California, Usa · Ikon
Big Bear
Ski Southern California's highest lift-served peak at 8,805ft. Three mountains — Bear Mountain, Snow Summit and Snow Valley — just 2 hours from LA.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
28 Nov 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
134
Annual snow
11ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Bear Mountain sits at the eastern end of Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino National Forest, reaching a summit of 8,805 feet at Geronimo Peak — the highest lift-served point in Southern California — with a base at 7,140 feet and a vertical drop of 1,665 feet. The 198 acres of skiable terrain across three peaks — Bear Peak, Silver Mountain and Goldmine Mountain — break down as 20% beginner, 33% intermediate, 33% advanced and 14% expert, making Bear Mountain the most technically demanding of the three mountains that make up Big Bear Mountain Resort.
Snow Summit and Snow Valley, both within 15 miles, complete the resort group under Alterra Mountain Company ownership, and a single Ikon Pass or daily lift ticket provides access across all three mountains on the same day. Snow Summit (peak 8,200 feet, 240 acres) focuses on intermediate and family terrain with direct views of Big Bear Lake, while Snow Valley (peak 7,841 feet) serves as the primary beginner and family mountain to the west.
Bear Mountain's most significant historical distinction is in freestyle: the Outlaw terrain park, built in 1992, was the first freestyle terrain park in North America, establishing a legacy that the mountain has built on ever since. Bear Mountain still operates the only halfpipes in Southern California and hosts the Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails freestyle competition, running since 2003 as one of the longest-running freestyle events in the US.
The broader resort's snowmaking infrastructure — more than 560 hydrants, 330 snow guns and 40 fans capable of converting 6,000 gallons of water to snow per minute — underpins reliable conditions across all three mountains from opening day, and Snow Summit was selected to host the inaugural Winter X Games in 1997, cementing the Big Bear area's standing in competitive winter sports history.
1,667ft
Vertical
29
Runs
198 acres
Skiable
11ft
Annual snow
Ikon
Pass
The Terrain
29 runs across 198 acres skiable
Big Bear spreads 29 runs across 198 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 33%, with 6 beginner runs to find your feet and 14 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
29
runs
29 runs across 4 grades
Beginner6 runs · 20%
Intermediate10 runs · 33%
Advanced10 runs · 33%
Expert4 runs · 14%
Time it right
When to visit Big Bear
Big Bear Mountain Resort operates from late November through to mid-April, with the 2025/26 season running 22 November to 12 April across the three mountains. The San Bernardino Mountains' position above the Los Angeles basin creates a distinct seasonal pattern: cold air pooling at elevation through winter combined with snowmaking water drawn from Big Bear Lake sustains the season across all three mountains regardless of natural accumulation patterns, which vary considerably year to year at this latitude.
The current 2025/26 season has recorded a base of around 36 inches as of early March with a season total of approximately 16 inches of natural snowfall, reflecting the supplementary snowmaking load the system regularly carries in lower-precipitation years. In strong snow years, the Big Bear mountains deliver considerably more natural cover, and the combination of elevation, aspect and snowmaking gives the resort the most operating days per season of any Southern California ski area.
The proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area shapes the seasonal rhythm more than at any comparable US ski resort: with 15 million people within a two-hour drive, Big Bear weekends during January and February fill quickly, and the resort's management of lift capacity, parking and snowmaking is oriented substantially around the Southern California day-trip market.
Midweek conditions are consistently less crowded, and the midweek season pass option reflects how significant that segment is to the resort's visitor profile. Night sessions at Snow Summit on select dates extend the usefulness of the trip for those arriving late from the city, and the combination of Snow Valley, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain across a single ski day gives visitors more terrain variety than any other Southern California destination.
Season 2026 - 2027
28 Nov 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
134
Days open
11 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Big Bear, and where to stay
Bear Mountain sits in the San Bernardino National Forest in the Big Bear Valley, approximately 100 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and 25 miles northeast of San Bernardino. The primary access routes are California State Route 18 via Highway 330 from Redlands off Interstate 10, or the more scenic State Route 38 along the Big Bear Scenic Byway — both climbs of around 5,000 feet from the valley floor to the resort.
The drive from central Los Angeles takes approximately two hours under normal freeway conditions, making Big Bear the closest major ski destination to one of the world's largest urban populations and explaining why Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and Snow Valley collectively represent one of the highest-visitor-volume ski operations in the US by sheer throughput. Chain controls are enforced regularly on the access roads during winter storm conditions, and the resort recommends checking Caltrans chain control status before departure.
Big Bear Lake township at 6,752 feet sits immediately adjacent to the ski area and provides the full range of accommodation, dining and après-ski options within a few minutes of all three mountains. The lake itself — around nine miles long and the largest freshwater lake in Southern California — is the source of the resort's snowmaking water supply and gives the valley its distinctive high-desert alpine character, surrounded by Jeffrey pine and white fir forest on the upper slopes.
San Bernardino International Airport is the closest commercial gateway, approximately 40 miles west via Highway 330, with Ontario International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport offering broader connections for visitors flying in. The Big Bear Valley's position in the San Bernardino Mountains above the Mojave Desert and Coachella Valley creates weather patterns where clear, cold nights and sunny daytime conditions dominate much of the ski season, with the snowmaking system bridging the gaps when Pacific storm systems track north of the region.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Big Bear, powered by Stay22.
Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Big Bear's ski season?
Big Bear's season typically runs from November 28 to April 11, roughly 134 days, weather and conditions permitting.
How much skiable terrain does Big Bear have?
Big Bear has about 198 acres skiable across 29 runs.
How many lifts does Big Bear have?
Big Bear operates 11 lifts in total.
How much snow does Big Bear get?
Big Bear averages around 130 inches (10.8 feet) of snowfall per season.
Where can I buy Big Bear lift tickets?
Lift tickets for Big Bear can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026