More people than ever are booking snow-play getaways, making California the second-most visited U.S. state for skiing and snowboarding. From Mt. Shasta to Tahoe to Big Bear, white-capped mountains are feeling the love: During the 2022–23 season, California ski resorts saw more than 8.2 million visitors.
Snow sports’ popularity is soaring, but you can still score deep discounts and enjoy uncrowded slopes. Just stick to one rule: Flip your vacation routine upside down and head to the mountains midweek. You’ll gain access to lift ticket and lodging deals—and bypass the weekend snow jams.
Just remember that midweek bargains happen only outside of holiday periods: Christmas to New Year’s (Dec. 24–Jan. 2), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15), Presidents Day (Feb. 19), and Easter (March 31).
Scroll through the reasons below to find out why weekday skiing is the snow-savvy choice:
1) Score Savings on Lift Tickets
Ski resorts want to attract midweek skiers, and their lift ticket prices reflect that. At Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe, expect to pay $239–259 on a Saturday if you purchase at the ticket window or $203 if you buy online before your trip. But on weekdays, save a bundle by buying online in advance for $167. Ditto for the Eastern Sierra’s Mammoth Mountain: Purchase online in advance and you’ll pay $189–209 on a Saturday—plus $50 if you buy at the ticket window—but only $169 Monday to Thursday. At Big Bear Mountain Resort, two hours’ drive from Los Angeles, buy your ticket online and pay $139–155 for weekends, but only $119 midweek. Even at budget-minded Mt. Shasta Ski Park in Siskiyou County—where weekend lift tickets are less than $100—you can still save $15 by skiing Monday to Thursday.
If you’re looking for radical discounts that remind you of 1980s ski hill prices, check out Boreal. The Truckee resort sells $25 lift tickets on select Fridays. Want more weekday deals? Bear Valley Mountain Resort (40 miles east of Murphys on Highway 4) offers an all-access season pass for $663, but you can save big by purchasing their $393 weekdays-only pass.
No matter when you ski, keep in mind that online prices are almost always less than ticket window prices. Also, if you plan to ski more than one day, check resorts’ websites for discounted multi-day passes, like Mammoth Mountain’s Quad Pack+ or Sierra-at-Tahoe’s 3-Pak.
2) Savor Quiet Slopes
A midweek ski vacation gives you the best chance of finding blissfully uncrowded slopes. For intermediate and advanced skiers and riders who want to explore the whole mountain without the slow-down of long lift lines, this is the ideal scenario. It’s even more ideal for beginners who want to get comfortable practicing basic techniques without the stress of faster skiers and riders zooming around them.
3) Stay for Less with Lodging Discounts
In almost any ski town, hotel rates drop on weekdays, which grants you extra cash for splurging on a new pair of ski goggles or heated gloves. Not only that, but hotels have more availability during the week, which means you have more choices on where to stay. At Lake Tahoe, look for midweek deals at properties such as Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe or Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa (in South Lake Tahoe) and Palisades Tahoe Lodge or Springhill Suites by Marriott Truckee (in North Lake Tahoe). The same holds true in Mammoth Lakes, where the Mammoth Mountain Inn, Westin Monache Resort, and Austria Hof offer midweek discounts of up to 20 percent.
4) Enjoy Easier Driving and Parking
Narrow, winding mountain roads can quickly become overloaded with ski-rack-topped cars on weekends, especially when it’s snowing. But Monday through Friday you can skip the traffic hassle and breeze right in for first chair at 8:30 a.m. (or “brunch chair” at 10:30 a.m.). For the 2023–2024 season, several Tahoe resorts require advance parking reservations on weekends and holidays (including Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood). But during the week, you can cruise in and park like a CEO. Snag a parking spot close to the chairlift, and you’ll do less gear-schlepping to get to the snow.
5) Say Cheers to Midweek Après Deals
Skiers and snowboarders disagree on many points, but they find solidarity in their love for discounted food and drinks. On weekends, deals are scarce because eateries are packed with hungry skiers. But on weekdays, most ski-town restaurants offer après-ski discounts from last chair to last call. Check around for local happy-hour deals and offerings like these: At Southern California’s Big Bear, find midweek bargains on burgers, tacos, nachos, wings, and more at Murray’s Saloon & Eatery or Alley Oops Bar inside The Bowling Barn. In South Lake Tahoe near Heavenly’s gondola, Stateline Restaurant and Brewery celebrates après-ski with bargain pizzas and brews from Sunday to Thursday. On weekdays in Truckee, Alibi Ale Works pours discounted pints, and Old Town Tap offers steep-and-cheap deals on pizza and appetizers.
6) Meet the Locals
Ski-town residents have the benefit of picking their ski days. If they can fudge with their work schedules, they usually choose midweek on the hill. Share a chairlift with a local, strike up a friendly conversation, and you might ski away with a few priceless insider’s tips. They probably won’t reveal the location of their favorite powder stash, but they might divulge a local hot spot for live music, the town’s tastiest sushi restaurant, or the best hill for sledding with your kids. Tips like these will make your weekday ski trip unforgettable.
