5 Best Ski Resorts on West Coast USA

South Lake Tahoe has plenty of world-class ski resorts on Stateline’s California side and luxurious casinos on the Nevada side. The Heavenly Ski Resort spans 4,800 acres of skiable terrain, with excellent views of Lake Tahoe’s cobalt-blue water. Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy around 97 runs, which are serviced by around 30 chairlifts.

Families and novice skiers can practice their moves at terrain parks and a tubing hill. The Heavenly gondola can take you to several ski areas within South Lake Tahoe, including Tamarack Lodge and Adventure Peak. Sierra-at-Tahoe offers around 46 trails and family-friendly terrain parks across 2,000 acres.

Wenatchee-Leavenworth offers excellent skiing and snowboarding opportunities, usually from late November through early March. The Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort lies on the Cascade Mountains’ eastern side, about 12 miles from Wenatchee. It occupies a 2,000-acre basin, with 36 designated runs and a 2,250-ft vertical drop.

The Stevens Pass Ski Area has a base elevation of 4,061 ft, with 37 major runs across a 1,125-acre terrain. During peak season, you can enjoy night skiing along floodlit trails between 4 pm and 10 pm. Great for intermediate and expert skiers, the Leavenworth Golf Course offers 5 miles of groomed trails in moderately challenging terrain.

Mammoth Lakes is a vibrant town backed by the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Wintertime draws skiers of all levels to the Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain ski areas, both of which offer some of the best trails in Yosemite.

The 11,053-ft-high Mammoth Mountain offers around 3,500 acres of skiable terrain, with a 3,100-ft vertical drop. It has around 150 designated runs, the longest of which spans 3 miles. Visit the award-winning Unbound Terrain parks to see extreme snowboarders and skiers at practice. Located southeast of Yosemite National Park, June Mountain has 1,500-acres of terrain, featuring wide-open trails that are suitable for beginners. Best of all, children 12 years old and below get to ski for free.

Palisades Tahoe hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960 and has since been one of the best places to go skiing in the West Coast. Combined with sister resort Alpine Meadows, this European-inspired village has more than 270 trails across 6,200 acres of skiable terrain.

End the day with an après ski at High Camp, accessible via a 10-minute tram ride from The Village at Palisades Tahoe. Located 8,200 ft above sea level, it has a hot tub and pool overlooking the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe and the valley.

San Bernardino has excellent ski resorts that are within a 3-hour drive from Los Angeles. Located in the San Bernardino National Forest, the slopes in and around Snow Valley Mountain Resort are great for tobogganing, snowboarding, and skiing. Along with 29 ski runs across a 240-acre terrain, you can enjoy 1 mile of intermediate to advanced rails and boxes at the Edge terrain park.

Consisting of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, the Big Bear Mountain Resort has over 55 runs (mostly beginner and intermediate) across 438 acres, which are serviced by around 26 lifts. It also offers 5 terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels to practise their moves.