Wed29Jul
Bear Valley Summer Day Camp
Kids
Bear Valley events: skiing, the Music Festival, and a real summer calendar
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.
› Read more about Bear Valley
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.
What's happening in Bear Valley
Wed29Jul
Thu30Jul
Bear Valley Summer Day Camp
KidsThu30Jul
Tom V and the Western Kingbirds
Live MusicFreeTom V and the Western Kingbirds plays live at Lake Alpine Lodge, right across the road from the water up at 7,000 feet. Music starts at 6 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.
Tom V and the Western Kingbirds
Thu30Jul
Bear Valley Music Festival
FestivalRonstadt Revival: Follow The Yellow Rose!
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Fri31Jul
Bear Valley Summer Day Camp
KidsFri31Jul
Sat1Aug
Bear Valley Music Festival
FestivalGALA: Hollywood's Golden Age
Sun2Aug
Hike with a Ranger: Mammals
Hike & WalkFormer National Park Ranger Bayleigh Bisner leads a hike focused on the mammals of Bear Valley, running 9:30 AM to noon.
Sun2Aug
Worth a trip if…
- →If you're skiing for the weekend from the Bay Area: it's less crowded than Tahoe, the drive from Arnold is 30 minutes, and on-mountain F&B is reduced this season. Eat at the Village Lodge or come down to Arnold for dinner.
- →If you're a renter or Airbnb guest heading up: bring chains November through April, and don't assume every restaurant on the resort site is open. The 25/26 lineup is Sky High Pizza, Kofi Haus, and the General Store. The rest comes back 26/27.
- →If you're planning a summer trip and don't care about snow: aim for mid-July through early August and build the weekend around a Music Festival concert. Days are for hiking, evenings are for the festival tent.
- →If you're bringing kids up in summer: BVAC rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards for Lake Alpine, and their calendar runs to kids' fishing days and guided ranger hikes. Reba's Cafe at the store covers lunch.
- →If you live in Arnold or BLS and want a low-key date night in winter: Sky High Pizza on a Thursday is a 30-minute drive, deck views, and you'll get a table.
- →If you're a cross-country skier: Bear Valley Adventure Company runs the cross-country side, 3,000 acres of XC terrain with four trailside huts. Way quieter than the downhill resort, and the Meadow Café route is the easy intro.
Worth knowing
- ·Resort stats: 1,680 skiable acres, 75 trails, 9 lifts, 1,900 ft of vertical, base elevation 8,495 ft.
- ·Snowfall: resort claims 359 inches; long-term average per onthesnow.com is about 282 inches. Either way, real snow.
- ·Season runs late November through mid-April, weather dependent. Sky High Pizza closes for the season April 12, 2026.
- ·Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4 east of the resort) closes roughly mid-November to late spring. 'The pass is open' is a real local milestone, not a slogan.
- ·Chain control is normal on Hwy 4 in winter. R-1 lets most cars through with snow tires on a drive axle; R-2 requires chains unless you're 4WD/AWD with snow tires on all four. Speed under control is 25 mph.
- ·Snowmobiling: 70 miles of groomed trails. Some Bear Valley streets are snowmobile-only in winter.
- ·Bear Valley Adventure Company (bvadventures.com) is the village outfitter at the Hwy 4 / Bear Valley Road corner: mountain bike, kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals in summer, the cross-country ski center in winter, and Reba's Cafe in the same building.
- ·BVAC also runs a real events calendar: guided ranger hikes, trail work days, a kids' fishing day at Lake Alpine, pickleball, and the Bjornloppet cross-country race. We list those events here as they're announced.
- ·Bear Valley Music Festival: 2026 runs July 17 to August 2. Tickets via bearvalleymusicfestival.org.
- ·The General Store at the Village Lodge carries Joma's ice cream (the Murphys outfit) and Gold Country Roasters coffee at Kofi Haus (the Murphys roaster). Local supply chain even at 8,000 ft.
- ·The closest full grocery is Big Trees Market in Arnold, 30 minutes back down the hill. Stock up before you head up.
- ·Cell service at the resort is workable but spotty along stretches of Hwy 4 between Arnold and the Mt Reba turnoff.
Want a Thursday heads-up?
One email Thursday morning with what's coming up in Bear Valley and the rest of the corridor. No spam, no ads.
Venues we track in Bear Valley
- Bear Valley Mountain Resort
- Bear Valley Music Festival Tent
- Perry Walther Community Center
About Bear Valley
› Is Bear Valley open this winter (25/26 season)?
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.
› When is the Bear Valley Music Festival?
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.
› How far is Bear Valley from Arnold?
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.
› Do I need chains to drive to Bear Valley in winter?
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.
› Is there anything to do at Bear Valley in summer?
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.
› Who runs the cross-country skiing at Bear Valley?
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.
› Where can I rent kayaks, paddleboards, or bikes at Bear Valley?
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.
