The top of the 4. 6,600 to 8,500 feet, snow half the year, music and mountain events in the summer.
7,000 ft
Bear Valley Mountain Resort sits at the summit of Hwy 4 with 1,680 skiable acres, 75 trails, 9 lifts, and a base elevation of 8,495 ft. Season runs late November through mid-April, the Bear Valley Music Festival anchors the summer (2026 dates: July 17 to August 2), and Bear Valley Adventure Company, the village outfitter at the Hwy 4 turnoff, fills the rest of the calendar with guided hikes, trail days, and boat and bike rentals.
Bear Valley is the last stop on the 4 before the road closes for winter. About 30 minutes up from Arnold, a different climate, a different feel. Less Tahoe, more Sierra retro.
Heads up for the 25/26 ski season: the resort consolidated most food and beverage to the Village Lodge. Sky High Pizza is open Thursday through Sunday evenings during the season, the General Store runs 9am to 5pm year-round, and Kofi Haus does mornings in winter. Monte Wolfe Saloon, Ebbetts Grill, and Basecamp Pizza are flagged for re-opening in the 26/27 season. Creekside Bistro was closed as of May 2026. Check bearvalley.com before you promise anyone a specific spot.
Summer is the underrated season, and Bear Valley Adventure Company is most of the reason. BVAC is the outfitter at the corner of Hwy 4 and Bear Valley Road, the building you pass coming into the village, with Reba's Cafe attached. In summer they rent mountain bikes, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards (Lake Alpine is just up the road), and their events calendar is the busiest in town: guided ranger hikes, trail work days, a kids' fishing day at Lake Alpine, pickleball, and the July 4th pancake breakfast. We pull their calendar into the listings below.
The Music Festival brings classical, jazz, and world music for about two and a half weeks in mid-July through early August. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and the scenic chairlift fill in the rest. Ebbetts Pass typically opens late spring to mid-summer (the date moves around with the snowpack), and when it does, the drive over the top to Markleeville is one of the best in California.
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at Grizzly Ballfield, Bear Valley. Free. Yoga on the grass with Alex Mannos 9:00–10:00 AM; guided bike rides with Bear Valley Adventure Company at 10:00 AM; live music from about 10:10 AM to 2:00 PM (Kiana, Lainy McGreen, West Muir, Dominick Restivo, Desiree & Cyrus, Ty & Connor). Official details: https://scenic4.org/events/hermitfest-west/
Hermitfest West returns to Bear Valley's Grizzly Ballfield for a family-friendly weekend of live music on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12–13.
Andy & Tarantula Hawk plays live at Lake Alpine Lodge, right across the road from the water up at 7,000 feet. Music starts at 1 p.m. The deck bar and restaurant are open, so settle in with a drink and a bite. No cover, and it's a gorgeous spot to catch a set.
A day of hiking and hands-on maintenance work on the winter cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails before snow arrives.
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Bear Valley Trail Stewardship hosts a trail maintenance day on October 10th, beginning at 8:30 AM.
A day of hiking and hands-on maintenance work on the winter cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails before snow arrives.
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Yes, the mountain is open for skiing and snowboarding late November through mid-April. But on-mountain food and beverage is consolidated to the Village Lodge for the 25/26 season. Sky High Pizza, Kofi Haus, and the General Store are running. Monte Wolfe Saloon, Ebbetts Grill, and Basecamp Pizza return for 26/27. Confirm at bearvalley.com before you go.
The 2026 festival runs July 17 through August 2, about two and a half weeks of classical, jazz, and world music programming. Details and tickets at bearvalleymusicfestival.org.
About 30 minutes up Highway 4. From the Bay Area (Los Gatos) figure roughly 2.5 hours to Arnold, plus the 30 to Bear Valley. From Stockton, about 90 minutes to Murphys plus another hour up.
Usually yes from November through April. Caltrans posts chain control on Hwy 4 above Arnold during storms. R-1 exempts most cars with snow tires on a drive axle; R-2 requires chains unless you have 4WD/AWD with snow tires on all four. Carry chains regardless.
Yes, more than most people expect. The Music Festival in mid-July to early August is the anchor. Bear Valley Adventure Company rents mountain bikes, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, and runs a summer events calendar of guided ranger hikes, trail work days, pickleball, and a kids' fishing day at Lake Alpine. Otherwise: hiking, fishing, swimming, and a scenic chairlift. Once Ebbetts Pass opens, the drive east to Markleeville is one of the best two-lane routes in California.
Bear Valley Adventure Company (BVAC), the outfitter at the corner of Hwy 4 and Bear Valley Road, operates the cross-country ski area: about 3,000 acres of XC terrain with four trailside huts, with gear from the same shop. It's separate from the downhill resort at 2280 State Route 207. In summer the shop switches over to bike and boat rentals. Details at bvadventures.com.
Bear Valley Adventure Company at 1 Bear Valley Road, the building at the village entrance where Bear Valley Road leaves Hwy 4. Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and mountain bikes in summer, with Lake Alpine a few minutes up the road, plus Reba's Cafe attached for before or after. Check bvadventures.com for current hours and rates.
