Dodge Ridge
862 acres, 67 runs, 487m vertical. Central Sierra day-trip resort 3 hours from Bay Area. Powder Alliance.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
27 Dec 2026
Closes
15 Mar 2027
Days open
78
Annual snow
29ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Dodge Ridge operates across 862 acres in California's Central Sierra Nevada with 67 runs split evenly between intermediate and advanced terrain. The resort spans 487 vertical metres from a 2,012-metre base to an 8,200-foot summit, with 20 per cent beginner, 40 per cent intermediate and 40 per cent advanced terrain. Average annual snowfall exceeds 8.9 metres, though the relatively low base elevation means reliance on natural snowfall rather than extensive snowmaking. The 2025-26 season ran from 27 December to 15 March, covering approximately 11 weeks of operation.
Terrain is divided into three zones: the frontside served by Chairs 1 through 6, the Prospector zone accessed by Chair 7, and the backside Boulder Creek Canyon zone reached via Chair 8 and a T-bar. Granite Bowl off Chair 8 contains the most challenging terrain with steep pitches and boulder fields. Stagecoach, the resort's longest run, stretches 3.2 kilometres from summit to base. Trail ratings skew forgiving, with many black runs comparable to blue terrain at larger resorts.
The atmosphere centres on accessible family skiing rather than après or village amenities. The Helm Family Lodge anchors base facilities with ticket services, rentals and dining at the Creekside Cafe and Bistro. The Waystation mid-mountain lodge at 2,134 metres provides a stopping point along the Prospector zone. Lift queues remain minimal outside holiday periods, and grooming operations typically prepare 50 to 60 runs daily during good snow years.
Dodge Ridge participates in the Powder Alliance, offering three free days to pass holders from 22 reciprocal resorts, and accepts Indy Pass for two days. The Cali Pass grants unlimited access here plus Bear Valley, China Peak and Mountain High. Located 48 kilometres east of Sonora on Highway 108, it serves as the closest ski area to the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. The resort suits beginners through intermediate skiers seeking uncrowded slopes and value pricing.
1,598ft
Vertical
67
Runs
862 acres
Skiable
29ft
Annual snow
Powder Alliance
Pass
The Terrain
67 runs across 862 acres skiable
Dodge Ridge spreads 67 runs across 862 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 13 beginner runs to find your feet and 27 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
67
runs
67 runs across 4 grades
Beginner13 runs · 20%
Intermediate27 runs · 40%
Advanced27 runs · 40%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Dodge Ridge
The 2025-26 season operated from 27 December through 15 March, closing early due to unseasonably warm conditions. Typical seasons run mid-December through late March depending on snowfall, with opening dates historically ranging from late October in exceptional years to mid-February during drought conditions. The resort recorded 436 centimetres of total snowfall during the 2025-26 season. Low elevation and minimal snowmaking mean operational dates vary significantly year to year.
Annual snowfall averages 8.9 metres, with the summit at 2,499 metres and base at 2,012 metres both sitting below elevations where Sierra Nevada snowfall typically becomes reliable. Rain events affect all elevations during marginal temperature periods. The 2022-23 season delivered over 700 inches of snowfall, whilst the 2010-11 season recorded 643 inches. By contrast, the 2013-14 drought year prevented opening until 12 February. Peak snowfall historically occurs during the first week of March, averaging 66 centimetres.
January through February offers the most reliable snow coverage and coldest temperatures. Spring conditions develop by mid-March with freeze-thaw cycles. Midweek visits remain uncrowded even during peak season, with Saturdays and holidays seeing the only significant lift queues on Chairs 3, 7 and 8. Granite Bowl requires substantial base depth to open, typically becoming accessible mid-season. Grooming crews prepare the majority of trails nightly when snow conditions permit.
The resort hosted terrain park events including Boxzilla, which lines up every box feature in a 30-metre sequence, and banked slalom competitions. Five terrain parks range from beginner progression features through advanced options. Tubing and sledding operations run weekends at the base area. Night skiing infrastructure exists but scheduling varies by season. No major festivals or concert series anchor the calendar.
Season 2026 - 2027
27 Dec 2026
Opens
15 Mar 2027
Closes
78
Days open
29 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Dodge Ridge, and where to stay
Dodge Ridge sits in the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County at an elevation of 2,012 metres, positioned between Lake Tahoe 80 kilometres north and Yosemite National Park 58 kilometres south. The resort operates under U.S. Forest Service special use permit on 862 acres of public land. Pinecrest Lake and the unincorporated community of Pinecrest lie 7 kilometres west. The surrounding terrain consists of pine forest and granite outcroppings typical of the Central Sierra Nevada.
Sonora, the nearest full-service town with 5,000 residents, sits 48 kilometres west via Highway 108. Sonora provides supermarkets, petrol stations, hotels and the closest major services. Strawberry, a tiny hamlet 7 kilometres from the resort, offers limited lodging and dining. Pinecrest provides cabin rentals, a small commercial district and the Pinecrest Campground operated by the Forest Service. No slopeside lodging exists at Dodge Ridge itself, though overnight RV parking operates in the upper carpark for a fee with a four-night maximum stay.
Highway 108 provides sole access from the west, as the road closes for winter 13 kilometres east of the resort at the Highway 108 Sno-Park. The route from Sonora takes 50 minutes in good weather. From Sacramento, the drive covers 208 kilometres via Highway 99 and Highway 108, requiring approximately three hours. The San Francisco Bay Area lies roughly 240 kilometres west, making this the closest ski area to most Bay Area population centres. Traffic on Highway 108 remains light compared to Interstate 80 routes to Lake Tahoe.
Sacramento International Airport sits 208 kilometres northwest, serving as the primary gateway with major airline connections. San Francisco International Airport lies 275 kilometres west. Fresno Yosemite International Airport sits 160 kilometres south. Modesto, 130 kilometres west, offers limited commercial flights. No public transit or scheduled shuttle services connect airports to the resort. Rental car remains the standard transfer method, with chains required during winter storms.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Dodge Ridge, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Utah Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Brian Head First, Eagle Point Out
Brian Head is targeting 6 November, though last year it aimed for 7 November and did not open until the 25th. Park City, Alta and Solitude are pencilled in for 20 November, Snowbird and Snowbasin for 27 November, and Deer Valley for 5 December. Eagle Point will stay closed after the Cottonwood Fire. A super El Niño is forecast, but the big snow is not expected until January.
4 Oct 2026
Hintertux Glacier Opens for 2026-27 With 12 Kilometres of Piste
Hintertux became Austria's second glacier to open for 2026-27 on Friday 2 October, after the Pitztal Glacier. Twelve kilometres of piste are running around the Olperer and Gefrorene Wand, served by one gondola and two drag lifts, with the Betterpark also open. Lifts officially run 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, but skiing stops at 2 pm for now.
4 Oct 2026
Vail Resorts Counts the Cost of a Thin Winter as Pass Sales Slide Further
A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.
3 Oct 2026
Arizona Snowbowl's $1 Lift Tickets Are Hard to Find, but $9 Days Are Not
Arizona Snowbowl advertised eight $1 lift ticket days this winter. Go looking and only three are showing - 10 March, 1 April and 10 April - so the rest may already have gone. The consolation is a calendar full of $9 days, including all but one day in April. Opening day is 20 November, weather permitting, and opening weekend is $19.
2 Oct 2026
Whitewater Brings Its Short Side Inbounds, With Six New Runs for 2026-27
For years, Whitewater's Short Side was where you ducked a rope and hoped for the best: unmapped, ungroomed and unpatrolled. This winter it's inbounds. Six new runs of glades and fall-line skiing add 190 acres (about 77 hectares), taking the resort past 1,400 acres in total. F2 Logging spent a month in the trees to make it happen, and opening day is pencilled in for 4 December. Bonanza now needs less snow to groom, too.
1 Oct 2026
September Dusting Hits Mammoth Mountain Six Weeks Before Opening Day
Mammoth got its first snow of 2026-27 on Monday 28 September - and promptly lost it by Tuesday morning. Barely an inch fell at McCoy Station, but with opening day pencilled in for Friday 13 November, it's the first sign the Sierra is waking up. Last year's date slipped from 14 November to 20 November, so nobody's booking flights on a dusting just yet. Here's where California's early openers stand.
1 Oct 2026
Saalbach Hinterglemm Resort Review: 270 km of Piste, 70 Lifts and a Three-Resort Pass
Four connected areas, 70 lifts and a World Championship course, yet Saalbach Hinterglemm still runs like a family holiday. Two days on snow and a Worlds Super-G later, here is who it suits, what the Ski ALPIN CARD covers and why Epic Pass holders should pay attention. Big on blues, light on steeps.
30 Sept 2026
Sölden Plans Four-Race World Cup Opener on the Rettenbach Glacier from 2027
Sölden's World Cup opener has been two giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier for as long as most fans can remember. From 2027/28 it could be four. Director Jack Falkner wants to add two Super-Gs, backed by a nod from Vincent Kriechmayr, and turn the opening into a full week where the ski world gathers in the Ötztal. FIS and the ÖSV are yet to sign off. This year, it's still just the two GS races on 24 and 25 October.
29 Sept 2026
Dodge Ridge Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 3 Oct 2026
8,199ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear50°F / 69°F · SE 10mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts12
Live open status isn’t available right now.
27 Dec 2026 - 15 Mar 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 43 hours· Updated Oct 3, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
8,199 ftUpdated Oct 3, 2026 at 6:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Sat, Oct 3
Overcast
Temp69° / 50°°F
Snow0.0"(4%)
Wind10 mph SE
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Dodge Ridge snow report
See what's happening on the mountain at Dodge Ridge right now — snowfall, snow depth, and weather data to help you plan your day in California.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Dodge Ridge, summit conditions (2499m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Dodge Ridge's 2012m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Dodge Ridge come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 12 lifts, including a quad chairlift.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.