Snow Valley Mountain Resort

A little late on the review but I had blast here. Went during mid February about two times wish could’ve come more but found about this place a little late.
I was a beginner, they had a special going on 2 for 70 dollars and includes gear, lift tickets and lessons! Worth the money honestly! The staff are very helpful, they told us tips and they were patient for everyone. The trainers are nice but do joke around with you if you mess up (but that’s the fun part when you fall) so if you can’t take a joke than oh well. But would come back definitely, lots of fun, went on the weekdays so it wasn’t to crowded at all. Good food too, get the bbq brisket with onion rings so bomb. Can’t wait till winter so I can go again!

Bought a 4 pack of anytime tickets for $ 100 ($ 25/​ea.) during their pre-​Christmas sale. The price is really reasonable year after year. However, there are a few caveats: unless the season is really good, the back mountain will not really be open, so not that many black diamond and double black diamond trails open. The main lifts that will be open are #1 (general top of mountain) #13 and #6 (bunny slope). You can rejoin #1 mid-​lift which cuts out the bunny slope part. Park features are decent when there is enough snow, with usually a few jumps, a bunch of rails and ramps to ride. The longest trail off the #1 lift is not really that long, a maybe 5 ride down the mountain. If you’re looking for longer trails, maybe look elsewhere.
Usually speaking, this place never has a lot of people, unlike Mountain High. This means you won’t be avoiding people left and right, and beginners have plenty of room to make mistakes (i.e. fall and make snow angels).
This place is kind of old school in that they still use barcode lift tickets that are supposed to be scanned at the lift or on most days at the bottom of the mountain before you enter the ski area. Most other resorts use RFID cards that work a lot faster and are more sturdy.
On the day I came, the weather was awful in the morning. It was raining and snowing/​drizzling/​hailing making terrible conditions to get on the mountain to ride. However, my 3 friends had already bought tickets online for that particular day. The Snow Valley ticketing office decided to give my 3 friends each vouchers for another day during this season for the bad weather. So when the weather cleared up, they were able to essentially ski for free. Pretty cool gesture on their part.
Also, someone walked off with one of our snowboards while we were getting hot chocolate in the lodge. While the staff couldn’t help us locate the snowboard, they were sympathetic and offered to help — guest services logs down any missing boards so in case any turns up, they’ll be able to let you know. Anyway, it turns out that someone just took it for a joyride and returned it about 20 minutes later. Phew.
Parking at the resort is usually fine. Plenty of parking inside their own lot. In the 8 – 10 times I’ve been here, I’ve never had to park outside their lot, even if I’m arrive at 10 or 11am.
One last thing, the staff at the ski lifts are always really friendly and will greet you with a «How’s it going?» or a «Have a great ride!» So if you keep in my your expectations, Snow Valley is a fun place to go.

Written from the perspective of an early intermediate skier…
There are longer runs and more challenging terrain at other resorts. If you absolutely need your double black diamond fix, Snow Valley is probably not for you. But if you like short drives, reasonable prices, and very friendly service, Snow Valley is your place.
I finally took up skiing this year after a few attempts earlier in life at Tahoe and Yosemite. Although I visited several resorts and purchased a package deal at one, I quickly found Snow Valley suited me best. There is a wide variety of beginner and intermediate terrain and enough features and steep shoots that even my more expert friends can enjoy a visit. Lift lines are short, the longest being their beginner run. And the prices are very reasonable compared to nearby resorts, to say nothing of what you might pay at say Tahoe or Mammoth.
But what really sets this resort apart is how friendly everyone is. And «everyone» is more people than you might think. In addition to ski patrol, Snow Valley has «hosts» who ski all the popular runs at the resort and will check up with you, offer advice if you ask, take pictures, etc. They are simply really nice people. The instructors are also great and go above and beyond. My wife, now permanently disabled due to an auto accident a few years back, thought she would not be able to ski. The adaptive instructor personally returned her inquiry call and explained in detail to her how she could again enjoy a sport she did years ago with some of the equipment and instructors available at Snow Valley. She is now scheduled to try again after years of being afraid to ski. It’s hard to beat service like that.
The food isn’t extraordinary, but again the prices are reasonable, the burgers are great, and service very friendly. Same experience in their shop. Parking is free and convenient and handicap accessible.
Bottom line: after 6 visits I’ve decided Snow Valley is the best resort for me. I’ll be purchasing a season pass next year as soon as they come out. Is it best for everyone? Probably not. But if you want friendly, family oriented, fun it’s hard to beat.

It was fun! Came here on 2÷20÷2016; first time skiing. Took the group class for beginner lessons; had a great instructor who explained things well and helped get the basics down. Pretty fun going down hill from lift 6 (beginners slope?) which was the last thing we did in class.
Not too crowded I think, but then again, this was in February already. We got there early, by 8am we were parked and in the process of getting our rental equipment.
After finishing the beginner class, I went down from lift 6 again with a friend this time. Went smooth, somewhat. Got to learn how to turn a little bit. After that, said friend took me to go up lift 13 LOL. Scary as f*** on a steeper slope on my only 3^rd time. Fell 3 times: 1^st & 2^nd time, couldn’t slow down lol; 3^rd time was right after getting up from my 2^nd fall, started sliding backwards LOL then fell. Glad it wasn’t crowded; didn’t end up crashing to anyone. Can’t learn without falling first, but that made it so much fun.
Hope to be back here and practice some more XD

I am very pleased with our entire experience at snow valley. This was our second choice, because mountain high was closed for the day, but it was great! Six or seven runs open, not very crowded, no waiting at all. A+
The food was pretty good too!
The beginner ski class is very slow going.

Went up to Snow Valley on Saturday of a holiday weekend and had a great time. Despite some really negative reviews here on Unilocal,Snow Valley is not a bad option for spending a pleasant day on the snow. But before you go, you gotta manage your expectations. Snow Valley is not Mammoth; hell, it’s not even Snow Summit. What it is, however, is a small, old school, family friendly ski resort. You simply aren’t going to find the type of terrain and amenities you find at larger resorts — there are no high speed lifts or detachable quads, and no mile long cruisers or big bowls. But you do get to wear old-​school lift tickets!
That being said, there is a nice beginner area, decent intermediate runs, and an excellent ski school. Shout out to «Randy!» It’s also about 30 closer than Summit, and parking is much easier. Here are few tips that might make your day more enjoyable. Buy your tix on-​line so you can pick them up from the Will-​Call window. Arrive early (by 8:00) to avoid lines and get good parking. Get lunch around 11:00 and eat at the small mid-​mountain snack place. Much less hectic than the base area. I also found the lifts servicing the upper half of the mountain (int. and adv. terrain) to have short lines and the runs weren’t too crowded. This was on a Saturday! Also, try to leave a little early to avoid traffic jam getting out of the lot and down the mountain. If you try these tips and don’t confuse Snow Valley with Breckenridge, you’ll have a nice, mellow day skiing or riding.

We just had the best Super Bowl Sunday in recent memory! The skiing at SV was excellent! Great snow conditions, beautifully groomed slopes… We skied until 4:00 then enjoyed drinks in the full bar while we watched the game. They even had a random drawings every quarter for prizes — cool stuff like goggles and all day passes! Staff went out of their way. Even did the sledding hill for a laugh! Will be back again soon!!!

Enjoyed a perfect day yesterday at Snow Valley Ski Resort. Weather was nice and staff were amazing! Very relaxed atmosphere and lift lines were fast! Many trails and runs to accommodate any level of skier or snow boarder! Lots of features! Highly recommend this Resort for anyone wanting a no stress professional experience! We will be back soon!

Worst mountain resort I have ever been to in my life!
I came here because there was too much traffic going to bear and I thought it would be fine.
However lets put it this way. 90 Percent of the lifts only fit about 2 people and they are extremely slow. They stopped the lift almost every 5 seconds because someone fell.
I am a pretty good snowboarder and almost every time I got off the lift I felt like I was gonna fall too. The chair doesnt slow down when it swings around and neither do they shovel a path for you so it gets real slim and makes you bump into each other on the way down.
If you are a beginner on a date with a girl I guess it is fine as the lift ride will take you about 40 minutes so you can chit chat (Might as well bring some wine while your at it). And if you are falling all the way down it will probably take you another 40 since its not that long to get to the bottom.
Bottom line: I wouldn’t even go here if it was free.
The only people who might think its ok is EXTREME beginners even though the lift is not beginner friendly.

I’ve been here 3 times. This is not a well-​run place. The first time we came for snow play we paid 60 bucks and were able to go down an icy hill three times. The second visit towards the end of the day we were told «last run» as we were getting on the lift (snow play) and by the time we got to the top they were telling everyone to walk down, the sled hill was closed. ??? Then 10 minutes later (after a ton of people walked down) the hill was magically back open for an extra half hour but the snow play area was closed. Then in the parking lot my toddler was playing in the snow drift and we were told to go to the other side of the parking lot. We went over there and within five minutes there was another guy coming over yelling at us that we couldn’t play over here.
I would love to be able to just hang out in the lodge with my toddler while waiting for my husband and older two boys on the slopes but getting food is a nightmare. By that time I needed a drink but they are in a separate location with another separate line to stand in, then good luck getting a table. What put it over-​the-​top though is no hooks in the bathroom stalls… This has got to be a huge pet peeve for me, trying to navigate a not super clean no walking room bathroom with a toddler both of us in full winter wear and nowhere to hang a jacket so I can pee.

Had a lot of fun here all day yesterday! We headed up to Big Bear after waking up at 5:30 am and driving down to Whittier to take off with my uncles.
The drive up took about two hours to get to Snow Valley, we normally go to Snow Summit but it was extremely packed this time. We were told it’s because the snow came down a lot and people who were not even snowboarding or skiing we’re bringing their whole family and making a day of it. The sad part was all the trash these families were leaving behind. Many of the visitors parked along side the road making it even slower and causing traffic putting chains on their tires even though at that time it was unnecessary. It was just ruining the road, the snow was already plowed and cleared.
Anyway, we get to the parking lot after abandoning the idea of Snow Summit because we wouldn’t get there until about 2pm after estimating the traffic. We decided to turn around and just opt for Snow Valley. The line upon entering was long, one single line for lift tickets which turned into like 7 smaller lines in front of the windows. The parking was fairly easy to get or maybe we just got lucky. There is an older man in a «security» jeep on his mega phone telling people what to do lol.
The day here was perfect and beautiful weather driving up, it began to snow within 30 minutes. We geared up and hopped in lines for the lifts and slopes. I ended up on #6 going up on top of the mountain. I’m not going to lie I really enjoyed it! I know snow summits is longer but this one for some reason was more fun for me. After a few runs, we hear gun fire of 3 shots in the parking lot. I’m my sure what happened but everyone stopped, turned and looked at the running staff members. Next, we see an ambulance and within 10 minutes police vehicles and sirens. After this, a giant helicopter comes from behind the mountains it seems lol and they shut down the #6 chair lifts. It was quite entertaining for a few minutes but I was worried about the children that we’re spending their weekend here.
Staff: ⁵⁄₅
The staff, repair shop guy was extremely nice and gave great service to everyone he was helping. Got in and he was friendly and quick, he kept telling everyone they had an easy fix and he replaced my broken binding buckle within minutes for $ 5! The repairs here are super cheap and their service is efficient. Their cashier station went down but they still operated smoothly. Before I had to go to the repair shop my BF went separately and he even mentioned this employee, the Caucasian guy with a beard. He said how friendly and helpful the guy was and I definitely agreed! Another employee at the chair lift for the smaller slope was super friendly too, he kept telling everyone to have a fun run and gave small talk to the visitors.
Food Area in Lodge: ³⁄₅
We decided to take a break and get some hot cocoa and this place was a chaotic, messy zoo. The line for food was pretty big and the employees looked frustrated here. I don’t blame them because I bet service was nonstop this day. Everyone was hungry after a half day of slopes. Luckily we just wanted a beverage so we go to a smaller line and it seems they have a bunch of machines for drinks from fountain soda to a hot cocoa/​coffee machine. The machine was terrible! It was slow and constantly running out of water. When we finally got some hot cocoa I won’t lie, it was really delicious! Lol, must be why it took forever to get some out of the machine. The place was a mess, cups everywhere… half filled, tumbled over, drink lids, straws. Their snacks were basically low and had empty shelves. All there was left was some small chip bags, mini donut packages and few candy bars. Again, I don’t blame the workers entirely there was a lot of people there and some do not have manners or know how to put things back after grabbing it lol. Although, they could have had someone assisting this area with the super turtle slow machines and maybe tried cleaning something. While waiting in line I overhear people calling food orders that are ready and if nobody came for it they were just selling it on the spot. I also hear a female worker say lets just go to break and cry lol. When we paid the one regular size hot cocoa and two small chips were $ 7. Tiny chip bags were sold for $ 2 each and hot cocoa was $ 3.
Overall, I truly enjoyed it here even if we didn’t get to snow summit. I actually may even like this place just as much! Obviously the food area isn’t as efficient but they all kind of suck anyway haha. Not much to expect at these places, it’s just how it is. I want to return to Snow Valley, they handled an emergency quickly and staff were doing their jobs. ALL of them, from repair shop to lift operators and security. We need to try the other slopes next time! Better alternative than being stuck in a car in traffic for another 2 – 3 hrs trying to get to Summit.
Tip: To avoid lift line order online ahead of time. Military discounts!

Was here today. Great conditions, great weather and great service. The whole family had an awesome time.
Thanks to the chair lift guy who saw how my kid was nervous and encouraged him… it was just what he needed.
Gotta love that SV is the easiest and closest resort to get to and with the heavy winter traffic it’s the easiest to get home from too. Hope to be back lots more this season!

My husband and I have been snowboarding for 10 years. And honestly have never made it to Snowvalley, because we always go to Snow Summit. What a mistake. Snow Valley had ample parking, and it was less crowded. All the staff members were helpful and nice. They had great food at the lodge, and I had one of the best bloody Mary’s ever. I didn’t give it a five star because exiting the parking lot was difficult, and the lifts are kind of slow. Otherwise a great resort.

Getting there: few traffic, easy to access, and plenty of parking if arriving before 12:00pm
At the resort: there’s a restaurant, bar, deck area, slopes, easy access entry to lifts with small lines.
Getting out: if you don’t leave before 4pm you are looking at 35 – 45 min just to exit the parking lot.
What I liked about the place:
Not crowded, not too expensive, free parking, easy to get around, plenty of snow to have a good ride down.
What I didn’t like:
Only one way to exit the parking lot and an unfriendly bartender!
Had it not been for the bartender and the amount of time spent trying to get out of the parking I would of given the resort 5 stars.

Great skiing. People are nuts going to Snow Summit. It’s crowded, expensive and can’t compare to Snow Valley’s Un-​crowded slopes. The main runs are every bit as good as anything in Big Bear.
Don’t waste your time at Big Bear!

This resort is a good spot for beginners, fairly inexpensive and the staff is indeed very welcoming and friendly. Parking lot is easily accessible instead of a chair ride away. Three different chair lifts for you level (beginner, intermediate and those freestyle adrenaline boarders) not to far from the main freeway, always bring your chains/​cables just in case.

Snow Valley Mountain Resort is a wonderful winter escape from the rush of city life. It is located 90 minutes from Los Angeles in the San Bernardino mountains and offers great deals on lift tickets, snowboards and ski rentals that make a family outing affordable. You can also purchase lift tickets and rentals for Snow Valley through
. Liftopia can provide even bigger saving on lift tickets and rentals. However, you must purchase Liftopia tickets at least 24 hours in advance of your arrival.
There aren’t the kind of crowds at Snow Valley you see at Big Bear resorts, which allow for more runs down the impeccably groomed slopes.
Snow Valley also provides a fun Snow play area with a ski lift. Snow play is a fun sledding experience for all ages if you don’t feel up to strapping on skis or a snowboard.
The restaurant provides all the fun food fare that you’d expect from burgers to enormous hot dogs, pizza and chicken nuggets for the kids.
There is a pro shop where you can purchase all your skiing, snowboarding and winter clothing needs. However, Snow Valley does not rent ski pants or other clothing, so if it’s a one time trip for your family then you might want to rent ski clothing before you arrive.
Snow Valley makes for a great day on the slopes and the instructors are very helpful and knowledgeable, so if you don’t know how to ski or snowboard then take the Learn to Ski or Learn to Board class. The class will give you the basics to get out on the slopes and start having fun.

My boyfriend and I went skiing here yesterday and while we had a blast, this place seems pretty low-​rent in the ski world. Maybe I’m spoiled because I learned to ski in Park City, Utah… Snow Valley is worlds away from Park City!
Anywho this resort is old-​school in that they still use the sticker lift tickets… no updated technologies which is not a complaint. It’s charming, really. We got free lift tickets because we bought snow tires for our car from one of the resort’s sponsors, haha. This leads me to believe that Snow Valley might be having some financial trouble, also evidenced by what seemed to be an extremely under-​staffed resort during what was likely the biggest snow storm the Big Bear area had all year. There were only 4 ski lifts open, and ¾ of them were bunny hills. To me, a novice skier, this was fine. But for my boyfriend who has been skiing most of his life… well he was very disappointed. It appears as though people are just not coming to this resort, so they can’t afford to staff enough employees to operate all the lifts. Pretty sad because it is a fun place with potential.
I definitely enjoyed how un-​busy the resort was. The little lounge is adorable and their drinks are not too expensive. It’s a nice place to warm up, have a drink and get away from all the kids. The food in the café reminded me of the food in my high school cafeteria… so be prepared for that plus inflated prices ($ 8 bowl of soup and the like).
All in all I would go back, but probably only with a first-​timer OR if we got free lift tickets again.

LIFTOPIA!!!

Huge deals, even with government, military or AAA discounts, LIFTOPIA surpasses all the deals!
Don’t count on man made snow unless it’s cold enough to upkeep. Check the weather reports for fresh powder, otherwise you’ll only get to enjoy slush and a few lifts.
This resort is definitely my least favorite, but it’s the closest destination, and budget friendly for a quick day trip.
Not too many healthy food options, and the customer service is pretty bad. The employees are all so disgruntled and rude, but it was no sweat off my back, just something that caught my attention. I also decided that they have terrible signage on where they prefer to have customers enter, exit, drop off etc.
It’s a good time, the mountains are always beautiful!

It was a surprise when my wife told me that I should take the daughter skiing. Snow Valley was where I learned to ski a long time ago with a bunch of friends. So, it was no surprise that out of all the local ski areas, I decided to go back to Snow Valley. It was a no brainer for my daughter, she would be taking lessons. I listened to my fellow Unilocalers and purchased her a full day worth of lessons on
. I was the only issue. After not skiing for over 20 years, I didn’t know if I still remembered how. I was not sure if I should take lessons, or just get a lift ticket. I eventually got their lift and learn package. I figured if I remembered how to ski, I could just ditch the class and ski on my own.
I had planned on watching my daughter learn to ski from afar. But, my plans quickly changed. They make you register and drop off your child at the learning center. After registration, they place the child into a class where they are are taught. I was told that adults could not be in the children’s area. I think I saw my daugter once while on the ski lift.
As for my lessons, I thought that they would put me in beginner’s class. They didn’t. Instead, they put me in an advanced class. There were about 6 of us; all of them were just like me, in that we have not skiied in years. The instructor was nice and patient. He told us about the changes in skis over the years. He made us go down the hills first, so that he could check our technique. I did not have to ditch my class.
After my lesson was over, I pulled the daughter out of her class and skiied with her. They didn’t really teach her too much. She learned how to do the «pizza wedge» to stop. After falling a couple of times, she finally got the hang of it and went down the bunny slope without falling. There were a lot of people skiing and taking lessons. There were areas that were not covered with rocks instead of snow.
Lunchtime at the resort was tough. Everyone was in the cafeteria ordering food and eating. I pulled the daughter out of class early, and grabbed the chicken nuggets that they had prepared for her. It took us awhile, but, we found some seats. I told her to go ahead and start eating while I got my lunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that it would take over 30 minutes to get something to eat. I ended up get a slice of pizza since that was the only thing with the shortest line.
Snow Valley is a nice place to learn how to ski. They have a good children’s and adult learn to ski program. Although adults are not allowed, their security is what made me feel that my daughter was in good hands. If you come here, make sure you use
as other Unilocalers have mentioned. Watch out for rocks and dirt. It hurts if you fall in rock and dirt.