sara R.Los Angeles, CA
Read participant stories
A USARC adaptive instructor guides a laughing participant in a bi-ski down a steep run.

Events

Three events keep the lessons affordable.

USARC's fundraising events pay for the equipment and instruction that make lessons possible. All three are open to anyone who wants to ride, ski, or sponsor.

Winter

Ski-a-thon

USARC's largest fundraiser of the year. Participants, volunteers, and supporters raise pledges and ski together for a day at Bear Mountain.

Autumn

Peak to Peak Pedal

A multi‑day ride from Big Bear to Mammoth. Riders raise funds, cover real mountain miles, and finish together.

Spring

Desert Days

An ADA‑accessible off‑road day out in Johnson Valley. Bring your own vehicle or ride along in one of USARC's, across two courses built for different appetites.

Volunteer

You do not need to be an expert skier.

USARC runs on volunteer adaptive instructors, and most of them arrived knowing nothing about adaptive equipment. Training covers everything you need.

  • Training provided before your first lesson
  • Winter and summer roles, on snow and off
  • Commit to a season or a single event
Apply to volunteerInternships
A USARC adaptive instructor skis behind a participant in a red helmet, holding tethers to control speed on a groomed run.

Support

Backed by people who keep the mountain open to everyone.

USARC is a registered nonprofit and a member of Move United, supported by local sponsors across the Big Bear Valley.

  • Move United

    Our national network

  • Big Bear Mountain Resort

    Our home mountain