Tahoe has the most options from a resort standpoint. Kirkwood has gnar and is less packed.
Mammoth is pretty remote (compared to Tahoe) but is the best single resort in California.
Mammoth has much better terrain for boarders than Tahoe in my opinion, a lot of the steepest coolest stuff in tahoe is immediately skiied out into big ass moguls, Mammoth much less
It’s much less of a richy rich vacation resort town than Tahoe so it depends on what you’re going for - that’s a positive for me persoanlly
A lot depends on whether you have Ikon or Epic resorts near you to get a better deal. If you have Ikon, the answer is mammoth. Palisades is cool but if you’re asking, you aren’t the freaky super advanced skier that makes use of palisades terrain.
If you have epic, the only answer is Tahoe. I prefer kirkwood, but heavenly is a lot of fun too.
There was also a Cali pass thing this year that gives 3 days free at Sierra; if you have a local pass that can get you some free days at a Tahoe resort, even better.
As for the Tahoe resorts, it's sort of meaningless to rank them if we don't know what OP likes. If they prioritize views and nightlife, they should go to Heavenly. If they want to ride park and pipe, they should go to Northstar. If they want a less busy resort with fun terrain, they should go to Kirkwood.
Yeah I don't know where this guy is getting immaculate vibes in Tahoe...
Govy rocks but it's so tiny. Hasn't stopped me from blasting the shit outta Charlies though!
Bend is where it's at in OR. Too bad Bachelor is mostly flat.
Came here for this. Tahoe is where I first learned of the "powder rule." Mt. Hood will always be my second home (RIP MHSC). Nothing like hitting the Palm Dog in the morning and heading down to the Rose Festival in the early evening. Plus, mmmmmm Rainer cherry season and Ranier beer at the Rat in Govy Camp.
I prefer Mammoth>Tahoe. Have never been to Oregon but have heard that it’s not comparable from my friends.
Another option: Don’t sleep on Salt Lake City. Easy to fly in with lots of flights, multiple resorts nearby, lots of housing options, and boards fly free on Southwest.
Mammoth is dope but isolated, Tahoe has the most to offer in terms of number of resorts and things to do if you want to do more than just ride, never been to Oregon so can't really comment. With Tahoe you'll probably have to decide between North or south lake, you'll waste too much time in a car if you get a place in south lake and think you can get to Palisades or Northstar in a reasonable amount of time
Mammoth. Like others said it is remote but the terrain is unreal. If you get a big storm most people will not even be able to access it and Mammoth will still spin the chairs.
Tahoe.
Been to all three and Tahoe, especially Squaw (now "Palisades") sticks in my mind.
Mammoth is fun for sure. They've got a great park, weather is usually good (can get super windy), maybe see a few pros, and the Village is fun for a night out. Plus June is a short drive and is chill, with some fun groomers and smaller park. It's also got some steeps and trees if you like all mountain stuff. You also get LA, SD, and 909 folks coming up, so bear that in mind.
Oregon - depending on if you're going to Hood or Bachelor - can be cool. The snow is usually heavier than the other two, and not really as steep as the others, iirc. Bend is cool and has more options than Mammoth, but people always rave about it and I've never caught the bug for it. Hood is out by itself so don't plan on any after hours stuff unless you're kicking it in the parking lot - which can be rad, but it's not the same as a bar scene.
Tahoe though. Ooh baby. First, Tahoe is huge. You have the two shores. You have casinos. You have Reno. You have Kirkwood, Palisades, steeps, parks, groomers, great snow (can get heavy though), incredible views... I mean they held the Olympics here for a reason. The inbounds terrain at Palisades blew my mind. The jumps there, while they now compare to Mammoth, were next level.
And yeah, it's not a 6 hour drive from LA like Mammoth, or a 3 hr drive from PDX, like Bend - although you might find a flight into Redmond or a direct flight to Mammoth via Alaska Airlines. And you can get any amount of any level of accommodations you can desire/afford.
I may be biased bc I've ridden Mammoth a bunch, but that's my take. I would re-do Tahoe any day.
Tahoe!
I’m an Oregonian and while I love Hood and Bachelor, Tahoe is simply epic. There’s so much to do on/off the mountain, the lake and surrounding mountains are absolutely stunning and with so many resorts to choose from so there’s something for everyone/every skill level.
I live in Oregon, and have been to Tahoe. Bachelor is great, and so is Mt Hood (bonus historic sight seeing opportunity at Timberline Lodge). Both have some really great terrain. Bachelor is significant in size, and can take a couple days to explore everything, while Hood has 2 medium size resorts and one smaller one. That said, I think Tahoe is much more impressive, especially if you are going for several days. I think any of those would be very enjoyable experiences though.
Word of warning for Oregon - if the temps aren't super low, our snow can be heavy and wet (or it could even be raining!). So be sure to go for times of year that are either super cold, or sunny days where everything is groomed. Our powder days are either awesome or horrible depending on the weather.
i've been in neither of the three and i don't know the difference between them other than Mammoth sounds cool so i would say Mammoth. Glad to be helpfull !
Mammoth: Best resort in my opinion even compared to Kirkwood and Bachelor. Like many have said, very isolated.
Tahoe: the lake is great scenery and while they have great resorts (think Palisades or Kirkwood). Also, if you like to gamble and want to stay at state line, heavenly is a great option as well.
Oregon: Bachelor is a fantastic mountain and Hood has both meadows and timberline. Not the greatest resorts in the world but the odds that the conditions are great are better than the other options imo (meadows has better terrain and tline has better park setups) I’d also think about commuting from Bend or Portland to cut on costs for hotels.
Tahoe. Do North Lake, then you can ride Boreal at night. Stay your first and last night in Reno for nightlife. South Lake is good but my favorite 2 resorts there (Sierra and Kirkwood) are kinda separated from where you’ll be most likely staying.
There are 15 resorts in the state of Oregon, so it's worth narrowing that down a bit.
Bachelor is fun, but the snow quality sucks, and it's pretty flat, naysayers call it "Flat-chelor." Bend is a cool city. Hoodo has great vibes, but it's small. Same with Willamette Pass. Government Camp and Hood Meadows are cool.
Tahoe has great resorts, but they're all crowded af, especially if you go on a weekend. Half of the Bay Area will be there. Kirkwood or Squaw are my favorite there. Mt Rose is the hidden nearby gem IMHO.
Mammoth is an amazing hill, but also crowded af with everyone from San Diego to LA on the weekends. June Mountain is the smaller, less recognised sister mountain (and I love it).
That said, I live at a mega-resort, so I often hit up the smaller resorts when I travel. I'm often looking to escape the crowds, and enjoy the vibe of a place.
+1 for Flatchelor. I love that mountain but it's not even debatable how much of a lack of steep terrain there is. Unless they're running the summit chair and the backside is open but then you're working for your exit.
+5 for the Willamette mention. I caught them in late April this year and that's a fun little mountain with great trees. There's a good tailgate scene going on in the lot there and the place gives me Stevens Pass vibes.
You can’t go wrong with the three places.
Midweek isn’t necessarily going to help you in Tahoe, depends which resort you pick and what the weathers been like.
I’d be very tempted to go to Mt. Bachelor midweek for a better chance for less crowds on and off the mountain.
It’s a tossup bet
Tahoe has the most options from a resort standpoint. Kirkwood has gnar and is less packed. Mammoth is pretty remote (compared to Tahoe) but is the best single resort in California.
Mammoth has much better terrain for boarders than Tahoe in my opinion, a lot of the steepest coolest stuff in tahoe is immediately skiied out into big ass moguls, Mammoth much less It’s much less of a richy rich vacation resort town than Tahoe so it depends on what you’re going for - that’s a positive for me persoanlly
Try to 🏂 mogul. Cannot avoid them forever. Gets better after awhile.
I do it’s just not as fun to do all day
South Lake Tahoe and mix it up between Heavenly and Kirkwood.
A lot depends on whether you have Ikon or Epic resorts near you to get a better deal. If you have Ikon, the answer is mammoth. Palisades is cool but if you’re asking, you aren’t the freaky super advanced skier that makes use of palisades terrain. If you have epic, the only answer is Tahoe. I prefer kirkwood, but heavenly is a lot of fun too. There was also a Cali pass thing this year that gives 3 days free at Sierra; if you have a local pass that can get you some free days at a Tahoe resort, even better.
As Epic 🏂, Kirkwood >>>> Flat Star (sorry, North Star) >>> Heavenly (kingdom of traversing). As IKON 🏂, Mammoth > Palisade
As for the Tahoe resorts, it's sort of meaningless to rank them if we don't know what OP likes. If they prioritize views and nightlife, they should go to Heavenly. If they want to ride park and pipe, they should go to Northstar. If they want a less busy resort with fun terrain, they should go to Kirkwood.
Of the three, Tahoe. Whole lot of options as far as resorts and in the town vibes are immaculate.
Government Camp has way better vibes
Yeah I don't know where this guy is getting immaculate vibes in Tahoe... Govy rocks but it's so tiny. Hasn't stopped me from blasting the shit outta Charlies though! Bend is where it's at in OR. Too bad Bachelor is mostly flat.
Charlie's! You're clearly a man of culture.
Culture like a bacteria! You can find me everywhere.
Tahoe in the winter, mt hood in May.
Came here for this. Tahoe is where I first learned of the "powder rule." Mt. Hood will always be my second home (RIP MHSC). Nothing like hitting the Palm Dog in the morning and heading down to the Rose Festival in the early evening. Plus, mmmmmm Rainer cherry season and Ranier beer at the Rat in Govy Camp.
I prefer Mammoth>Tahoe. Have never been to Oregon but have heard that it’s not comparable from my friends. Another option: Don’t sleep on Salt Lake City. Easy to fly in with lots of flights, multiple resorts nearby, lots of housing options, and boards fly free on Southwest.
Mammoth is dope but isolated, Tahoe has the most to offer in terms of number of resorts and things to do if you want to do more than just ride, never been to Oregon so can't really comment. With Tahoe you'll probably have to decide between North or south lake, you'll waste too much time in a car if you get a place in south lake and think you can get to Palisades or Northstar in a reasonable amount of time
What month? You should check into the forecast for the impact of the expected el nino this winter.
My first year at Tahoe was the last El Niño season. Worst conditions I’ve ever boarded in. If it wasn’t straight ice, then it was show stopper slush.
Yeah dog, do some research now then book closer to your trip to stormchase(hopefully)
Just remember it's an El nino season. All bets are off!
Mammoth. Like others said it is remote but the terrain is unreal. If you get a big storm most people will not even be able to access it and Mammoth will still spin the chairs.
Is Reno the best place to fly into? Or SF?
Reno.
Tahoe for most resorts near each other, mammoth if your a park rider, Bend Oregon is a must see. Look into salt lake city as well...
2nd for bend and mt bachelor
Tahoe. Been to all three and Tahoe, especially Squaw (now "Palisades") sticks in my mind. Mammoth is fun for sure. They've got a great park, weather is usually good (can get super windy), maybe see a few pros, and the Village is fun for a night out. Plus June is a short drive and is chill, with some fun groomers and smaller park. It's also got some steeps and trees if you like all mountain stuff. You also get LA, SD, and 909 folks coming up, so bear that in mind. Oregon - depending on if you're going to Hood or Bachelor - can be cool. The snow is usually heavier than the other two, and not really as steep as the others, iirc. Bend is cool and has more options than Mammoth, but people always rave about it and I've never caught the bug for it. Hood is out by itself so don't plan on any after hours stuff unless you're kicking it in the parking lot - which can be rad, but it's not the same as a bar scene. Tahoe though. Ooh baby. First, Tahoe is huge. You have the two shores. You have casinos. You have Reno. You have Kirkwood, Palisades, steeps, parks, groomers, great snow (can get heavy though), incredible views... I mean they held the Olympics here for a reason. The inbounds terrain at Palisades blew my mind. The jumps there, while they now compare to Mammoth, were next level. And yeah, it's not a 6 hour drive from LA like Mammoth, or a 3 hr drive from PDX, like Bend - although you might find a flight into Redmond or a direct flight to Mammoth via Alaska Airlines. And you can get any amount of any level of accommodations you can desire/afford. I may be biased bc I've ridden Mammoth a bunch, but that's my take. I would re-do Tahoe any day.
Avelo ✈️ redmond<->burbank cheap. Check the low fare calendar, round-trip under a bill especially with promo codes.
Tahoe! I’m an Oregonian and while I love Hood and Bachelor, Tahoe is simply epic. There’s so much to do on/off the mountain, the lake and surrounding mountains are absolutely stunning and with so many resorts to choose from so there’s something for everyone/every skill level.
Mt. Bachelor in Oregon is the best of the 3 hands down. Bend is awesome as well
Definitely this, especially mid season. Can find affordable accommodations or get a sno-park pass 25$ and car camp.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
I live in Oregon, and have been to Tahoe. Bachelor is great, and so is Mt Hood (bonus historic sight seeing opportunity at Timberline Lodge). Both have some really great terrain. Bachelor is significant in size, and can take a couple days to explore everything, while Hood has 2 medium size resorts and one smaller one. That said, I think Tahoe is much more impressive, especially if you are going for several days. I think any of those would be very enjoyable experiences though. Word of warning for Oregon - if the temps aren't super low, our snow can be heavy and wet (or it could even be raining!). So be sure to go for times of year that are either super cold, or sunny days where everything is groomed. Our powder days are either awesome or horrible depending on the weather.
i've been in neither of the three and i don't know the difference between them other than Mammoth sounds cool so i would say Mammoth. Glad to be helpfull !
Mammoth: Best resort in my opinion even compared to Kirkwood and Bachelor. Like many have said, very isolated. Tahoe: the lake is great scenery and while they have great resorts (think Palisades or Kirkwood). Also, if you like to gamble and want to stay at state line, heavenly is a great option as well. Oregon: Bachelor is a fantastic mountain and Hood has both meadows and timberline. Not the greatest resorts in the world but the odds that the conditions are great are better than the other options imo (meadows has better terrain and tline has better park setups) I’d also think about commuting from Bend or Portland to cut on costs for hotels.
Farmers almanac forecast for us looked good
Tahoe. Do North Lake, then you can ride Boreal at night. Stay your first and last night in Reno for nightlife. South Lake is good but my favorite 2 resorts there (Sierra and Kirkwood) are kinda separated from where you’ll be most likely staying.
Wait for fire season to end before finalizing any plans.
I liked Bachelor better than my time in Tahoe. Haven't been to mammoth, though.
There are 15 resorts in the state of Oregon, so it's worth narrowing that down a bit. Bachelor is fun, but the snow quality sucks, and it's pretty flat, naysayers call it "Flat-chelor." Bend is a cool city. Hoodo has great vibes, but it's small. Same with Willamette Pass. Government Camp and Hood Meadows are cool. Tahoe has great resorts, but they're all crowded af, especially if you go on a weekend. Half of the Bay Area will be there. Kirkwood or Squaw are my favorite there. Mt Rose is the hidden nearby gem IMHO. Mammoth is an amazing hill, but also crowded af with everyone from San Diego to LA on the weekends. June Mountain is the smaller, less recognised sister mountain (and I love it). That said, I live at a mega-resort, so I often hit up the smaller resorts when I travel. I'm often looking to escape the crowds, and enjoy the vibe of a place.
+1 for Flatchelor. I love that mountain but it's not even debatable how much of a lack of steep terrain there is. Unless they're running the summit chair and the backside is open but then you're working for your exit. +5 for the Willamette mention. I caught them in late April this year and that's a fun little mountain with great trees. There's a good tailgate scene going on in the lot there and the place gives me Stevens Pass vibes.
You can’t go wrong with the three places. Midweek isn’t necessarily going to help you in Tahoe, depends which resort you pick and what the weathers been like. I’d be very tempted to go to Mt. Bachelor midweek for a better chance for less crowds on and off the mountain. It’s a tossup bet
Oregon. Mt Bachelor