Fat Bear Week Comes to Big Bear: Meet the Bear Who Visited the Knickerbocker Mansion

There’s Fat Bear Week in Alaska—and then there’s the very Big Bear version that happened right here at the Knickerbocker Mansion.

Every year, bear lovers around the world celebrate one of nature’s most impressive transformations during Fat Bear Week, an annual event held at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska. This year, Fat Bear Week runs September 22–29, 2026, with the public choosing among Katmai’s brown bears based on their remarkable late-summer size and preparation for winter.

And while our bear wasn’t competing in Alaska, we think he—or she—deserves an honorary spot on the bracket.

Meet the Knickerbocker Mansion's Own Fat Bear

Recently, guests and visitors at the Knickerbocker Mansion in Big Bear Lake got an unforgettable reminder that our mountain community isn't just surrounded by nature—we're sharing it with nature.

This magnificent bear wandered onto the property, stopping among the trees just beyond the fence.

And judging from the photograph, this was no small visitor.

With a big, round body, thick black coat and a particularly impressive backside, this bear looked like it had been taking Fat Bear Week seriously.

There was just one problem:

This bear is in Big Bear, California—not Katmai, Alaska.

And that's an important distinction.

California's only wild bear species today is the American black bear (Ursus americanus). Despite their name, black bears can actually range in color from black to brown, cinnamon, tan and even nearly blonde.

So while our Knickerbocker visitor isn't one of Katmai's famous brown bears, the timing couldn't be better.

Why Bears Get Fat

The phrase "fat bear" sounds funny to us, but for a bear, putting on weight is serious business.

At Katmai, brown bears spend much of the summer taking advantage of abundant food—particularly salmon—to build enormous fat reserves before entering their winter dens. During hibernation, bears live off those reserves and can lose up to roughly one-third of their body weight.

In other words, being a fat bear isn't a bad thing.

It's preparation.

The same basic seasonal instinct applies to black bears here in California. California Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that black bears become particularly food-motivated during hyperphagia, the period when they consume large amounts of food in preparation for winter.

Which makes the timing of our Knickerbocker visitor particularly appropriate.

A Bear in Its Natural Habitat

One of the things that makes the Knickerbocker Mansion special is its setting.

The property sits on a wooded 2.5-acre estate in the heart of Big Bear Lake, surrounded by towering trees and the larger mountain ecosystem of the San Bernardino Mountains.

That means guests don't have to travel deep into the wilderness to experience the area's wildlife.

Sometimes the wildlife comes to you.

Big Bear is home to bears, mountain lions, bald eagles, coyotes, deer and many other species. The surrounding forests provide an important habitat for wildlife, while the community itself sits within this larger mountain environment.

Our recent visitor provided a pretty spectacular example.

One minute, it's a peaceful afternoon at the Mansion.

The next…

There's a bear in the backyard.

The Big Bear Connection

There's something especially fitting about a bear showing up at the Knickerbocker Mansion during Fat Bear Week.

After all, Big Bear is named for bears.

The area's history with bears goes back to the 1800s, when grizzly bears were associated with the region. Those grizzlies are long gone from California, but their legacy remains in the name "Big Bear." Today, the bears that roam the Big Bear Valley are black bears.

And unlike the highly photographed bears of Katmai, our local bears aren't celebrities competing for votes.

They're simply living their lives.

Foraging.

Exploring.

Finding food.

And, in late summer and fall, eating as much as they can before winter arrives.

A Reminder That We're Guests in Their World

Seeing a bear from the safety of the Mansion grounds is an incredible experience—but it's also an important reminder to respect the wildlife that shares this mountain community with us.

California black bears are naturally curious and highly food-motivated. Human food, garbage and other attractants can draw them closer to homes and people and potentially create dangerous situations.

That's why the best bear encounter is one where the bear gets to remain wild.

Don't feed it.
Don't approach it.
Don't try to get closer for a photograph.
And give it plenty of room to continue on its way.

The folks at Big Bear Lake's visitor organization similarly advise visitors to observe wildlife from a distance and never feed or approach wild animals.

Our Knickerbocker bear seemed perfectly happy to do exactly that—make a brief appearance, explore the property, and continue on its way.

Fat Bear Week… Big Bear Style

While millions of people are watching Katmai's famous bears compete for the 2026 Fat Bear Week crown, we'll be keeping an eye on our own corner of bear country.

Maybe our visitor doesn't have a number.

Maybe there isn't a bracket.

And maybe we don't know how much he or she weighs.

But based on the photograph…

We think the Knickerbocker Mansion's bear would have made a pretty respectable showing.

Come Experience Big Bear

One of the special things about staying at the Knickerbocker Mansion is being immersed in the mountain environment rather than simply visiting it.

Walk to the Village, explore the nearby trails, enjoy the towering pines—and keep your eyes open.

You never know who might stop by.

And during Fat Bear Week, that's especially appropriate.