Bear Valley Joins California Mountain Resort Company

But, it's is business as usual for the 2023/2024 season.

California Mountain Resort Company (CMRC), owners and operators of Mountain High (Wrightwood), China Peak (Lakeshore), and Dodge Ridge (Pinecrest), acquired Bear Valley Mountain Resort.

Bear Valley Ski Area is located along Highway 4, in the Stanislaus National Forest. It is best known for offering amazing skiing and snowboarding. The highest elevation is 8,500 feet and the mid-mountain lodge is propped on the mountain at over 7,700 feet.

The vertical drop tops out around 2,000 feet and there are an impressive 67 trails altogether, 25% of the trails are designated for beginners, 40% for intermediate skiers, and 35% for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The area gets around 30 feet of snow annually. It features an advanced snow making system that covers over 100 acres of runs.

“Bear Valley brings an entirely different mountain experience to our resort group, with topography, elevation and vertical rise competitive with most of Lake Tahoe’s top areas,” said Tim Cohee, President of CMRC and also President of China Peak and Bear Valley.
“Our goal is to bring Bear Valley back to a position of popularity it enjoyed for decades. Most skiers in the Central Valley and Northern California markets are familiar with Bear Valley and its reputation as a leading High Sierra attraction.”
Bear Valley is both a ski resort and mountain community, with the Bear Valley Village located five miles from the resort’s main day lodge. The Village is home to 900 residents, including homes and condominiums plus the resort’s lodge, restaurants, outdoor pool in the summer and several shops.

Future plans include the installation of the long talked about ‘Village Lift’ which will transport guests and homeowners in the village to the resort, also adding lift service to hundreds of acres of seldom skied terrain on the resort’s south slope, known as Sunrise Bowl. Additional future plans include the replacement of several lifts, aggressive grooming of the famous Grizzly Bowl and Snow Valley, additional snow making and new food and beverage services.

Bear Valley was added to the Cali Pass, the new multi resort pass that provides pass holders unlimited access to all four CMRC resorts.

Why Ski China Peak? Well, We're Glad You Asked!

The lift lines at China Peak are much shorter!


China Peak is quite possibly the best kept secret in the Sierra. It is a fact it is the only Central Sierra resort on the west slope offering terrain, acreage and elevations comparable to Tahoe ski resorts. Many avid Bay and Central Coastal area winter enthusiasts have already made the switch. Waiting for them is a family-friendly atmosphere and smaller crowds. Shorter lift lines allow more actual skiing and boarding. Perhaps just as important, they like the idea of a less time consuming drive to and from the region as well.

While the mountain is well known to Central Valley riders, skiers and boarders should note that it is just a four hour drive from anywhere between Santa Maria and San Francisco. So get excited, wax your boards and make a reservation. China Peak is here for you!

Let’s talk about the mountain. With a base at 7,000 feet and a top of 8,700 feet, this place can get a ton of snow. China Peak has great overall structure. It offers a drop of nearly 1,700 vertical feet. Plenty of lifts get skiers around the mountain, including three moving carpets in the beginner area, as well as three double chairs and four triple chairs.

One terrain park, Tollhouse - is served by Chair 4 and is the most popular. Here riders can go big without worrying about people dropping in on them. The mountain’s skiable vertical rivals the Tahoe resorts like Alpine, Northstar, Sierra and Sugar Bowl.