Travel to Mammoth Mountain with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, less than six hours from Los Angeles, Mammoth Mountain is a massive, fully furnished ski resort with all the trimmings.

The Village at Mammoth is a fairly new development designed to provide skiers with direct access to the mountain and a range of bars, restaurants and nightclubs to liven up off-slope hours. Extending outwards from the ski resort, the community of Mammoth Lakes offers even more entertainment options and a full range of useful facilities, including childcare and international standard medical amenities.

With over 150 trails to choose from, Mammoth Mountain is deserving of its name. The ski resort caters for all visitors, regardless of ability level or skiing/snowboarding preference. A high-tech system of 28 lifts (including nine high-speed mechanisms) will whisk you to wherever you need to be on the slopes.

Beginners have the choice of roughly 25 per cent of the trails, while intermediates, advanced and expert skiers are allocated 40 per cent, 20 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Snowboarders have free run of all trails, plus three all-level terrain parks encompassing three half-pipes and a quarter-pipe. The resort’s longest ski stretch, at five kilometres, is a rush in every sense of the word.

The ski season at Mammoth resort is renowned for its length, often opening in early November and running right through to June. The best conditions are to be had around January, when the snow is at its thickest and most powdery. Mammoth is most easily accessible by car, via highway 395, which links the ski resort within one day to Reno, Los Angeles or Orange County.

Skiing in Mammoth Mountain

Considering Mammoth Mountain’s spectacularly large ski area, immaculately groomed slopes, sunny weather and plethora of restaurants and bars, it’s not surprising that the resort is among North America’s most popular holiday spots. Mammoth’s size is legendary, and this colossal playground caters to novices and know-it-alls, skiers and snowboarders. Even if surfing the snow doesn’t delight you, Mammoth’s happening social scene certainly will.

Of Mammoth’s 150-plus ski trails, roughly 25 per cent are beginner routes. Intermediates have the lion’s share of the mountain, with 40 per cent of the trails, while advanced and expert skiers have 20 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. A system of 28 lifts provides inter-slope transportation.

Mammoth’s longest run spans a five-kilometre stretch, and if this doesn’t satiate you, nearby Tamarack Lodge offers 45kms of groomed cross-country tracks through exquisite landscape. All trails are open to snowboarders, and a trio of awesome terrain parks, with three half-pipes and a quarter-pipe, provide thrills for all levels of experience.

Off-slope and après-ski options are ubiquitous in Mammoth. The Village encompasses a number of eateries and a vibrant nightlife scene, and Mammoth Lakes has an even wider range of after-hours entertainment venues. If long days and active pursuits are your thing, Mammoth’s range of winter activities includes snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, winter hikes, sleigh rides and bobsledding.

Mammoth is renowned for its lengthy ski season, which often begins as early as October and runs right through to June. Highway 395 connects Mammoth to other parts of the United States, and visitors opting for air transportation from other states are likely to enter at Reno/Tahoe International Airport.

Après-ski in Mammoth Mountain

It’s virtually impossible to run out of options at Mammoth. In addition to the myriad of ski trails, the resort offers snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, winter hikes, sleigh rides and bobsledding. Nearby spa and sauna facilities are available to ease stiff, sore muscles, and Tamarack Lodge Resort, in the scenic Lakes Basin, offers 45kms of superbly groomed cross-country trails.

There is no shortage of accommodation in Mammoth and its surrounds. The resort supplies on-mountain and base area accommodation, ranging from private home rentals to condos and hotels, and lodging options extend into Mammoth Lakes, where the selection supplies possibilities for all tastes and budget limits.

There are a few options for on-slope lodging, but staying in The Village is your best bet if you intend on taking advantage of the thriving after-hours social scene at the ski resort. In the unlikely event that neither of these choices appeals to you, a host of other accommodation is located below the base area in Mammoth Lakes.

In winter, there is not a vast amount to do nearby, but there are a few good eateries in the nearby towns of Bishop and Bridgeport. San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas are all within a day’s drive away from Mammoth

Transportation in Mammoth Mountain

Mammoth Mountain is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, less than a day’s drive from Los Angeles. It can easily be accessed by car, via highway 395, without having to cross any tricky mountain passes. Alternatively, the resort can be reached by flying into Reno/Tahoe International Airport, and making use of shuttle transportation to the ski resort.

Mammoth is linked to the rest of the United States via highway 395, which runs north to south along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada range. This route connects Mammoth Mountain to Reno in approximately three hours, Los Angeles in five hours and Orange County in five hours.

From LA, take I-5 north to state route 14 north. From there, continue on to highway 395 north, and finally state route 203 (490kms). From Orange County and San Diego, take I-15 north to highway 395 north and state route 203 (600kms). From San Francisco and Sacramento, take I-80 to highway 50 to the Kingsbury Grade cut-off, from where highway 395 south leads to state route 203 (512kms).

From Las Vegas, take highway 95 north to highway 266 west; turn slight left to state route 168, and then take highway 395 north to state route 203 (500kms). From Reno and Lake Tahoe, take highway 395 south to state route 203 (265kms).

Alternatively, fly into Reno/Tahoe International Airport, and make use of the Crest bus service that provides transportation between the airport and the resort on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Additionally, a charter air service is offered by Mammoth Air Charter from various Californian destinations to Mammoth.

Several bus companies offer regular transportation between Mammoth and other areas of California. These include: New Horizon Tours, Pacific Sports Tours, Sierra Ski Tours, XTC Tours and South Bay Adventures.

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