Snow Valley

Located in Running Springs in Southern California, Snow Valley Mountain Resort is the longest-running ski resort in the region. The resort is one of three ski resorts in the San Bernardino National Forest and has a clear historical footing in the early North American ski culture.

The place began to be developed as early as the 1920s as a roadside tavern and sawmill area under the name Fish Camp. In the 1930s, the Arrowhead Springs Corporation initiated organized skiing and tobogganing, and Snow Valley quickly became an established winter sports venue. From an early age, there was one of the first cable-borne ski lifts in the area. In the 1940s, the resort was run by the Norwegian-American ski jumper Johnny Elvrum, who further developed skiing on the mountain.

Snow Valley has changed hands several times over the years and was purchased in 2023 by the Alterra Mountain Company, which also operates nearby Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. The facility is operated on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which gives a clear mountainous and natural character.

The ski area is designed to work efficiently for both weekday skiing and weekends, with a lift system that combines modern express lifts with older chairs and conveyor belts for beginner areas. The terrain is varied for its size, with a focus on piste skiing rather than large freeride areas, and Snow Valley has long been an important training and home slope for Southern California skiers.

Snow Valley is primarily a local and regional ski resort, prized for its accessibility, its long history, and its role as one of the places where alpine skiing in Southern California took shape.