1. Mammoth Mountain:

   

Mammoth Mountain is the most popular place to ski in California. It is a 6-hour drive from LA, depending on traffic. There are 28 chairlifts and 150 runs one can choose from. The mountain is 3,500 acres with a wide variety of difficulty in runs. The snowfall in Mammoth can get quite heavy, resulting in the season starting in November and sometimes ending in July!

2. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows:

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is another popular place to ski in California. It is an 8-hour drive from LA, which is pretty far. There are 43 lifts and 270 runs, making this mountain extremely large and diverse. The mountain is also 6,000 acres adding to the diversity of terrain and diversity of skiers and snowboarders. The 1960 Olympics was hosted at Squaw and allowed people to ski on the same terrain.

3. Big Bear Lake:

Big Bear Lake is a very common and popular place to ski in California. It is a little more than a two-hour drive from LA. There are 17 lifts and 55 runs, a little bit of a smaller mountain with 400 acres of terrain. The resort focuses on snowboarding, and the terrain is believed to be the best for snowboarders, with many parks and jumps.

4. Heavenly Mountain Resort:

Heavenly Mountain Resort is enjoyed by many who ski in California. The drive is 8 hours long from LA. There are 30 lifts and 97 runs, with 4,800 acres of terrain. The Resort is very interesting because it is in the middle of California and Nevada, so one is skiing in two states.

5. Northstar California Resort:

  Lastly, Northstar California Resort is also an enjoyable place to ski in California. It is a seven-hour drive from LA. There are 20 lifts and 98 runs, with 3,000 acres of terrain. The classes and lessons at Northstar are very good, and the terrain is easily skiable for beginners.