Best Mountains for Snow Play Near LA & OC

UPDATED FOR WINTER 2022-2023

What’s one of the best things about living in Southern California? We can go from the beach to the mountains in just a couple of hours!

If you’re looking for a snowy winter in sunny SoCal, look no further. We’ve rounded up the best mountains for snow play near Los Angeles & Orange County.

Be sure to check each website for weather and road conditions.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST AREA

Wrightwood & Mt. Baldy

Yeti’s Snow Play at Mountain High
24510 State Hwy 2, Wrightwood
mthigh.com

Make it a snow day at Yeti’s Snow Play located at Mountain High Resort. Slide down the tubing lanes, meet the Yeti and his friends, or have lunch at the Grand View Lodge located at 8,200ft. Mt. High also offers skiing and snowboarding, rentals, and lessons. Yeti’s Snow Play is open on weekends and holidays. Visit their calendar to see when they’re open.

Rates: Tubing/sledding/snow play ($59), snow play only ($30), scenic sky chair ($35), or all activities ($79). Plus, $20 parking fee.

Mt. Baldy
8401 Mt. Baldy Road, Mt. Baldy
mtbaldyresort.com

Mt. Baldy has an all-new snow play park filled with all the good stuff – tubing lanes with custom plastic-bottom tubes, sledding area with plastic sleds, and a snow play area.

Rates: The All Day Snow Play package includes a round-trip scenic lift ticket, access to the snow play area, tubing, and sledding for $69 and up.

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST AREA

Big Bear & Lake Arrowhead

Big Bear Snow Play
42825 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake
bigbearsnowplay.com

Big Bear Snow Play sports the longest snow tubing runs in Southern California! Plus, their Magic Carpet lift means no tiring uphill struggle in the snow! There’s also Glow Tubing where the runs are lit up with colored lights after dark. Don’t forget to check out their new heated base lodge.

Activities: Snow tubing and glow tubing ($25-40), mini race car speedway ($15-20), ropes course ($12 per person). Visit website for hours.

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain
800 Wildrose Lane, Big Bear Lake
alpineslidebigbear.com

The Magic Mountain Recreation Area in Big Bear Lake is home to the world-famous Alpine Slide — Southern California’s only authentic bobsled experience. Riders navigate their own individually-controlled sleds, down cement tracks filled with high-banked turns and long straightaways. The newest attraction is the Mineshaft Coaster, a mountain coaster where you control the speed down a mile long track. There’s also a variety of other attractions including snow tubing.

Activities: Alpine Slide (bobsled – $9 a ride), go karts ($9-22), mini golf ($7-22), Mineshaft Coaster ($10-20), Soaring Eagle (catapult attraction – $12), and snow tubing ($25-40). Visit website for hours.

Big Bear Mountain Resort
800 Summit Blvd., Big Bear Lake
bigbearmountainresort.com

Big Bear Mountain Resort comprises of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. Both locations offer skiing and snowboarding trails. Grizzly Ridge Tube Park, located at Snow Summit, offers high-speed tubing, magic carpet to the top of the tube park, and four 300-foot lanes.

Snow Tubing Rates: Prices range $45-49.

Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park
Running Springs
snowdrift.net

NOT OPEN YET, VISIT SOCIAL MEDIA FOR OPENING DATE.

It’s Southern California’s largest and oldest snow tubing park. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced slopes are available.

Rates: Admission is cash only, $20 per person, per hour.

Snow Valley Mountain Resort
35100 State Hwy 18, Running Springs
snow-valley.com

Snow Valley is the region’s best beginner terrain and offers a chairlift-serviced sledding area.

Rates: Full day snow play tickets range $14-52.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Woolly’s Tube Park at Mammoth Mountain
10001 Minaret Road, Mammoth Lakes
mammothmountain.com

Woolly’s Tube Park: Opens daily December 16, 2022
Snow Play Area: Opens December 24, 2022

Mammoth is the leading mountain resort in California. It offers snowboarding, skiing, and Woolly’s Tube Park. Skip the uphill hike and catch a lift to the top, then go down the high-speed tubing lanes. Little ones can enjoy the snow play area with merry-go-round tubes, surf sled, and hang out with their fuzzy mascot, Woolly.

Rates: Two-hour tubing session is $65, one-hour tubing session is $50. Tickets for the tube park come with all-day access to the snow play area (opening December 24). Snow play tickets are $20-25. Extend your fun by upgrading your ticket to include a Scenic Gondola Ride.