Best Ski Resorts Near Orange County, CA (2024)
Although OC is best known for its beaches, Orange County truly is a place where you can surf and ski on the same day.
We definitely don’t see the same type of snowfall as other locations around the country, but when the conditions are right, our resorts can be a fun place to ski or snowboard!
Here are the closest ski resorts to Orange County, CA:
Mountain High (Wrightwood, CA)
Distance from Anaheim: 74 miles
Mountain High is a very easy drive from Orange County. You can easily make this a day trip.
Snow Summit (Big Bear Lake, CA)
Distance from Anaheim: 87 miles
When conditions are good, it’s important to plan ahead as traffic can extend your drive time by several hours. A day trip is definitely possible if traffic isn’t too bad.
Bear Mountain (Big Bear Lake, CA)
Distance from Anaheim: 89 miles
Same note as above.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
Distance from Anaheim: 332 miles
If you’re willing to drive several more hours, there’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, one of the most popular resorts in the whole state of California. It typically gets more snowfall than we do here in Southern California, so ski conditions are excellent during the high season. This is definitely not a day trip, though.
Bear Mountain vs. Snow Summit?
Snow Summit is the more popular destination for standard skiing and snowboarding. Bear Mountain has more obstacles for advanced snowboarders.
When do ski resorts typically open in Southern California?
This really varies from year to year. We’ve had opening days in November and some pushed out to December/January. Check the resort website for recent updates.
