Crowd calendar · 2026-27 season
Bear Valley Mountain Resort
Bear Valley, CAIndy· Open Nov 27 – Mar 28
Tap a day to see why, then plan a trip around it.
QuietModerateBusyPacked 3"+ snow forecast
November 2026
SMTWTFS
December 2026
SMTWTFS
January 2027
SMTWTFS
February 2027
SMTWTFS
March 2027
SMTWTFS
Busy stretches to avoid
- Thanksgiving weekendNov 25 – Nov 29
- School holidaysDec 20 – Dec 25
- Sacramento City Unified winter breakDec 21 – Jan 4
- Christmas–New Year peakDec 26 – Jan 1
- Bear Valley holiday day-ticket datesDec 26 – Dec 31
- Bear Valley holiday day-ticket datesJan 1 – Jan 3
- School holidaysJan 2 – Jan 3
- MLK weekendJan 16 – Jan 18
- Bear Valley holiday day-ticket datesJan 16 – Jan 18
- Presidents' Day weekendFeb 13 – Feb 15
- Bear Valley holiday day-ticket datesFeb 13 – Feb 15
- Presidents' week school breakFeb 16 – Feb 19
- 53rd Annual Bjornloppet XC ski race weekendMar 13 – Mar 14
- Sacramento City Unified spring breakMar 22 – Mar 29
- Easter weekendMar 26 – Mar 29
- San Francisco Unified spring breakMar 26 – Apr 2
Beating the crowds
- Tuesday to Thursday is quietest almost everywhere, and often cheaper.
- Arrive by 8:45 a.m. on busy days. A reviewer reported the lot filling by noon over Christmas 2024, so late arrivals on holiday weekends may have to turn around.
- Weekend and holiday parking in the preferred lot costs $30, while weekday parking is free. Preferred pass holders have reserved lot access until 10 a.m. The parking-lot shuttle runs only on weekends and holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The west-side Polar Express chair is the main crowd point on weekends and holidays. Ride the front-side Mokelumne Express six-pack, which has higher capacity, to spread out the crowd.
- Highway 4 gets chain controls above Dorrington or Tamarack and can close at Arnold in big storms. Check Caltrans QuickMap before leaving, and avoid Friday afternoon departures from the Bay Area.
Ski Bear Valley Mountain Resort for less
Get every cost per person with sources, the cheapest place to stay, quiet dates and a day-by-day plan. Takes about a minute.
Plan a cheap trip herePlaces to stay nearby
The cheapest beds are usually a town or two down the road. Split a whole house with your group.
This is a forecast from patterns: weekdays, national holidays, school breaks, pass blackout dates and events. Resorts don't publish lift-line data, so treat it as a guide. Snow forecast from Open-Meteo.
Bear Valley Ski Resort Area Overview (OnTheSnow) · onthesnow.comCalifornia Ski Resort Projected Opening Dates (OnTheSnow) · onthesnow.comBear Valley Ski Resort - Central Sierra Alternative to Tahoe (SnowStash) · snowstash.comTickets - Bear Valley Mountain Resort · bearvalley.comDaily Lift Tickets - Bear Valley · shop.bearvalley.comGrizzly Bowl Is Calling! - Bear Valley Mountain Resort · bearvalley.com