Planning a Trip to Mammoth Mountain

While California isn’t exactly known for it’s mountains, several resorts are easily world class ski resorts – Mammoth Mountain is one of them. Situated just west of the Mammoth Lakes in Central California, Mammoth Mountain is the highest ski resort in California and is popular among winter sports enthusiasts because of it’s whopping 400 feet of annual snowfall.

Getting to Mammoth Mountain is remarkably easy by air or car. Horizon Air offers one stop and non stop flights from several cities including Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle, amongst others. If you’re staying at any Mammoth Mountain property, they offer free shuttles to and from the resort and airport. Should you choose to drive, you’ll take whatever route necessary to get onto highway 395. Highway 395 runs along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Lodging arrangements in the area vary wildly: the resort offers several lodging options for patrons, as well as the countless private inns and chatels located near the resort. If that wasn’t enough options for you, there are also several local area hotels (although they are a bit on the pricey side). If you’re flying into Mammoth, you should either stay at one of the resort’s properties or find a hotel that offers complimentary shuttles. If that doesn’t work for you, at least make sure you’re near a tram stop. Mammoth has a tram system that runs during the operating months to help people get around.

Now the real attraction here is the ski resort. One of California’s finest, Mammoth offers patrons over 3,000 acres to play with, supported by over 30 lifts and 50 trails. It’s an excellent blend of trails, suitable for beginners to professionals and everything in between. A well paced trip from the top of the mountain to the bottom can last almost an hour! Truly magnificent runs that aren’t just difficult, they’re quite fun as well.

If you’re planning a trip to California and want to experience some of the finest snow in California, a detour to Mammoth Mountain is a must. The beautiful mountain is home to fantastic snow and great people, and is worth the visit at least once.