Mammoth Ski Holidays

Mammoth Ski Holidays

Mammoth has the highest summit of any resort in California at just over 11,000ft. At this height it rivals most of the flagship Colorado ski resorts. With 3500+ acres of amazing ski terrain, a huge snow record and blessed with 300+ days of sunshine, Mammoth also has an exceptionally long season, sometimes lasting into June! Mammoth is a big lump of a mountain which is still volcanically active – you’ll see gas vents dotted around the mountain – and its proximity to Yosemite National Park in the Eastern Sierra Nevada range gives you a sense of what the mountain scenery has to offer. Mammoth by name, Mammoth by nature.

The entire mountain is ‘ski-what-you-see’ with terrain to suit every level of skier and rider from first-timer to seasoned experts. You’ll love the big mountain feel of Mammoth – it has huge areas of high alpine terrain at the summit, all with simply amazing views. The lower mountain is mostly tree-lined and features tremendously varied terrain, all serviced by 28 lifts. The vibrant little town of Mammoth Lakes nestles up against the lower slopes with access to the skiing by gondola. There is also an access point from the Juniper Springs base, and further up the mountain at the Main Lodge base.

Skiing in Mammoth

You can guarantee three things when you come to ski Mammoth – snow, sun and smiles. The prevailing weather comes rolling in off the Pacific and meets the Sierra Nevada mountain range dropping vast quantities of snow on Mammoth. The resort gets a historical annual average of around 33ft, and with a latitude the same as southern Spain or Turkey, Mammoth receives 300+ days of sunshine per year – at this altitude you will definitely need sunscreen and shades! Add those two facts together and smiles come naturally.

Mammoth is definitely one of North America's top first-timer destinations. The Mammoth Mountain Snow School, which made it into SKI Magazine's top 10 North America ski and board schools - has an innovative learn-to-ski/ride programme. Beginners can come here and have an awesome time, with plenty of gentle, green trails dotted about the lower mountain.

Improvers and intermediates have a jumbo-sized chunk of the mountain to play with, and really you’ll find every type of terrain here for this level of skier and rider. Expect long groomed cruisers above and below the tree-line, tighter shots through the trees, open powder faces to explore and soft bump runs to practice on. Ride the Panorama Gondola to the summit at 11,053ft, and admire the view, then take a nice long burn down ‘Upper Road Runner’ round the back of the mountain, stopping at The Outpost for a burger, before jumping on Chair 15 to complete the deal down through the trees under Chair 12 to the Main Lodge.

Experts will have the biggest smiles though! Whilst there’s loads of tight trees and big bump runs in the lower and mid mountain sections, it’s really the upper mountain where you’ll smile the most. The summit ridge offers countless chutes and drops, some tight, some wide and open, but all steep and technical, and all easy to access from the Panorama Gondola or Chair 23. On a powder day…you know what we’re saying. If you like cranking big fast turns on rolling groomers, then there’s some of that too. Glades you said? Get in amongst it off the Cloud Nine Express into ‘Wazoo’ and onto ‘Dragon’s Tail’, and repeat.

Finish the day down the mountain at the Village at Mammoth with a signature cocktail at 53 Kitchen & Cocktails – Mammoth’s coolest après spot, or hang out with the locals at the Clocktower Cellar, Mammoth’s top multi-tap beer bar.

We offer a full range of discounted Mammoth lift tickets, ski & snowboard rentals and snow school lessons and we always recommend you book early for our very best prices.

Getting to Mammoth

Ski Independence offer a choice of airlines flying direct from London into Los Angeles, or indirect into Bishop, and we provide complete flexibility to choose the day of departure, holiday duration, choice of airline and cabin type. We have the freedom to build you the perfect holiday itinerary around the best flight options that suit you, and not around a product we’re committed to sell.

All of our holidays to Mammoth using flights into Los Angeles, include the flexibility of a self-drive car, SUV or minivan (depending on accommodation). We offer 'Gold' option car rental which includes all the mandatory taxes & fees, extra driver fees and fuel. We can also offer vehicles with SatNav. Note that due to the length of flight to Los Angeles and the time difference, we recommend that you overnight in Los Angeles before driving up to Mammoth.

All of our holidays to Mammoth using flights into Bishop, include shared transfers. Note that due to the current timings of flights these holidays require an overnight in San Francisco en-route (this overnight hotel is included in our guide pricing).

We can also offer a range of comfortable private transfer options from Bishop, Los Angeles, Reno, Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe using SUVs and Vans.