Bear Valley is a winter wonderland for families of all ages. Home to Bear Valley Resort for skiing and Bear Valley Adventure Co. for cross-country skiing and sledding, the small mountain town offers many option for families with young children to explore snow activities.
Bear Valley was a fun, family-friendly area to visit for all things snow. Here’s why:
Bear Valley and the surrounding area of Calaveras County are located on the stolen and occupied lands of the Northern Miwok
Getting there
- Both Bear Valley Resort (skiing) and Bear Valley Adventure Co. (cross-country skiing and sledding) are located in Bear Valley, California
- Bear Valley is about a three hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area or about 50 minutes from Murphys or Arnold
- The drive over Ebbett’s pass may require snow chains
What to pack
- Warm clothes for snow (mittens, beanies, waterproof pants and jackets, snow boots, layers)
- Snacks
- BYO or rent ski/snowboarding gear
- Snow chains for your tires
Top 5 reasons why Bear Valley is the best place to take your kids skiing or sledding in Northern California
Ski lessons and skiing at Bear Valley Resort
Bear Valley Resort offers something for everyone.
Bear Valley Resort holds half-day (1 hour and 45 minute) and full-day (4 hour) lessons for kids ages 4-12. The full day lesson fee ($195 for kids ages 4-7, $218 for kids ages 8-12) includes rentals, a lift ticket, and a bag lunch, while the half day lesson price only includes instruction.
Our kindergartener took ski lessons at Bear Valley and loved it. She was super confident after the first full-day session and asked to go the next day! Lessons fill up quickly so make sure to book ahead.
If your family is ready to ski, take a shuttle to one of the nine lifts at Bear Valley Resort. Make sure to check the website to see which lifts and trails are open at the time of your visit.
Take advantage of the free shuttle service to transport you between ski runs.
Lift tickets range from $25/$30 for kids under 5 to $135/$155 for adults on off peak/peak days. Purchase your lift tickets in advance here.
Sledding & cross-country skiing at Bear Valley Adventure Co.
Bear Valley Adventure Co. boasts about having 65 kilometers of groomed trails for your cross-country adventures. Best part is the Reba’s Meadow Cafe just a 350 meter ski from the trailhead that sells hot coco and snacks.
Arrive early to sign up for a one hour lesson that includes ski rentals. Or, take your kids yourselves along the mostly flat and easy trail to the café.
Click here for a trail map. Trail passes range from $15/$25 for children ages 5-8 to $40/$55 for adults ages 18-59 on off peak/peak days. Buy your pass at the Bear Valley Adventure Co. store near the gas station.
Bear Valley Adventure Co. offers separate groomed runs for sleds and tubes. Each requires a little bit of snow walking to reach the top of the hill to begin your ride.
We chose to rent two tubes for four kids, and ended up dragging the little ones up the snow hill in the tube. They basically got a free ride up and down, and mama got a free workout.
Sleds cost $15/$25 and tubes cost $25/$35 on off peak/peak days. Sled and tube rentals are first come, first served. Also, Bear Valley Adventure Co. only allows tubes or sleds rented from their facility on the slopes.
Get there early to get your first pick!
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is located in Arnold, the largest mountain town close to Bear Valley along Highway 86. Take your family to:
- Hike the North Grove Trail
- Climb the Discover Tree
- Enjoy a hot coco in the warming hut
- Go sledding
Kid-friendly food options in Bear Valley
Bear Valley offers 10 different food options for your family to enjoy, all within walking distance of the resort.
Our kid-friendly recommendations are Ebbett’s Grill for burgers and sandwiches around lunchtime, and Sky High Pizza for dinner.
Lodging Options - Bear Valley Resort or Arnold
Many families that travel to Bear Valley for skiing stay in an Airbnb in Arnold, a 50 minute drive west from the ski resort. This was our first choice when we visited the area because we love the convenience of having our own kitchen and multiple beds.
To avoid the 50 minute drive over Ebbett’s pass and stay directly in Bear Valley, you can rent a room at the Bear Valley Lodge. The inconvenience of being all in one room is trumped by the proximity to snow activities.
Bear Valley Lodge offers double queen rooms (~$165/night) or queen bed rooms with bunk beds (~$170). Check the website for current prices and availability.
I was surprised by how much I loved Bear Valley.
We drove our Subaru easily over the snowy Ebbett’s pass, passed the chain check station, and rolled into Bear Valley just in time to go exploring. It didn’t feel crowded, even on a busy holiday weekend.
Our kids loved taking ski lessons, trying different types of skiing, and goofing off on the sleds. I loved the fact that everything we needed to do was within walking distance, so I didn’t have to put my kids back in the car the whole time!
The worst part about the day was bathroom access. There are only a handful of bathrooms, and no bathrooms near the sledding or cross country ski trails. That meant that everyone sledding or cross country skiing had to use the same two bathrooms all the way across the street at the rental store.
Of course my toddler had to go to the bathroom right after we got all suited up, in all ten of of her snow layers, and were ready to go sledding. We had to leave our recently reserved tube and rush to use the crowded bathrooms. Good thing I could distract her with more I spy games!
Sigh. If only I could convince her to go to the bathroom before we put on the snow clothes. Any tips on how to keep your kids happy, and pee-free, in their snow gear? Please share in the comments!
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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