arizona snowbowl

This is definitely a very low-key local's ski area. We went on a weekday, so it was not at all crowded and we never waited in a lift line. They claim six lifts, but there are really only two as the others are children's beginner lifts. Absolutely, do not eat lunch here - it was all canned soups and chili and week old salad - yes, really - the salad was in a plastic container, and had a date indicating that it was a week old….

We bought a 2 day ski pass and skied the first day, the 2nd day it snowed and when we got to the bottom of the hill to drive up to the ski place they would not let us drive up even though I had purchased chains because they said the parking lot was full and there was a power failure, even though a couple lifts were running.

Recommend going on a off day. No weekends its crazy busy. Management needs to train staff in situations regarding power outages. Managment should have had back ups in place. Managment should run shuttles for visitors who are not able go up the steep roads with their vehicles not meant to be on such conditions. They should also have attendants at the entrance of snowbowl making the calls for which vehicles are able to ascend the roadway. They should also offer an area for visitors that dont wish to ski or snowboard but can enjoy other activities such as sledding or tubing.Snowbowl would have more succss and happier guests in such cases !

I think with great snow this place would be awesome but as i haven't had a great time skiing there i can't rate it higer. However, both years we have been there has been very little snow and it was very hard to ski there (ice in the morning and slush by noon) The main lodge is pretty good to eat at, there was a one man bad and a grill outside one of the days last year, we were there over Valentines/Presidents day this year so was a little surprised there wasn't more going on. Mountain is easy to get up and down and hope to one day come back when the snow is good. Like the wide open runs from the main lift. (just on a personal note, an express lift to the top would be awesome). If you are with a beginner, their bunny hill is fantastic. On a negative note, i did feel the lift tickets were a little high, thought they may discount it a bit due to the snow conditions.

A group of 4 of us went up to Snowbowl for the first time not knowing what to expect. We did the ski lift tour in the summer months and it was awesome! The view was fantastic at the top, above the cloud line at times as a weather front was moving in... Had an amazing time! Will do this one again for sure

Was able to catch the slopes on a half day. Only downside was there weren't enough snowboarding gear (boots and board) for people, like us, who only went for half a day... we had to wait a bit, but was finally able to enjoy after a little wait!

I am not a skier, but my husband is and this trip to Arizona was a compromise. I got to swim in Scottsdale and he got to ski in Flagstaff.The second day he skied, the had an additional 8" and they opened up all the trails. It's a beaitiful drive up the mountain and we saw a herd of elk.The contrast from Phoenix is amazing!

First time visit but very impressed with grooming the night before and snow making for a weekend mid Feb. Upper Lodge nicer than lower for lunch and a break. Be back next year.

We made a quick getaway trip to Arizona from Minnesota, as the children had a Monday off of school. This was not our first choice for ski resorts, but we had family and friends in the area that we wanted to also visit. The locals say that this is a great resort when there is a lot of fresh snow. Just over one week before we arrived, the area received 17 inches of new snow. The warm temperatures melted much of it away by the time we arrived.They do make snow at the resort, so many of the runs were open. The skiing conditions were quite icy. I liked the runs, however, as they were quite challenging and rather long (relative to Minnesota). The vertical drop is about 2200 feet (in comparison to about 3500 feet in Colorado, for example). The skiers were advised to disembark at "midway", as that is where they stop making snow. I went once to the top just for the experience. It was recommended only for the expert skiers. I enjoyed the run. Many of the runs were not open, as there wasn't enough snow to cover the rocks. I did go over a few exposed rocks on my descent from the top. The view from the top is fantastic. You can even see the rim of the Grand Canyon.The only downside about the resort when there is much new snow are the crowds. The people flock to the resort to take advantage of the great skiing conditions. One other downside is slow movement of the ski lifts in comparison to some other resorts. It didn't bother me, but I overheard other people mentioning it.I will come back to ski again sometime in the future. Hopefully, there is a lot of fresh snow at the time.

I would highly recommend snowbowl for skiing if you are from this area and have a weekend. If you are taking a ski week vacation, go somewhere else like big bear, mammoth, etc that actually has a ski village. That being said, for a weekend this is great and I have been coming here many years and this weekend was about the best groomed snow. Lines in beginner area usually huge, but if you have much experience go to the blues on the other side for minimal lines. Has som decent black diamonds at the very top and a couple long runs that will get you tired, but most runs are not too long. Terrain park was minimal this week, not sure if that is standard. Kids were disappointed in that compared to other places and prior years here. Food good but pricey at lodges.

Went on Saturday of MLK weekend 2015. 4 lifts total. 2 in the beginner area are PAINFULLY slow doubles. The two that access the rest of the mountain are PAINFULLY slow triples. The main lift Agissiz takes 20 minutes and kept breaking down. I rode with people who were experiencing 30 - 60 minute waits routinely.The terrain is nothing to speak of, not a lot of options. Most of what they call black diamond would qualify as Blues at most other hills. There is NOTHING double diamond available. Most of the diamonds are VERY short and not worth the effort. Horrible signage! As a first timer, I couldn't figure out where I was 90% of the time.All this for the wonderfully low price of $79.Took OVER an hour to get two kids checked into ski school, even though we had made reservations, given ALL the information over the phone, put a credit card on file and had their own gear.. My kids ended up missing an hour of all day lessons even though we were in line at 9 for a 10am lesson, literally ready to step on the lift. No discount, no apology, just "We're a small mountain." Then, after all day at ski school, my kids are no better at skiing because they spent all day on the magic carpets with kids who couldn't stand up!I get it, MLK is a BUSY weekend, but the CS was terrible, their equipment and terrain is not worth the effort even if NO one else was there (20 minutes on a lift, come on!), and they are HORRENDOUSLY over priced for what you get.

Great skiing - perfect weather- no lift lines- friendly staff - good food - great time. we highly would recommend this resort to all skiers.

We spend few days in Flagstaff for Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater visit when suddenly understand that there is a ski resort not far away. We did a drive here but were really supprised that we can not rent a ski clothes. It was a big disappointing factor for us... Usually in Europe and Asia in each ski resort you can rent not only equipment but also ski clothes.

we were there during the snowstorm, we took lessons and then just practice in our own, we loved being there, so pretty, of course we didn't like how windy or freezing it was, but it was our choice so we had to deal with it :D it is our second time coming here, we really like this snow resort, the only thing we dislike is the food and how pricey it is, the food court isn't big enough, it's really hard to find a spot, at least during peak hours.

Although there are a few good runs, the lifts look to be from the 1960s complete with no bars or safety features. The lifts were so slow it took 45 minutes to get the run. Even on a great snow conditions day, it left a lot to be desired. But hey it's Arizona, so if this is all you can get it will do. If you can get to somewhere in CO or NM you will be happier.