Where to ski
Ski resorts near Las Vegas
Ski resorts within a day's drive of Las Vegas, from Lee Canyon to Brian Head, Big Bear, Arizona Snowbowl and Mammoth, with drive distance and links.
Updated Nov 1, 2026 · 18 sources
Las Vegas has one ski area within an hour, and a surprising number within a long day’s drive. The list below runs from closest to farthest. Distances and times are routing estimates from the Strip at Flamingo Road, computed with OSRM, an open-source router that runs on OpenStreetMap. They assume dry roads and no traffic, and they don’t always match the drive times the resorts quote. Winter weather, chain checks and holiday traffic all add time, so use them for comparison, not planning to the minute.
| Resort | State | Miles from the Strip | Routing estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Canyon | Nevada | 53 | about 1 hr 10 min |
| Brian Head | Utah | 205 | about 3 hr 45 min |
| Snow Summit (Big Bear) | California | 209 | about 4 hr 10 min |
| Eagle Point (closed for 2026/27) | Utah | 246 | about 4 hr 40 min |
| Arizona Snowbowl | Arizona | 263 | about 5 hr 15 min |
| Mammoth Mountain | California | 336 | about 6 hr 55 min |
1. Lee Canyon, Mount Charleston
The local mountain. Lee Canyon is in the Spring Mountains northwest of the city, on Forest Service land, with a base lodge at 8,660 feet and a summit of 11,289. The resort’s statistics list 445 acres (235 lift-served, the rest hike-to), 36 trails, four chairlifts and 129 inches of average snowfall, with snowmaking on 35% of the terrain. The resort lists the West Bowl as new for 2026/27, with details coming soon.
Why go: It’s an hour away. You can ski a morning and be back in town for lunch. Kids 12 and under ski free with the Power Kids pass. Know first: Tickets are demand-priced and bought online. On holiday and post-storm weekends the road backs up. There’s no cell service going up. 2026/27: Season scheduled to start November 20. More: Lee Canyon guide · conditions · lift tickets · rentals · getting there
2. Brian Head, Utah
The usual next step up. Brian Head describes itself as having Utah’s highest base elevation, more than 360 inches of snow a year, over 650 acres on two connected mountains, 75 runs and 8 chairlifts. It’s off I-15 at Parowan, which the resort puts at about three hours from Las Vegas.
Why go: Much more terrain and natural snow than Lee Canyon, an easy interstate drive most of the way, and a tubing hill. Know first: Utah is an hour ahead. The last 14 miles climb a mountain road; check UDOT. 2026/27: Winter operations scheduled to begin November 6. More: Brian Head from Las Vegas
3. Big Bear Mountain Resort, California
In the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, Big Bear Mountain Resort runs three mountains: Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and Snow Valley. It sells its own passes and the Ikon Pass.
Why go: Three mountains and a ski town, plus two resort tube parks. Know first: The last stretch is a mountain highway. From Las Vegas the resort’s transportation page points to Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley as the route with the least mountain driving. Check Caltrans for chain controls; California’s R-1, R-2 and R-3 levels are California’s system, not Nevada’s. 2026/27: No confirmed opening day yet. The resort’s hours page gives November 21, 2026 as the earliest possible date, depending on conditions. More: Big Bear from Las Vegas
4. Eagle Point, Utah: closed for 2026/27
A smaller resort in the Tushar Mountains near Beaver, Utah. It won’t open this season. The Indy Pass lists a 26/27 update that “Eagle Point Resort is closed for the current season following significant damage from the Cottonwood Fire and subsequent flooding,” and Eagle Point’s own site shows it as temporarily closed due to the Cottonwood Fire. We’ll update this entry if that changes.
5. Arizona Snowbowl, Flagstaff
On the San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff. Snowbowl is another Power Pass mountain, so passes bought at Lee Canyon can include days there. It lists a scheduled 2026/27 opening day of November 20 and runs a free shuttle from Flagstaff.
Why go: A road trip for Power Pass holders, with a town to stay in at the bottom of the mountain. Know first: It’s a five-hour-plus drive each way. Plan on staying at least a night.
6. Mammoth Mountain, California
The big one, in the Eastern Sierra. Mammoth’s home page lists more than 3,500 skiable acres, 25 lifts and 181 trails. Its opening day page gives Friday, November 13, 2026 for 2026/27. It sells the Ikon Pass.
Why go: A long season and a lot of mountain. If you’re going to drive this far, make it a trip. Know first: This is a full day’s drive. Check Caltrans road conditions and chain controls for the whole route before you leave. More: Mammoth from Las Vegas
Lee Canyon vs. Brian Head vs. Mammoth for a Vegas day trip
If you’re choosing between the closest resort, the usual next step up and the biggest mountain within a day’s drive, here’s how they compare. Each figure is from the resort’s own site (or, for Mammoth’s drive, the Visit Mammoth tourism office), plus our routing estimate from the Strip.
| Lee Canyon | Brian Head | Mammoth Mountain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Nevada | Utah | California |
| Miles from the Strip (our routing estimate) | 53 | 205 | 336 |
| Drive time the resort or town gives | 45–60 min | about 3 hr | about 5 hr (325 mi) |
| Skiable terrain | 445 acres (235 lift-served) | 650+ acres | 3,500+ acres |
| Lifts | 4 chairlifts | 8 chairlifts | 25 lifts |
| Trails or runs | 36 | 75 | 181 |
| Average snowfall (resort’s claim) | 129 in | 360+ in | not listed on the pages we cite |
| 2026/27 opening (scheduled) | Nov 20 | Nov 6 | Nov 13 |
| Pass | Power Pass | Power Pass | Ikon Pass |
| Time zone | Pacific, same as Las Vegas | Mountain, 1 hr ahead | Pacific |
| Works as a day trip? | Yes, even a half day | A long day if you leave by about 6 a.m. | Not realistically; plan two nights or more |
The short version: Lee Canyon is the only one you can do on a whim. Brian Head gives you roughly half again as much terrain and nearly three times the advertised snowfall for about three hours each way, on the same Power Pass. Mammoth is the biggest of the three, but at about five hours each way it’s a ski trip, not a day out. Sources: Lee Canyon statistics and FAQ, Brian Head about us and getting here, Mammoth home page and Visit Mammoth’s Las Vegas drive guide.
How to choose
- Half a day, or first time on snow: Lee Canyon. Nothing else is close.
- A full day and you’re willing to start at 6 a.m.: Brian Head.
- A weekend: Brian Head or Big Bear, depending on whether you want Utah snow or a California ski town.
- A real ski trip: Mammoth or Snowbowl, with at least two nights.
Passes can tip the balance. Lee Canyon, Brian Head and Arizona Snowbowl all take the Power Pass; see Lee Canyon lift tickets for which versions cover which mountains. Wherever you’re headed, check the road authority for that state before you go: NV Roads in Nevada, UDOT in Utah, Caltrans in California.