I’m getting a bit ahead of myself blogging about skiing when there has been so little snow in the high country, but there are only a few posts left this semester and there are other posts planned. So bookmark this post, plan your trip early and keep an eye on the snow reports for Flagstaff and the White Mountains.
While it may be 70 degrees and sunny here in the Valley, it’s much cooler in the high country and snow should be falling within the next several weeks. If you’re looking to hit the slopes, go tubing or just make snowmen, there are plenty of options here in the state.
There are two main ski resorts in Arizona. One is Flagstaff’s Arizona Snowbowl. It’s the more convenient of the two resorts, as it’s less than three hours away from the Valley. There are four lifts servicing 32 trails that accompany a variety of skill levels. All-day passes will run you between $50-60 for a day and there are also seasonal passes available. They also offer lessons and equipment rental.
Lodging is available at the facility’s Ski Lift Lodge and Cabins and there are a number of hotels available several miles away in Flagstaff.
The biggest ski resort in the state is Sunrise Park Resort in Greer. They have 65 runs at Sunrise, double the amount at Snowbowl. They also have a separate snowboarding area, cross-country skiing trails and a separate kids play area.
Like Snowbowl, Sunrise has lessons and equipment rental available and an all-day lift ticket will cost about $50. Lodging is available at the Sunrise Park Lodge or in nearby cities.
Though it’s larger than Snowbowl, Sunrise is farther away. Located 230 miles from Tempe campus, it’s about a 5-hour drive. If you’re deciding which ski resort to go to, my ski-expert friends say it’s a matter of deciding between the convenient but smaller facilities of Snowbowl, or the larger, yet farther away, Sunrise resort.
Though this blog focuses on spots in Arizona, I should also mention there are plenty of skiing options in nearby states, too. Some are within a reasonable driving distance, such as Bear Mountain in Big Bear Lake, CA. Salt Lake City is a quick flight away and offers numerous ski resorts.
If flying downhill on the slopes is not your thing, the Flagstaff Nordic Center offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing just a few miles from Snowbowl.
The rates to cross-country ski are less than half of the downhill skiing at Snowbowl and Sunrise. A trail pass costs $12 on weekdays and $18 on weekends. A classic equipment rental package costs $10/$16.
They also have a package deal where $50 will get you equipment rental, a 90-minute group lesson and a trail pass.
If you want to skip the skis and snowshoes altogether and just play in the snow, check out the Wing Mountain Snow Play Area near Snowbowl. For a $10 per vehicle fee, the play area offers tubing/sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or just playing around in the snow.
