The Best Ski Resorts in California, Tahoe to the Sierra

Where California skiing happens

Two areas hold almost all of California's skiing: the Lake Tahoe basin, split between the north and south shores, and Mammoth in the Eastern Sierra. A cluster of smaller resorts near Los Angeles rounds it out for weekend day trips. The Sierra gets deep, wet snow, and a big season can dump 400-plus inches, which is why Tahoe and Mammoth stay open long after the Rockies close.

The season runs roughly late November through April, and Mammoth often spins lifts into May or June. Pick your resort by base town and by how far you want to drive. If you are flying in, note that Tahoe is about a 3.5-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and Mammoth is a long haul from anywhere, best paired with the Eastern Sierra. Start at the California travel guide. When the snow melts, the same mountains give you the best waterfalls in California, and if you want to trade snow for sun, the best desert escapes in California are a few hours south.

The big Lake Tahoe resorts

**Region: High Sierra · Base: Olympic Valley / Tahoe City · Pass: Ikon · Best for: big terrain** Palisades Tahoe, the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows now linked by gondola, is the largest ski resort in the Tahoe area and hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. It has serious steeps for advanced skiers and wide groomers for everyone else. See the Lake Tahoe guide for basing.

**Region: High Sierra · Base: South Lake Tahoe · Pass: Epic · Best for: lake views and nightlife** Heavenly straddles the California-Nevada line above South Lake Tahoe, with runs that look straight down onto the lake and a base village steps from the casinos. It is the easiest big resort to combine with a lively town.

**Region: High Sierra · Base: Truckee · Pass: Epic · Best for: families** Northstar California near Truckee is the polished, tree-lined resort with a walkable village, good beginner and intermediate terrain, and reliable grooming. It is the pick if you are skiing with kids or learning.

**Region: High Sierra · Base: near South Lake Tahoe · Pass: Epic · Best for: powder and steeps** Kirkwood, about 35 minutes south of South Lake Tahoe, gets the deepest snow in the basin and holds the best expert terrain for storm days. It is smaller and quieter than Heavenly, which is part of the appeal.

**Region: High Sierra · Base: Norden / Donner Summit · Pass: Ikon · Best for: the closest big snow to the Bay** Sugar Bowl, right off Interstate 80 at Donner Summit, catches some of the heaviest average snowfall in the basin and is the closest full-size Tahoe resort to the Bay Area, about 3 hours from San Francisco. That combination makes it the pick for a day trip when a storm rolls through and you want deep snow without the drive around the lake.

Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra

**Region: Eastern Sierra · Base: Mammoth Lakes · Pass: Ikon · Best for: the longest season** Mammoth Mountain tops out at 11,053 feet and averages around 400 inches of snow, which is why it routinely stays open into late May or June, longer than anywhere else in the state. It is a big, high, above-treeline mountain with terrain for every level. Base in Mammoth Lakes.

**Region: Eastern Sierra · Base: June Lake · Pass: Ikon · Best for: a quieter alternative** June Mountain, about 20 minutes north of Mammoth, is the low-key sister resort: no crowds, great for families and intermediates, and covered on the same Ikon pass. When Mammoth is packed on a holiday weekend, June is where locals go.

The Eastern Sierra is a commitment. From Los Angeles, Mammoth is about a 5-hour drive up Highway 395, and from the Bay it is 5 to 6 hours, longer in winter when Tioga Pass is closed and you have to go around. The payoff is the highest, longest-lasting snow in California and the drama of the Eastern Sierra peaks.

Southern California day-trip resorts

**Region: Greater Los Angeles · Base: Big Bear Lake · Pass: Ikon (Bear Mountain/Snow Summit) · Best for: skiing near LA** Big Bear runs two linked mountains, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, about a 2-hour drive from Los Angeles. The snow is more weather-dependent than the Sierra and heavily supplemented by snowmaking, but for a Southern California day on the slopes it is the go-to.

**Region: Greater Los Angeles · Base: Wrightwood · Best for: the closest lift to LA** Mountain High near Wrightwood is the closest resort to Los Angeles, about 90 minutes from the city, which makes it a busy weekend day trip. Expect modest vertical and a lot of snowmaking, but it does the job for a quick fix.

These southern resorts are best thought of as day trips rather than destinations. The season is shorter and less certain than in the Sierra, so watch the forecast and go after a storm. For a real ski holiday, Tahoe and Mammoth are worth the extra hours of driving.

Where to stay and when to go

For the Tahoe resorts, Edgewood Tahoe Resort and Harrah's Lake Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe put you near Heavenly and Kirkwood, while Truckee lodging serves Northstar and Palisades. For Mammoth, the town of Mammoth Lakes has ski-in options and shuttle access to the main lodge. Southern California skiers usually stay in Big Bear Lake or day-trip from the city. Compare rates in the hotels and resorts directory.

January and February bring the most reliable snow, but they also bring the biggest storms, and Interstate 80 and Highway 50 into Tahoe require chains or all-wheel drive with the CHP running control points during storms. March and early April often give you good snow with softer weather and smaller crowds outside spring break. Buy your Ikon or Epic pass before the season if you plan more than a few days, since walk-up lift tickets at the big resorts can run well over $150 a day.