The San Bernardino Mountain ski resorts are northeast of Los Angeles and only a two hour drive from the beach.
Bear Mountain is the most popular of the resorts for boarders while Snow Summit attracts more skiers. Snow Valley is a slightly shorter drive from LA and has tamer slopes.
All of the San Bernardino Mountain ski resorts are beginner resorts without much challenging terrain and thus very popular with beginners and families who want to introduce their kids to skiing or snow boarding. Bear Mountain offers a mountain full of terrain park features sure to entertain kids.
The snow at the San Bernardino Mountain ski resorts is typically man made resulting in coarse snow.
The proximity of the ski resorts to Bear Lake, surrounded by the San Bernadino National Forest (in San Bernardino County) makes a beautiful resort surrounding.
The resorts of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are just outside of the town of Big Bear on Big Bear Lake which offers visitors a beautiful moutain town just a short drive from the smoggy, over populated and congested metropolis which is Los Angeles.
This mountain is popular with young snowboarders. While it is an easy and gentile mountain, it has lots of terrain park features scattered throuout the mountain.
If attending on a weekend, it is best to make reservations online in advance as they will cut off the number of admissions to keep the place sane.
Terrain:
As far as we could tell, the mountain ski runs are covered with groomed man made snow. The terrain is beginner to advanced beginner.
Terrain Parks:
The mountain IS a freestyle park with 150+ jumps (tables, hips, step-downs, spines, rolls, S-turns, quarterpipes), 80+ jibs (rails, boxes, wall rides, ...), a superpipe (580 ft long x 77 ft wide x 18 ft high) and a half pipe.
Lift tickets are good for both Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. There is also a shuttle which takes you between the two resorts.
The entire mountain is groomed and covered with man made snow (still real snow).
In fact they have 560 hydrants, 330+ snow guns and 40 fan guns dedicated to the task of converting 6,000 gallons of water a minute into snow.
Snow Summit has a spectacular view of Bear Lake from the summit which is sure to inspire you and make you feel like you are a thousand miles from Los Angeles.
Night skiing is available on Friday and Saturday evenings from 3:00pm till 9:30pm.
Located only 30 minutes from the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, Snow Valley is the first ski resort you will encounter as you drive up Hwy 330/18 towards Bear Lake. While it is a small resort it is a good fit for the beginner (or timid) skier or snow boarder.
In contrast to the struggle with crowds at the more popular Bear Mountain or Snow Summit, you may feel that you own the ski run at Snow Valley.
Snow Valley is small, simple and easy.
Snow Valley includes a children's learning center, a rental/repair shop and a kids minature snow mobile rental.
Terrain Park: Snow Valley has been improving their terrain park features which now include rails, table tops, jumps, jibs and 1/4 pipes.
Directions: Hwy I-10 to Redlands and transition to Hwy 30 North to 330. Continue on Hwy 330 to Hwy 18 in Running Springs. Snow Valley is five miles east of Running Springs on Hwy 18.
If you want to have fun with the little ones or with those who possess little or no athletic skill, try the Snowdrift tubing park. Its fun for all ages.
You will find The Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park just before Snow Valley along the road to Big Bear from LA.
