Downhill Skiing

Bear Valley Ski Area is California's most centrally located mountain resort, situated on scenic and all-weather Highway 4. The closest major ski resort to the Bay Area, Bear Valley's central Sierra location and 8,500 foot summit provide some of the lightest and deepest snow conditions in all of California. (Bear Valley Ski Area is operated under special use permit with the Stanislaus Forest.)

Eleven lifts service Bear Valley's 1,280 acres and breathtaking 1900 foot vertical descent. Skiers and snowboarders will enjoy the diverse terrain, offering 60 different trails: 30% gentle beginner, 40% intermediate and 30% advanced. Say goodbye to lift lines.

Bear Valley offers several terrain parks, sculpted and maintained by several big stage competitors. If you want current , contemporary rails, boxes and huge air jumps, we have them.

2 miles west is the tiny town of Tamarack, onetime base of operations for characters like Turkey Johnson and Monte Wolfe.

For the more advanced skiers and boarders, Bear Valley's famed Grizzly Bowl has enough cliffs, chutes and steeps to keep even the best occupied.  In fact the 1969 Downhill Nationals were held here in Bear Valley ending at the bottom of Grizzly.  Grizzly Bowl is the best kept deep powder playground in the West.

In Bear Valley, some of the best runs are not actually runs.  Bear Valley features a "soft boundary" which allows true back country skiing that is lift serviced.  Because of this, Bear Valley attracts many telemark skiers.  Bear Valley is the host for the West's largest telemark festival held each February. Mountain Adventure Seminars (MAS) offers clinics, avalanche classes, back country tours and a great dance party for hundreds of telemark enthusiasts.

Bear Valley Ski Area also offers guided Out-Of Bounds trips and Snow Cat sking. Snow Cat skiing is heli-skiing's poorer cousin. Riders are transported by snowcat into ares generally inaccessible to other riders. These trips are guided by MAS guides as well as Professional Ski Patrollers who really know safety and the backcountry.  Come give it a try! You can also book the entire cat for a private session with just you and your friends.

Cross-Country Skiing

Bear Valley Cross-Country offers one of the largest groomed trail systems in the country including 33 different trails. The trails are groomed for both striding and skate skiing.  The area is complete with warming huts, picnic tables spaced throughout, and ridges offering spectacular views. Equipment rental, lessons, restrooms, parking, food, snowshoe rentals, Sno-Park permits and ice skating are available at the cross-country ski center.

Bear Valley is the site of several annual ski races including the infamous Bjornloppet race which attracts begginner to expert racers each year. Bear Vlley breeds cross country competitors. Olympians and other ranked racers have called Bear Valley home to train on the impecably groomed trail system. 

Extensive cross-country and snowmobile trails can also be found three miles above Bear Valley at the Lake Alpine Sno-Park area. Located approximately four miles above Arnold, the Calaveras Big Trees State Park offers scenic cross-country trails when snow conditions permit. 

Snowmobiling

The Bear Valley area boasts the most incredible snow mobile area in the entire state. State Highway 4 is closed to cars in the winter just past the Bear Valley ski area and routinely snow cat groomed for snow mobiles for 26 miles in to the High Country.  There are groomed trails that lead right from the Bear Valley Village to Lake Alpine. Eventually the trail ends at Highland Lakes on the Pacific Crest at elevations approaching 10,000 ft.

The public can rent snowmobiles to use on this highway width snow road system from Bear Valley Snowmobile right in the town. If you have your own machines a Sno-Park permit for your vehicle must be obtained for parking and is available in Bear Valley. The Stanislaus National Forest does not allow ATVs and snowmobiles in specified areas, and there are also wilderness areas which restrict motorized use.

The Bear Valley/Lake Alpine area is the only area in California where you can rent snowmobiles and go on an unguided adventure.

Locals ride snowmobiles into the deep High Country to gain access for back country skiing and snowboarding. Please stop by Bear Valley Snow Mobile for a map. Respect non-motorized Wilderness areas and obey speed limits where posted through town and the Lake Alpine area. Be aware of avalanche dangers when traveling off the groomde snow highway.

  

Sledding and Tubing

Sledding and Tubing at Bear Valley is great. There's a groomed, supervised hill at Bear Valley Cross Country. Or you can head out on your own in the Stanislaus National Forest.

Rock Climbing

Many rock climbing sites, some of which are only 10 minutes walking distance from our office, are located in our backyard.  Locals fondly refer to Bear Valley as "the land of half-pitch climbs" as most climbs are no higher than 100 feet tall.  This characteristic, plus the lack of crowds, makes Bear Valley an excellent climbing instruction location.  The rock climbing is on solid granite with both face and crack climbs.  While some bolts exist most anchors are built from gear and the climbing difficulty ranges from 5.5 to 5.11. Perfect summer and autumn destination.

Mountain Adventure Seminars (MAS) teaches basic to advanced rock climbing and offers guided trips to mnay local locations.

Mountain and Road Biking

There are many excellent opportunities for biking enthusiasts from beginner to expert. Enjoy biking on scenic and paved or gravelled roads with moderate terrain, or more challenging single track and 4x4 trails with steep grades. Mountain biking is allowed on all National Forest non-wilderness trails and roads, and on all roads within Calaveras Big Trees State Park, excluding any single tread trails.

Kayaking

Lake Kayaking is excellent in the Bear Valley area.  The Bear Valley home community offers kayaking on private Bear Lake. But the majority of kayakers go to one of the many other local lakes. Union and Spicer (pictured above) are two local lakes that have many interesting granite islands. These islands are great for your kayak picnic or mid-day swim.  Lake Alpine is another excellent choice.

Bear Valley Adventure Company  rents and sells kayaks as well as mountain bikes. They will also transport kayaks for you to Lake Alpine or Utica if you have a group.

River Rafting

The Stanislaus River is a favorite for whitewater paddlers in California for many reasons. The scenery of the Stanislaus River is outstanding... featuring intricate and mysterious volcanic formations.The Goodwin Canyon section is a class 4 section of river located upstream of Knights Ferry and the Lower Stan is a class 2 section downstream of Knights Ferry.The Stanislaus River has a long history with California whitewater enthusiasts and it is only a 2 hour drive from most points in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lake Alpine, Spicer Reservoir and Union/Utica Lakes provide excellent boating opportunities. With a maximum speed of 10 mph, water skiing or jet skis are not allowed. Water skiing and personal watercraft sports are available at nearby New Melones Recreation area in Angels Camp. The smaller Union and Utica Lakes are perfect for canoeing or kayaking. Boats, canoes and kayaks can be rented at Bear Valley and Lake Alpine in the Summer. The Stanislaus River offers exciting rapids and scenic beauty, but can be dangerous.

Backpacking and Camping

Some of the nation's most spectacular sights await you in the back country. Over 150 miles of trails are maintained in the Calaveras District of the Stanislaus Forest and most are in rugged terrain, but there are also easy day hikes. Conditions of hiking trails vary from season to season, depending on snowfall and other factors.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park
The Park has two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails.

Lake Alpine
There are three campgrounds located around Lake Alpine and one, Silvertip, located about one mile west of the lake on highway 4. The U.S. Forest Service operates all of the campgrounds and they are on a first come bases.

Stanislaus National Forest
Camping is one of the most popular recreation activities in the Stanislaus National Forest. Situated in the Central Sierra Nevada, the Forest has several campgrounds located in a variety of settings.

Boating & Fishing

Swimming and fishing opportunities await at most lakes, rivers and reservoirs in the area including Spicer Reservoir, Lake Alpine, Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek (in Big Trees State Park) and White Pines Lake in Arnold. There are also a few lakes and swimming pools which are a part of private homeowners associations and clubs.

Fishing enthusiasts will find the Stanislaus National Forest and surrounding area rivers, creeks and lakes abundant with rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Although several lakes are open year round, the general trout fishing season starts in late April and ends in mid November.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail and Bradley Trail.

California Department of Fish and Game
Fresh Water Fishing Information

Stanislaus National Forest Fishing Guide
The Stanislaus National Forest is home to a multitude of lakes and reservoirs, as well as 811 miles of rivers and streams and 18 fish species. Common species include rainbow, Eastern brook and German Brown trout, and salmon.

Tennis

Four brand new courts were constructed summer of 2007. The Bear Valley Tennis Club makes at least one court available for walk-on public players to use. Get one free pass, when you rent a vacation rental with us.  Get 20% off rentals at Bear Valley Sport Shop.  You can purchase a day use pass at the Bear Valley Adventure Center for $10.  Several for fun tournaments are held each summer that are open to members and the public as well.

Hiking

Hiking Trails abound. You can pick up maps and tips from the Forest Service office in Hathaway Pines, the Bear Valley Adventure Company, and the Bear Valley Sport Shop. And at this elevation, you don't always need a trail. Open terrain allows you to pick a point in the distance and head for it, as long as you stay oriented to landmarks so you can find your way home.

Music Festivals

The Bear Valley Music Festival is in its 40th year of bringing the finest in classical music to the mountains, the last weekend in July through the second weekend in August. World class soloists, full symphony orchestra, fully staged opera, plus great non-classical music, make this the premier cultural event in the High Sierra. For information call the Festival office at 209-753-2574 or visit their website at www.bearvalleymusic.org.

Wine Tasting

Black Sheep Winery Black Sheep Winery opened in 1986, featuring small releases of wine handcrafted from high quality grapes grown in Calaveras, and Amador Counties. We produce about 2,500 cases of wine per year, specializing in zinfandel.

Broll Mountain Vineyards
Established in 1998, Broll Mountain Vineyards produces, on its Murphys California vineyard, small lots of world class ultra premium grapes consisting of Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Rousanne.

Calaveras Wine Association
The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance was established in 1988 to represent and market the wine industry of Calaveras County.

Chatom Vineyards
Chatom Vineyards is nestled in the breathtaking Esmeralda Valley of the Sierra Foothills in Calaveras County. the vineyard boasts 14 varietals on 65 acres of the ranch, including Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel

French Hill Winery
Located in the historic gold rush town of Mokelumne Hill on Highway 49. Specializing in Cal-Italia varietals, Winemaker Rod Ruthel sources grapes from the Sierra Foothills to make wines of distinction: Barbera, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet.

Gerber Vineyards
Gerber Vineyards began as a small family-owned vineyard in 1989. Working in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, the Gerbers first saw the vineyard as their retreat from a busy life. They began making Chardonnay in 1993.

Hatcher Winery
Located in the Sierra Foothills with the winery and tasting room in Murphys, and estate vineyard in Angels Camp.

Indian Rock Vineyards
Indian Rock Vineyards is located in Historical Murphys, Heart of the Sierra Nevada’s Gold Country. Indian Rock Vineyards is comprised of approximately 40 acres of premium vines, including 9 different varietals, making it one the most diverse vineyards.

Irish Vineyards
Join us to experience the finest in Calaveras Wines. Here at Irish Vineyards, we hand-craft outstanding and award-winning wines; an assortment of reds and whites (one of which is green!). Our tasting room is open M,T, Fri, Sat and Sunday

Ironstone Vineyards
The story of Ironstone Vineyards started in the hands of John Kautz, a young row crop farmer from Lodi who saw the future in growing wine grapes in Lodi. With 12 acres in 1948, John quickly built an excellent reputation as a premium wine grape supplier.

Lavendar Ridge Vineyard
Lavender Ridge Vineyard Office Address: P.O. Box 329 Altaville, CA 95221 Office Phone/Fax: 209-736-2305

Stevenot Winery
Stevenot Winery, one of California’s premier boutique wineries, is located in the Sierra foothills in Calaveras County in the heart of California’s Gold Country, an area which has been a respected wine grape growing region since the mid 1800s.

Twisted Oak Winery
Twisted Oak Winery produces fine handcrafted wines from varietals that are native to the Rhône Valley, Spain, and Portugal; white varietals like Viognier, Verdelho, and Marsanne; red varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, and Tempranillo.

Zucca Mountain Vineyards
Visit their unique grotto-like tasting room in the cellar of a 150 year old historic building located at 425E Main St. in Murphys, CA (209-728-1623). They are open daily from 12-5 PM. The Zuccas are not only the owners but the winemakers as well.

Golf

Sequoia Woods Country Club  (pictured right)
Sequoia Woods, a private country club and elegant public restaurant located in the Sierra foothills, offers you unparalleled quality, gracious service and a year-round 18-hole, par 70 course which challenges players from scratch to the high handicapper.

Forest Meadows Golf Course
An 18 hole, par 60, ROBERT TRENT JONES II designed public course.

Greenhorn Creek Golf Course
Greenhorn Creek Resort, located just outside historic Angels Camp welcomes guests to private villas and cottages tucked among heritage oak trees overlooking the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones II redesigned golf course.

Meadowmont Golf Course
Meadowmont Golf Course is situated in the heart of the Sierra. Open to the public and welcome Groups, Leagues, and Outside Tournaments. Individual & Group Lessons, a fully stocked Pro Shop, Yearly Memberships, Golf Carts, Hand Carts.

Saddle Creek Golf Course
Saddle Creek Resort energizes all your senses. Our gated entry leads to a country world of fresh air and rolling hills, where you’ll discover "One of America's Top-40 Residential Courses" with the Sierra as a backdrop.

Dining and Nightlife

SkyHigh Pizza Pub

Featuring plain to gourmet pizzas, burgers and mexican food.  Full bar.  Open Friday to Tuesday 4 -10.  Happy Hour 4-6 daily.

Headwaters Cafe