Before sunrise on October 8, two bald eagles woke up in the Roost Tree above Big Bear Lake. They stopped at the Lookout Snag, then left the branches one after the other. That afternoon Shadow sat in the Twin Pines and took the sun for a long while before heading out over the valley. The bird with him that morning was not Jackie. Her name is Kaydee, and Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote that "there is change in the air."
Fawnskin gets this fall's eagle news before anywhere else. The pair hunts over this side of the lake. The land that a 25-year fight was about sits north of Highway 38 here, and Jackie's carved likeness now stands on North Shore Drive. Each piece of the story changed this summer, and they add up to one fact. The north shore has more protected eagle habitat this October than it had a year ago.
The Land Moved First
The biggest change happened before Jackie died. It happened on paper, at a title company.
Moon Camp covers about 63 acres north of Highway 38 in Fawnskin. It lies inside the hunting grounds Jackie and Shadow used. The owner had planned 50 homes and a private boat slip there. Earlier in 2026, the owner agreed to sell to the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust for $10 million if the Trust could close by July 31.
Friends of Big Bear Valley started the Save Moon Camp fundraiser. More than 25,000 donations brought in close to half of the price. Anna and Greg Brockman then gave more than $5.5 million to finish it, and the Big Bear Grizzly reported that the gift also covered closing costs, taxes, legal fees and money to maintain the land. The San Bernardino Sun reported that escrow closed during the deadline week. The Land Trust says the habitat was permanently protected as of July 31, 2026.
Fawnskin was watching this fight long before the nest cam had a global audience. Friends of Big Bear Valley was formed in 2001 to oppose the Moon Camp development. Sandy Steers, the group's director, spent 25 years on it and was negotiating the purchase . FOBBV spokesperson Jenny Voisard called it "her last moonshot."
FOBBV describes Moon Camp as the only undisturbed shoreline left on the lake. The site supports the rare ash-gray Indian paintbrush, San Bernardino flying squirrels and waterfowl.
What Moon Camp is and isn't yet
- Owner: San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust
- Stewardship plan: Light-touch. Voisard told the Sun the forest will mostly be left alone apart from required brush clearing and cleanup.
- Stated purpose: A public gateway into the national forest and a wildlife corridor
- Public access: Planned. Voisard said "the forest is for all to enjoy"
- Trails, visitor rules, opening date: Not announced as of early October 2026
- Next goal: Preserving neighboring parcels to protect what remains of the lake's north-shore habitat
So for now, Moon Camp is protected land with no announced trailheads. Watch for the Land Trust's first access announcement.
A Memorial on North Shore Drive
The land deal closed while Jackie was still in critical care at the Ojai Raptor Center. She had been rescued in mid-July in poor condition on the shore of Big Bear Lake. Despite extensive testing, experts could not pin down why she was so sick, and she died in August.
Fawnskin held a memorial ceremony for Jackie at Fawn Park on Saturday, September 5, hosted by park owner Mike Wayman. The park's permanent tribute came three weeks later. On Saturday, September 26, the privately owned Fawn Park on North Shore Drive was renamed Fawnskin Freedom Park, and a life-size carving of Jackie was unveiled there. KTLA reported that Pennsylvania chainsaw sculptor Paul Waclo made the piece. It shows Jackie landing over a water feature with a fish in her talons. Wayman hosted the two-day tribute, and it is not affiliated with Friends of Big Bear Valley. The park also holds a 9/11 World Trade Center artifact and other memorials.
A week later, the valley-wide tribute took place across the lake. Wings Over Big Bear opened Saturday, October 3, at Bear Mountain Resort with a ceremony led by Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation singers and dancers. The program included keynote speakers and the unveiling of a commemorative painting of Jackie by Big Bear Lake artist Jilliana Marshall. Sunday's schedule was spread around the valley, with birdwatching, raptor viewing, seed collection and a planned Gray's Peak hike. Visit Big Bear lists the San Bernardino National Forest, Big Bear Alpine Zoo and the Southern California Mountains Foundation among the event's partners.
A Territory That Stayed Occupied
The protected land matters for the next chapter because the territory itself never went empty.
On August 6, while Jackie was still in critical care, a female banded KD1 first appeared on the Friends of Big Bear Valley cameras. A few days after Jackie's death, she and Shadow were together in the aerie, a nest high in a Jeffrey pine above the lake. Shadow and Jackie had shared that nest since 2018. FOBBV took the unusual step of naming the newcomer Kaydee. She hatched around March 2022 in the Prado Basin, about 70 miles southwest of Big Bear, which makes her roughly four and a half years old. She is larger than Shadow and has been moving sticks around the nest.
Pete Bloom, the raptor biologist whose nonprofit banded KD1, gave the Los Angeles Times his forecast:
"It is highly likely that these two birds that currently seem to be forming a pair bond will indeed be a pair at the time that nesting begins, which is roughly December."
He also explained why the territory comes first. North America has a floating population of eagles, and four-year-olds go "prospecting" for vacancies. For most birds of prey, territory matters more than any one mate, so an eagle holding a good territory tends to stay and wait for others to arrive.
By that logic, the hunting ground Moon Camp now protects is what drew a young female to Shadow in the first place. The 63 acres north of Highway 38 are more than a tribute to the last pair. They are part of the reason a new pair is likely. Eggs are not confirmed, and Bloom's estimate is a forecast. Still, Jackie laid 25 eggs over her life, 10 hatched and seven eaglets fledged, and every one of those seasons began on this same territory.
The North-Shore Calendar Between Now and Nesting
If Bloom is right, the next eight weeks lead up to nesting. Here is what is set on Fawnskin's side of the lake and what is still waiting on an announcement.
| What | When | Status as of Oct. 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Story Time, Big Bear Discovery Center | Fridays and Sundays through Dec. 20 | Scheduled; posted times conflict, so confirm before going |
| Big Bear Discovery Center, 40971 North Shore Drive | Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Regular hours; closed Tuesday and Wednesday |
| Serrano Campground | Season ends Nov. 29 | Not listed as operating in December |
| Wintering bald eagles arrive | Typically late November | Usually stay until early April |
| Shadow and Kaydee nesting | Roughly December | Forecast only |
| Fawnskin tree lighting | Dec. 5, 4 p.m. | Listed on the Big Bear Moose Lodge calendar; public access unconfirmed |
| Gray's Peak and Grout Bay eagle closure | Not yet announced for 2026-27 | The 2026 closure ran March 12 to July 1 |
Two items on that list are worth a closer look.
The first is the closure. The Forest Service says the Gray's Peak Trailhead sits inside bald eagle habitat just west of Fawnskin, across from the Grout Bay Picnic Area. The closure there runs from winter through spring and sometimes into summer. In 2026 it closed the Gray's Peak Trail and trailhead, the Grout Bay Day Use Area and Yellow Post Site #1. Gates blocked vehicle access during that closure. No 2026-27 dates have been posted, so check with the San Bernardino National Forest before planning a December hike from that trailhead.
The second is the Alpine Pedal Path. The Forest Service lists it as an accessible paved route on the north shore that connects toward the Cougar Crest parking area and the Discovery Center. That same page gives the late-November to early-April window for wintering eagles. Friends of Big Bear Valley notes that eagles historically came to Big Bear when northern lakes froze. The Forest Service used to hold monthly counts from December through March but has since stopped. With no official count on the calendar, the FOBBV livestreams are the most dependable view of the nest.
A year ago, the land Jackie hunted over could still have been sold for 50 homes. Going into this winter, those 63 acres are held by a land trust, her carving stands on North Shore Drive, and a four-year-old female is moving sticks in the same Jeffrey pine.
North-shore owners have plenty to keep track of this season, from the Gray's Peak closure to the Discovery Center schedule to a cabin that sits empty on weekdays. Our team is here seven days a week and has spent decades on this mountain. If you want a clear picture of what your Fawnskin place is worth heading into winter, SoCal Resorts will put together a free home valuation, with local eyes on the property whether or not you're up here.
