Snow Valley Mountain Resort — Attraction in Running Springs

We went for a weekend in February. It was VERY warm so the mountain relied on made snow.

We had 2 experienced snowboarders, a beginner pre-teen snowboarder, a beginner toddler skier, and 2 adult beginner skiers. All of the beginners took lessons.

The toddler ski lesson was well organized, offered plenty of bathroom and water breaks, and the kids seemed to enjoy and trust the instructors. This seemed like a great deal for the money compared to other locations.

The pre-teen snowboard lesson also seemed well structured however the pre-teen felt there was a lot of “hurry up and wait” for all instructions and practice runs to happen for all students in the group. This created some degree of boredom and lack of attention.

The adult beginner skiers were in a lesson of 4 people. Colin, the instructor, was very informative, communicative, and kept the mood/spirits of the group up. The lesson seemed to move at a reasonable pace within the confines of four different athletic capabilities. One beginner skiers took a second private lesson with Richard for more advanced techniques. This lesson was extremely tailored and a lot of fun - would highly recommend.

The 2 experienced snowboarders appreciated the top open mountain (I think it was lift 6). There is a mid-mountain lift that allowed them to stick to an experienced run lap after lap to work on their skills while not experiencing “newbie” congestion.

Something that we had concerns about were on run 13, I think, where some of the park activities were. The good point of this run is that it is relatively low threat so those still trying to build experience with park can do so in a low threat area that is not too advanced of a slope. The significant negative here is that it was extremely clear that many of the skiers and boarders had just enough experience to believe they were better than they actually were and often fell after the park events but would not clear the hazard which then created much more dangerous situations for those coming after them. There were numerous times that other patrons had to continually yell at people who would sit below the rails or ramps (where uphill people could not see them) and stay for 5+ minutes at a time picking at their gear rather than clearing the space for EVERYONES safety. How often this occurred in the two days we were there tells me this resort needs a required safety brief to get your lift ticket and to hav more staff around to “remind” these unsafe patrons to move. I honestly think this is the sort of action that should get your lift ticket revoked.

Additionally the main slope that the majority of beginners stayed on was frequently “unsafe” at the top of the lift. For example on, I think it is lift 2, many people would exit the lift then sit in large groups completely barricading the route from the actual lift to the slope thus creating a traffic hazard for everyone getting off the lift. Other resorts I have been to the staff have been very vocal about the need to maintain clear routing in these areas and would force the “sitters” to scoop to the sides of the main slope thus creating and not block the lift exits. Again, I think this shows that this resort seeming to be a popular choice for beginners should have additional protocols in place to remind these beginners of mountain safety...

Aside from the lack of snow, this place is cheap and not too far. The runs are decent if you just want to ski or board. Family friendly with a tiny tube park.

Nine years later, I have to edit my review. While this place is great for families and beginners, the value and lack of frustration isn't there anymore. I can write a novel of how the good old times were and how it is now, but I'll keep it frank.

We all know it used to be a budget, no frills resort. Sometimes you had snow, sometimes you didn't. You were okay with that, because it was inexpensive. It's not inexpensive anymore. I'll get to pros before I get to the cons.

PROS: *It's close by if you're a local. Just as close as MTH, but with a more mountain drive. *The beginner slope is very beginner friendly *Family Friendly slopes. Not too steep, not too parked out. *Original Staff is great.

CONS: *It's expensive. It's become a premium resort priced place. Tickets are twice the price of what they were before. I can't comment on food because that was already expensive in itself. *Staffing. While there's more staff on hand, I'll echo the sentiments of other reviewers. They mostly suck. I get it, you're preaching safety. But don't play God. You're not. Relax. If I'm already at the base and by the ski/snowboard lessons area, I'm sure I'm not in the way some lousy skier/snowboarder. There's no need to tell me to GTFO the way or I'll get hit. It's hit or miss with the staff. Sometimes you get good staff, sometimes you get God. *Parking. I used to be a Snow Summit diehard, but I got older and couldn't swing that anymore. Then, it used to be free at Summit. Naturally, free at Snow Valley. Then it jumped to $10. No big deal. Since Alterra group took over, parking is $25. $25 to park in a lot that has more potholes than parking spots. *Snow Play. If I recall correctly, it used to be like 30 something dollars for snow play. You got the tubing and got to play in the snow next to it. Now they're separated into two different activities with two different pricings. *Season Passholder Perks. Since Alterra group takeover, the perks have changed every season. They used to give a companion pass to Snow Valley. It's now a pass to Snow Summit or Bear. Which is great! However, impossible to use if you're someone who works. That pass is only valid mon-fri, with blackouts. So, it's almost impossible to use. *Ikon Pass holders. This is probably one of the most frustrating things I've had to deal with. Ikon pass holders are allowed to come to Snow Valley. This in itself has created an influx of visitors, for better or worse. Mostly worse. You now have more people in a smaller space. Yes, they could go up to Summit or Bear. Why bother, when Snow Valley is there to cause a congestion?

I can keep going, but these are the points that I wanted people to be aware of before visiting. I hope that you all do your research before picking a place for your next getaway. Informed decisions are the way to go.

20+ years snowboarding and this is most drastic change I've seen in any resort. If you're a once a year type of person, it's fine. But for regulars of the area, there's not much value in this...

I am having trouble deciding on what to rate this place for a few reasons. On one hand, we love the slopes Snow Valley has to offer and have experienced nothing but kindness from the staff. On the other hand, the lines are outrageous and they seem horribly understaffed. For example, what is the point of paying for lift tickets in advance if you still have to wait in line for TWO HOURS or more behind people buying tickets on site? There should be a better system for this. It’s a huge bummer and not to mention a rip off when we pay for all day lift tickets but only get to ski/board for half the day because of the long lines at both tickets and rentals. I could even understand the rental lines being long, but if you purchase in advance you shouldn’t have to wait at the windows for people buying them right there. We were in line right when Snow Valley opened yesterday and by the time we were through the lines (tickets and rentals) it was 11:30. I was so bummed out and felt cheated like I should’ve just bought a half day ticket. The staff at guest services and rentals were very helpful and friendly but boy do I feel bad for them having to suffer through these lines with seemingly bare bones staff ratios. The people doing rental returns at the end of the day were friendly.

So I guess in conclusion take these tips: if you are buying all day lift tickets, be aware that you are still going to wait in line for a long time on busy days even if you get there early. I would suggest getting rentals elsewhere in order to save time if you don’t have your own gear. bring your own food and drinks!! Lines at the cafe are awful and the food is (like most resorts) very plain, not a lot of choices, and expensive the children’s learning center is great! My son has had two lessons here and loved it. (I do wish they would let you rent their gear from that area instead of the main rental office though because we were late for his lesson due to excessive lines!) great slopes for beginners

We really enjoy this place so I hope in the future they work out a better system because we were absolutely bummed after the massive lines and felt like ordering online provided us no benefit at all.

** since writing this review I have been contacted by management so I am happy to report that they are working hard to improve guest experience! Adding a star because that’s pretty rad of them to reach out, plus we are rooting for...