Dumpster rental and junk removal in Arrowbear Lake

Get ahead of the June 1 weed-abatement deadline

The Arrowbear Park County Water District, which also funds and manages Arrowbear's all-volunteer fire department, says every improved lot or parcel in Arrowbear has to meet its weed-abatement rules by June 1 each year. The County's annual defensible-space inspections name Arrowbear too.

The County's checklist includes raking up pine needles more than 2 inches deep, clearing dead branches and debris off the ground and the roof, and trimming branches within 6 feet of the ground on taller trees within 100 feet of the house. A good clearing day makes a big pile fast.

Book the dumpster for the weekend you clear, or ask about a haul-off once it's raked up. Call or text first about green waste, keep it separate from household trash so it can be recycled, and cut limbs to 4 feet or less, the length limit at the County's transfer stations.

Weekend cabins, and a town that triples on holidays

The water district puts Arrowbear's full-time population at about 1,400, growing to more than 4,500 on busy weekends and holidays. Plenty of owners live down the hill and come up when they can.

If that's you, pick delivery and pickup dates that bracket your trip, load the dumpster while you're here, and let us take it back down. The base rental and the daily rate for extra days are shown on this page. Would rather not do the loading? Text photos of what's going and ask about junk removal.

Holiday weekends bring the most traffic and the fullest streets. If your dates are flexible, a delivery day away from the busiest weekends is easier on your neighbors and your driveway.

Placing the dumpster off Highway 18

Highway 18 is a state highway, and Caltrans requires an encroachment permit for any object placed in its right-of-way. Side streets that are County roads need a County encroachment permit. So the dumpster goes on your driveway or your own lot.

Robert brings the dumpster on a gooseneck trailer behind his pickup. Send a photo of the spot with any slope, tight turns, low branches or wires, and we'll tell you what the drop needs.

Winter on the road to Big Bear

Highway 18 through Arrowbear gets chain controls in storms. Under Caltrans R-1 controls, vehicles towing trailers must chain one drive axle, and trailers with brakes must chain at least one axle of their own. The dumpster travels on a trailer, so storms can move delivery and pickup days.

In big storms the County opens primary roads first, and it does not plow private roads at all. If your driveway is on a private road, line up snow removal before the dumpster is due, and keep a shoveled path to it.

Where Arrowbear debris and leftovers go

The nearest County transfer station is Heaps Peak, back west on Highway 18 past Running Springs. The County lists it as open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed on major holidays (checked November 2026). Check before you self-haul.

Paint, solvents, motor oil and pesticides can't go in a dumpster or the trash in California. Call the County Fire household hazardous waste line, 1-800-OILY-CAT (645-9228), for the nearest drop-off or collection event.