Running Springs is a census-designated place in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. Set within the San Bernardino National Forest at roughly 6,000 feet, it occupies the junction of State Route 18 and State Route 330 and functions as the mountain gateway to Lake Arrowhead, Arrowbear, Green Valley Lake, and Big Bear Lake. Its population is about 5,300. The area's history is rooted in the mountains themselves. Known in its early days as Hunsaker Flats, the region was traveled by gold prospectors on their way to Holcomb Valley and later became a center of logging, supplying timber to the growing communities of Southern California. The opening of the "Rim of the World" highway in the early twentieth century turned the high country into a recreation destination, a role the town has kept ever since. Running Springs is best known today for Snow Valley Mountain Resort, which lies on State Route 18 above the community. As one of the closest ski areas to the Los Angeles basin, Snow Valley draws skiers, snowboarders, and sledders throughout the winter season, anchoring the town's four-season appeal. Beyond winter, the area offers warm, breezy summers and vivid autumns, when black oaks and ferns turn the hillsides gold. The community itself is spread across forested ridges and micro-neighborhoods such as the Nordic Tract and Arrowbear Lake, with homes tucked among pines and oaks. Most residents own their homes, and the town mixes full-time mountain households with weekend and seasonal cabins. A rural feel, clean mountain air, and proximity to both Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear define daily life. Running Springs suits those seeking a mountain lifestyle or a cabin retreat, with schools served by the Rim of the World Unified School District and Los Angeles about an hour away.