Regardless of whether you are an experienced or novice skier, annual snowfalls in California is a great reason to refresh your winter resort skills.
In Los Angeles, there are many pleasant places for this purpose. Some of them are situated an hour drive from the city, while others can be reached in almost 8 hours. Thus, a car rental from AVR in Los Angeles will be a perfect way to find your winter getaway.
Especially for your convenience, we have collected the best places for mountain skiing to go from the City of Angels.
Mountain High
The biggest benefit of this spot is that Mountain High is located some hour drive away from Los Angeles. This ski resort attracts many locals who are searching for an easy way to plunge into the real winter.
Each visitor can purchase a 4-hour pass ($65-70/person), 8-hour pass ($70-75/person) and even the all night long pass ($35-40/person). This is the most affordable option in list, but, unfortunately, it’s visited by the greatest number of skiers. Tracks on Mountain High are not too impressive, but they are perfect for beginners, which is another advantage.
Snow Valley
In order to get to Snow Valley, you need to spend almost 2 hours driving from Los Angeles to Running Springs. This place is not as well-known as Mountain High. This means that there won’t be crowds of people around you, and you will be able to fully enjoy snow-white slopes without the hassle and worry.
You can spend the whole day in Snow Valley for $60-75/person, 4 hours for $50-65/person, and the whole night for $27-35/person. This is also a good option for beginners. By the way, students are offered a discount of $10 for an access to the resort.
Mount Baldy Ski Lifts
Mount Baldy boasts a great height, but this resort is also located just an hour drive away from the city. The all-day ticket will cost you $69 or S49 for half a day after noon.
Several acres are available for skiing, which means you’ll have more learning opportunities. Due to the fact that the slopes of Mount Baldy are slightly lower than the base height, they need a bigger snow cover than other resorts. That’s why the season lasts there not as long as everyone would like.
Big Bear Mountain Resort
Big Bear is an excellent choice for more or less experienced skiers who no longer identify themselves as beginners. It’s located about 2.5 hours drive farther than the previous resorts in the list.
This well-equipped winter resort is famous for its modern ski park with boxes, railings and springboards for snowboarding. Big Bear is higher than the Snow Summit, but it features even more tracks for beginners. Tickets for this resort can be purchased for a whole day or half a day. In addition, Big Bear pass also allow entry to the Snow Summit, as these two slopes are controlled by the same company.
Snow Summit
Snow Summit is a more suitable place for a family holiday. If you need skiing lessons, then you will get them there. Multi-day tickets are available to visitors, and they will allow you to save well on individual tickets for lifts, which will cost $79 at the season start or $84 during its peak.
Also, there are many more challenging tracks. So, if you are not interested in tricks and you are an advanced skier, welcome to the Snow Summit.
Northstar
In case you’re ready to drive more than 8 hours by car, a vacation at the Northstar ski resort in North Lake Tahoe will be an excellent reward for such a long-distance journey.
This place is a true winter paradise, with the area of 3,170 acres available for skiing. It also has its own village, which provides outstanding conditions for a wonderful pastime for those who are not inspired by skis. Skating rinks and restaurants are also at visitors’ disposal.
The resort has everything modern traveler needs, including long trails, and ski parks, which are well suited to all levels of skill. Tickets will cost about $140/person.
Kirkwood
This is an excellent ski resort located in South Lake Tahoe in Kirkwood, and it requires spending about 8 hours to reach it from Los Angeles by car. Kirkwood boasts even more suitable skiing conditions than Northstar, which makes your long journey doubly advantageous.
Kirkwood covers a huge area and offers a large variety of tracks. You can save a lot if you purchase tickets that include not only skiing, but also accommodation, especially after the high season. Prices for tickets start at $110/person.
June Mountain
June Mountain is a great resort where you won’t find crowds of tourists. This fact gives it a special, almost intimate atmosphere. This place is situated almost 6 hours’ drive away from Los Angeles and provides about 1,500 acres for an incredible skiing.
Children can ski for free, making June Mountain a very attractive option for families. The slope has long tracks with live trees for advanced skiers, ski parks for stuntmen, as well as huge jumps for professionals.