Saturday, February 20, 2016

Snow Places In Southern California



Idyllwild Idyllwild is a cozy little mountain top community located above the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County.  The village itself is quaint and beautiful, especially during the winter time.  It does snow in Idyllwild, but there is no snow skiing allowed.  Therefore, it is typically not as crowded as other mountain communities such as Wrightwood or Big Bear.


Mt. Baldy You can easily get to Mt. Baldy in about 1 and 15 minutes from anywhere in Orange County.  At the top of the mountain, they offer skiing, snowboarding, and tubing


Palm Springs Aerial Tramway The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway starts at Valley Station and travels more than 5,800 feet up to Mountain Station in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park.  There’s plenty to do once you reach the top including snow shoeing and cross country skiing.


Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a unique mountain resort surrounded by the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest.  Activities include skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and cross-country skiing.  The drive to get to Big Bear is fairly quick too.  About a 1-3 hour drive from any major city in Southern California.  Other fun activities in the area include visiting the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, the Big Bear Discovery Center and inner tubing at Big Bear Snow Play.


Lake Arrowhead Lake Arrowhead is another mountain top community located in the San Bernardino National Forest.  It is a great place to spend a weekend playing in the snow.  Families can stay at a cottage near the lake and head over to the Lake Arrowhead Village for some shopping and eating.  There are also numerous day hikes around the area.



Running Springs Snow Valley is very close to the town of Running Springs on the way to Big Bear.  When it snows, Snow Valley has a special area designated for families to go sledding and snow playing.  Sledding is also available at Snow Drift – Snow Tubing Park.  The cost is $12.00 per person / per hour and children 36″ tall or under are free if accompanied by a paid adult.

Wrightwood Mountain High located in Wrightwood is a snowy ski village nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains.  They have 3 resorts that offer something for everyone including skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and of course making little snowmen with your kids!


Mount Laguna At just over 6000 feet above sea level, Mount Laguna is one of the most popular places to see winter snow coming from the San Diego area.  If there is snow, chains are required and you’ll need to purchase them ahead of time.  The Laguna Mountain Lodge has reasonably-priced accommodations, a Visitor Center.


Happy Winter Snow Tripping!


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