We’ll be in Vegas in mid-February for a conference and would like to combine it with some downhill. How’s the skiing at the Las Vegas resort? And if that’s not a good option, where is?
We get at least one of this type of this question every year and we like to answer it every year, because though most people realize that there's a massive mountain range, the Spring Mountains, in the western valley, not many people don't realize that there's a small ski resort near the top of the highest peak about an hour from the city.
Established in 1963, Lee Canyon Ski and Snowboard Resort is now in its 55th season.
This day resort, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is a little less than 50 miles northwest of downtown Las Vegas. You get on US 95 heading north toward Reno and drive 30 miles or so to NV 156, which climbs up Lee Canyon on the east side of Mount Charleston (at just under 12,000 feet, the highest peak in southern Nevada and eighth highest in the state). You continue up Lee Canyon 17 miles till the highway dead-ends at the ski resort, the base of which sits at a high 8,500 feet (considering that the surrounding lowlands are under 3,000 feet).
The resort gets an average of 140 inches of snow annually and snow-making machines cover 75% of the terrain. Nearly 200 acres are served by two double chairlifts and a triple chair, carrying skiers to the mountain's 9,370-foot summit, with a vertical drop of 860 feet and a 3,000-foot longest run; another 250 acres are accessible on foot.
The resort offers 24 mostly intermediate ski trails and a terrain park; a surface lift goes to a tubing hill. There’s also a typical snack bar, bar, and pro shop.
Lee Canyon, for its first 40 years, was owned locally, but it was bought out in 2003 by Powdr Corporation, so season passes are also good at resorts in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Vermont, and vice versa.
Tickets for this season start at $25 for 90 minutes of tubing, rise to $70 for a full-day lift pass, and top out at $119 for the lift pass and rental equipment. Parking is an additional $5. You can buy tickets online in advance for a saving of around 25%.
The next nearest skiing to Las Vegas is at Brian Head, Utah, 200 miles northeast. The 650-acre resort averages 400 inches of snow each winter and has 65 runs and two terrain parks. On-mountain lodging includes DoubleTree Resort & Spa (Hilton), plus vacation homes and condos.
There's also a ski resort just northwest of Flagstaff, Snow Bowl. With 777 acres of skiable terrain, it's located on the western slope of Mount Humphreys, the tallest mountain in Arizona. The base elevation is a high 9,200 feet and lifts go up to 11,500. There are plenty of places to stay in Flagstaff, 20 minutes from the resort and 3-1/2 hours from Las Vegas.
