Arizona Snowbowl

Arizona’s biggest vertical, 14 miles north of Flagstaff.

Lift-served skiing to 11,500 ft on the San Francisco Peaks, with the most vertical in Arizona and snowmaking on more than 65% of trails. Two base areas keep beginners apart from the steeper upper mountain, and Flagstaff’s breweries, observatory and Grand Canyon day trips fill the off-slope hours.

The mountain

Vertical drop

2,300 ft

Summit

11,500 ft

Skiable terrain

777 acres

Trails

61

Lifts

9

Average snowfall

260″ a year

Longest run

2 mi

Snowmaking

65% of terrain

Terrain mix

• Beginner 27%
• Intermediate 39%
• Advanced 34%

What’s here besides skiing

• Terrain park
• Kids programs
• Cross-country
• Snowshoeing
• Nightlife

Holidays and events

2026–27 dates where they’re posted. “Usually” means the date follows past years. Confirm before you go.

• ChristmasSelect nights, early Nov–late DecUsually

  The Polar Express, Williams

  A 90-minute evening train ride from the Grand Canyon Railway depot with cocoa, cookies and a visit from Santa. Departures at 5:30 and 7:30 pm; December nights sell out first.

• ChristmasDec 23–24, 9 am–2 pm (annual)Usually

  Santa on the Slopes

  Santa skis the Hart Prairie beginner area before his big night. Free.

• New Year’sDec 31, 2026: noon, 10 pm and midnight

  Great Pinecone Drop, Flagstaff

  A big lighted pinecone is lowered from the Weatherford Hotel downtown, followed by fireworks. Free in the street, with a family “Noon Year’s Eve” drop for kids.

• Opening dayNov 20 (scheduled)

  Opening day

  The scheduled start of 2026-27, with new snowmaking guns, a new beginner conveyor and RFID tickets this season.

• FestivalLate March (annual)Usually

  Cardboard Derby Classic

  Homemade cardboard-and-duct-tape sleds race down the slopes for the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center. The 2026 race was canceled for warm weather.

Where to stay

• hotelLittle America Hotel Flagstaff

  Flagstaff’s largest hotel and its only AAA Four Diamond, on 500 acres of ponderosa forest, with big rooms and ski packages.

  ~30 min drive
• hotelHigh Country Motor Lodge

  Boutique hotel on Route 66 with vintage motor-lodge style, a Snowbowl partner hotel.

  ~30 min drive
• hotelThe Weatherford Hotel

  Historic downtown hotel with Charly’s Pub, the Zane Grey Ballroom bar and the Gopher Hole, and home of the New Year’s Eve Pinecone Drop.

  ~30 min drive
• innMotel DuBeau

  A 1929 motor court in the heart of downtown with continental breakfast and parking at your door. The budget pick, walkable to bars and breweries.

  ~30 min drive
• cabinBasecamp at Snowbowl

  Snowbowl’s own 22 cabins and rooms at the foot of Snowbowl Road, with a restaurant and bar, fire pits and two free lift tickets per night in winter.

  7 mi below the lifts, ~15 min drive

Rates are typical winter lows before taxes and fees, and change constantly. Book on the property’s own site.

Things to do

• Lowell Observatory · ~30 min

  Where Pluto was discovered. Telescope viewing, a planetarium and the historic campus on Mars Hill, in the world’s first International Dark Sky City.

• Flagstaff Snow Park · ~35 min

  Snow tubing runs and a kiddie hill at Fort Tuthill, on made snow. Opens mid-December; book sessions online a few days ahead.

• Arizona Nordic Village · ~20 min

  35+ miles of cross-country and snowshoe trails at the base of the San Francisco Peaks on Highway 180. Trail pass required.

• Grand Canyon South Rim · ~1.5 hr

  An easy day trip. Snow on the rim with the canyon below is a winter highlight, and crowds are thin.

• Grand Canyon Railway · ~45 min to Williams

  Vintage train from Williams to the South Rim, if you’d rather not drive to the canyon.

• Museum of Northern Arizona · ~25 min

  Native art, geology and natural history of the Colorado Plateau, open daily.

• Lumberyard Brewing Co. · ~30 min

  Brewery and scratch pub food in the historic district by the tracks.

• Dark Sky Brewing Co. · ~30 min

  Small-batch taproom that shares its space with Pizzicletta’s wood-fired pizza.

Après and nightlife

• Agassiz Lodge & 9,500′ Bar

  On-mountain lunch and drinks with a big deck view over northern Arizona.

• Hart Prairie Lodge Restaurant & Bar

  The beginner-side lodge with a full bar for a last round before the drive down.

• Basecamp Restaurant & Bar

  Burgers, wings and tacos at the bottom of the mountain road, open into the evening.

• Mother Road Brewing

  Route 66 brewery and taproom downtown.

These themes are our summary of recent skier reviews, not quotes.

Getting there

• Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) · about 30 min drive
• Phoenix · about 2.5 hr
• Las Vegas · about 4.25 hr
• Los Angeles · about 7.5 hr

Directions in Google Maps