Mammoth Mountain

Closed
Vitaliy Landa
SnowPak Local Insider
Vitaliy Landa
Pros
  • One of the longest seasons in the US
  • Large area and terrain for all ability levels
  • Tons of snow
Cons
  • Far from major cities

Overall

4.3

Mammoth Mountain is one of California’s biggest ski areas, with more than 3,500 ac of terrain! It gets tons of snow and has one of the longest seasons in North America – as recently as 2016-17 the lifts kept turning until August! Here you’ll find a modern resort with all the amenities you’d expect, along with a community in Mammoth Lakes which has laid-back, small-town Eastern Sierra vibe. All that acreage includes terrain to suit all ability levels, making it a great destination for families and groups.

Best month to go

January to March

Mammoth has one of the longest seasons in the country but the best time to visit is between January and March. January is the coldest month which is great for the snow, while March is perfect for spring skiing as it's warm during the day yet still rather cold at night. 

FLY TO

Mammoth Yosemite Airport

drive/taxi/uber to

Mammoth Mountain (22 minutes)

Base of Mammoth Mountain (Walk)

  • Village has a range of lodges
  • Variety of dining options in Village
  • Ski-in/ski-out accommodation also available at other bases

Find accommodations around here

Mammoth Lakes (0.50-1 mi)

  • Town adjacent to ski resort
  • Variety of accommodation options from budget hotels to luxury resorts
  • Wide range of dining options

Find accommodations around here

For beginners

Beginners will have plenty of long and wide runs to explore at Mammoth. There are a range of easier runs around the Canyon Lodge base area but those with a bit more experience should try out Road Runner Lower, our favorite run for beginners here. Sitting close the ski area boundary, this trail will give beginners a real "in the woods" feel to it. While it is rated as "slightly more difficult" than the easier runs, there are some sections that can get quite flat and snowboarders might even have to take off their bindings!

For intermediates

With so much terrain at Mammoth, intermediates won't have trouble finding new runs to explore with tons of long and wide runs across the mountain. Our top pick for intermediates would have to be Solitude, a long wide trail that has the perfect pitch and a bit of curve! If that's not enough for you, the backside also serves up a range of blues and even an intermediate rated bowl, Rigley's bowl!

For experts

Advanced and Expert skiers and snowboarders are well catered for at Mammoth with plenty of steep trails, bowls, glades and double black diamond chutes to explore! While there's tons of black pistes to explore, our favorite is Cornice Bowl! For the daredevils, the chutes offer cliffs with falls of a few yards!

Find freshies

Unfortunately, freshies can get tracked out within the first hour of the resort opening, especially during holidays and powder weekends. Avoid the crowds by heading to the back of the mountain to Chair 13 and 14, but you have to be quick as freshies can also get tracked out fast too.

Ditch the crowds

Lifts at the base such as Canyon Express and lower lifts tend to be the most crowded. Lift queues here are usually no more than 10 minutes though sometimes can be more. The best lifts to avoid the crowds is on the back of the mountain on Chair 13 and 14

Non skiers

For the non-skiers, Mammoth offers a range of things to do including tubing, snowmobiling, scenic gondola rides and snowcat tours.

Families

Mammoth Mountain is great for families with a fantastic ski school to get kids learning. The huge lodges are also a great place for meeting up and taking a break. Mammoth also has childcare facilities for the little ones and a range of fun kids activities such as a tubing.

Save up to 33% when you book a Mammoth Mountain package!

View Mammoth Mountain packages

Mammoth Mountain Reviews

Fabulous 4.5 / 5
based on 73 reviews

How well the resort caters for beginner skiers / boarders

Beginners

How well the resort caters for intermediate skiers / boarders?

Intermediates

How well the resort caters for advanced skiers / boarders

Advanced

How accessible and convenient it is to get to this resort from a major destination

Accessibility

Quality of the off-piste terrain

Side/Backcountry

Overall value for money of the resort

Value for money

Quality of lifts, lift speed and lift layout in the resort

Lifts

Quantity and quality of the snow

Snow

How uncrowded is the resort

Uncrowded

Après ski and dining options

Town

Services and facilities e.g. child care, tubing, health care, equipment hire

Facilities

How family friendly is this resort?

Family Friendliness
Superb!5 / 5Sep 04, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsAlex P.
intermediate snowboarder
Mammoth mountain is a great resort. There is the Unbound park to practice tricks, boxes and rails. Cornice bowl is a challenging black diamond that is so much fun. I would give Mammoth 5 stars!... More
Very Good!4 / 5Aug 08, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsMatt D.
expert skier
It's a great mountain with huge terrain and amazing terrain parks. On a good year snow is plentiful, sometimes too much. There is good terrain for all levels however a large portion is expert terrain. The only difficulty is that it is remote and far from any major city, but there are flights from LA, SF and Denver.... More
Superb!4.8 / 5Jul 01, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsJj P.
intermediate snowboarder
love this mountain! has everything you could want! park, off piste, groomers, beginner to advanced terrain, beautiful scenery, friendly staff, etc etc . every time i've gone i had a blast!... More
Fabulous!4.3 / 5Jul 01, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsRaymond V.
intermediate skier
The fluffy snow conditions at this resort was insane and the area is beautiful. A bucket list ski resort. Next time I'm bringing the wife and kids instead of the girlfriend.... More
Very Good!4 / 5May 03, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsDaniel S.
intermediate skier
Great mountain, amazing views, tons of terrain of all levels, friendly and helpful staff, great instructors, fast lifts, nice lodges, fun town. A bit remote, but that generally means more serious people. Fun to watch advanced skiers/boarders in the park and pipe as you go up the chair from main lodge.... More
Very Good!4 / 5Mar 22, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsAri S.
advanced skier
Great Resort. A little pricey and the locals can be kind of rude, but very good skiing. The best run is the Avalanche Shoots. Super aggressive, super beautiful, real quick and running snow that makes you feel like you're deep in Backcountry... More
Superb!5 / 5Feb 18, 2019
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsMenno S.
expert skier
Mammoth is in a beautiful and isolated part of California. The sun shines bright and the high elevation brings lots of high quality snow. The lodging, grooming, and staff are all top notch. I especially enjoyed the quality of restaurants in the programming too. Plus I met the incredibly nice Glen Plake there.... More
Superb!4.8 / 5Nov 20, 2018
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsAustin H.
advanced snowboarder
Awesome resort was very pleased got there just after a snow storm, may brother and I stayed for 5 days and it was worth every penny I will definitely go back.... More
Superb!4.6 / 5Nov 20, 2018
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsIan S.
advanced snowboarder
heaven on earth, offers up any thing from family fun zones to go as big and hard as you possibly can. Ski patrol is top notch safety. Knowledgeable friendly staff... More
Superb!4.8 / 5May 21, 2018
Mammoth Mountain ReviewsLogan L.
expert snowboarder
My home mountain! Super fun and coolest people above 10,000 feet. Terrain for all rider types, great staff with friendly instructions, family fun events all year long, and even might see a pro or two...... More