Ski Areas in California
-A diverse and beautiful state with 3 different mountain ranges that are home to 28 ski areas, California has Winter weather like nowhere else in North America. Known for huge snow dumps and gnarly Pacific storms that give way to bluebird sunny skies, Cali also boasts some of the most scenic ski areas around and some of the best corn snow and Spring skiing conditions.
Bear Valley (CA)
Resort Classification: (Class 3) Medium
Donned as Grizzly Bear Valley by some hearty explorers back in 1855, and founded as a ski area in 1967, Bear Valley has a long and storied history and currently ranks as the 8th largest ski area in the state of California.
Bear Valley sits at a base elevation of 6,600ft and caters to skiers from the nearby cites of Stockton, Modesto and Sacramento which are about 2-3 hours away.
Famous For:
-Good vert, plenty of terrain and lots of sunshine.
-Allows overnight RV Parking for $30 per night.
-Summer Glamping in luxurious tents @7,750ft.
Infamous For:
-Relatively low base elevation can lead to difficulties and low terrain variety in low snow seasons.
-Only accessible from the West, as CA Hwy 4 to the East is closed in Winters.
Closest town with lodging:
The closest town with lodging for this ski area is: Slopeside lodging is available at the Bear Valley Lodge at the base of the ski area.
Closest City with An Airport:
The closest major city with a commercial airport for this ski area is: Stockton Metro Airport, which is 101 miles to the Southwest via State Hwy 4.
Season Pass Reciprocation:
Bear Valley Resort has no known season pass reciprocation at this time, and is not part of any alliance.
Mtn stats
$—
Adult
Base Elevation: 6,600ft
Peak Elevation: 8,500ft
Vertical Drop: 1,900ft
Skiable Acreage: 1,680
Annual Snowfall: 360″
Number of Trails: 75+
Terrain Stats
$–
Youth
Beginner Terrain: 25%
Intermediate Terrain: 40%
Advanced Terrain: 30%
Expert Terrain: 5%
Av. Opening Date: Mid Dec
Av. Closing Date: Early Apr
Chair Lifts
$–
Senior
Low Speed Doubles: 4
Low Speed Triples: 1
Low Speed Quads: 0
High Speed Quads: 1
High Speed 6 Packs: 1
High Speed 8 Packs: 0
Other Lifts
$—
Half Day
Rope Tows: 0
Magic Carpets: 2
T-Bar / Pomas: 0
Gondolas / Trams: 0
Chondolas: 0
Snow Cats: 0
Statistics
1,680
Skiable Acres.
- Snow Making
- Night Skiing
- Snow Tubing
- Nordic Trails
- Backcountry Gates
- Uphill Traffic Allowed
Offerings
1,900
Vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding.
- Ski Lessons
- Snowboard Lessons
- Equipment Rentals
- Snowboarding Allowed
- Small Terrain Park
- Big Terrain Park
Amenities
75+
Trails to explore!
- Slopeside Lodging
- Free Parking
- RV Camping Allowed
- WiFi Available
- Cell Service
- Pass Reciprocation
This chart represents the different difficulties of terrain.
Beginner Runs
25%
Intermediate Runs
40%
Advanced Runs
30%
Expert Runs
05%
Photos courtesy of:
The ski area photos above are property of Bear Valley Resort.
To connect with this ski area via their webpage or social media platforms, follow these links. >>>>
Click here for lift ticket deals!
SNow life ratings system.
Below is a series of ratings for this ski resort that is based upon the opinion of skiers and snowboarders directly associated with the Snow Life network of web pages. These ratings are based on personal experience from us actually going there and shredding it up. If an NR appears instead of the rating, it means we haven’t shred there yet, but rest assured, it’s on the list!!! Ratings are from 1-10, with 1 being poor, and 10 being the best.
sl rating: NR
NR
Moguls
NR
Groomer quantity
NR
Groomer quality
NR
Vibe
NR
Value for Day Ticket
NR
Apres Scene
NR
Snow Quantity
NR
Snow Quality
NR
The Steeps
NR
Lift Infrastructure
NR
Glades / Tree skiing
NR
Views / Scenery
The ALpine State Hwy 4 is closed to the east in the winter time @ ebbetts pass. bear valley can only be accessed from the west.
*Insider Tip*
Resort hours and location
Below are the operating hours for the lift system during the Winter Season according to this ski resort.
2280 CA-207, Bear Valley, CA. 95223
Weekdays: 9am – 4pm
Weekends: 9am – 4pm
Kemper Snowboards
Snowboard company
Founded in 1987 in Ontario, Canada and recently relocated to Park City, UT. Kemper is a legendary brand in the snowboarding community for their quality, design, and those rad neon colors! If you’ve looking for a new board for this season, or trying to make an addition to your quiver CLICK HERE to check them out!
Rossignol
Ski and snowboard company
The legend continues. Making Skis since 1907, along with boots, accessories and now snowboards too! CLICK HERE to add another pair of sticks to your quiver, or simply check out there awesome stockpile of skis and gear!