Bear Valley Adventure Company (BVAC) — Attraction in South Lake Tahoe

Bear Valley Adventure Company - A Family Fun Outdoor Escape!

Bear Valley Adventure Company at 1 Bear Valley Rd is an absolute must-visit for anyone looking to enjoy the great outdoors, especially families with kids! Our recent trip was fantastic, and this place truly has something for everyone.

During our visit, we were impressed by the sheer variety of activities available. The kids had an absolute blast on the sledding and tubing hills, which felt incredibly safe and well-marked. We easily got our money's worth in the 2-hour slot, with the kids wanting to go down again and again! For those with their own gear, this place is a particularly economical option for snow fun.

Beyond the thrills, the scenery is breathtaking. Even just being there and taking in the views is a treat. We also appreciated the friendly and knowledgeable staff, who were always ready to assist and made the whole experience even better. The on-site store is a lifesaver, stocked with everything you might need, and Reba’s Meadow Cafe was the perfect cozy spot to warm up with a drink and a snack.

It's clear that Bear Valley Adventure Company is well-maintained and convenient, even boasting a 24/7 gas station nearby. While parking in the main lot can get busy, there's additional parking close by, which is good to know.

Whether you're into cross-country skiing in the winter (we heard the trails are beautifully groomed!) or looking forward to summer activities like biking and kayaking, this place has it all. It's an easy drive from the Bay Area (around 3 hours from San Jose), making it a perfect day trip or weekend getaway.

Highly recommend Bear Valley Adventure Company for a memorable outdoor adventure for the whole family! We can't wait to return and explore what it has to offer in the...

Beautiful place to visit with family for one day picnic spot during the snow times. Though during the covid times, well maintained crowd. We planed so late and reached almost by 12:30 pm. By the crowd at the gate , we thought we r going to miss the spot. But there were allowing the family to occupy the tubes and enjoy the timing for 2hrs . That sounded good. Hence every1 like us ( last-minute entries) Could also enjoy the area. There are picnic benches, hence You can grab ur snack/ lunch to enjoy at the site.

As it was sunny and warm in the 1st week of April. Warm-gears like warmer/ jackets/ boots are not required. Please don’t waste money buying/renting the gears . Everything will be available at the spot , if it tend to be ,chill a bit. Or else can rent warmer/jackets from ‘sports basement’ or any renting shop on the way to bear valley. So that we can return it back on the way home. Hence it would charge only for a day rent. Pick-up gloves and long boats only to prevent damage to hand/leg during the fall at the snow ground. But please, do check for the weather forecast before heading to the destination.

Personal sledge/tubes not allowed. Free parking, tubing...

Much better than Kirkwood - which we tried last week to explore other Cross country ski centers. Friendly staff (same as at Kirkwood). Bear valley rental and ski shop staff are knowledgeable and don't get overwhelmed by customer rush. Trails are well groomed at all times (conditions permitting) and the groomers make early starts after snowfall to add trails. The set track for striding is really much better than I've experienced elsewhere and the "secret sauce" was explained to me but I can't disclose it under pain of death by klister. Varied challenging terrain with distances that seem much more accurate than at Kirkwood (black diamond High trail at Kirkwood is simply NOT 5km, just try Jack's trail at bear valley to compare). Admittedly I haven't been recently to the kirkwood Schneider trail head, but it was not reopened the day after a foot of snow! Another plus at BVCC is that you get hot food (soup, burgers hot chocolate etc at the meadow cafe, along with, again, friendly staff and classic rock! Three warming huts and a looong ski from tamarack Lodge to ridge runner lookout hitting...