Yeti’s Snow Play is Where to Go When you Crave Snow but Lack Skills

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for almost 20 years, and my favorite bragging right is that we can be on the beach and in the snow on the same day. I’ve frequented Mount Baldy, but once you ride the lift, you have to use skis to have any fun, and frankly, my snow legs are a bit on the weak side. Can you relate? Well, I’ve finally found my ideal wintery escape that’s less than an hour and a half from Los Angeles and is PERFECT for kids and their parents who know the art of a good fall. Here’s what makes Yeti’s Snow Play at Mountain High Resorts so unique.

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What is Yeti’s Snow Play?

Yeti’s Snow Play is a winter wonderland packed with snow and family-fun activities. It’s open seasonally from late November to March and is the perfect way to have a snow day everyone will love. They provide everything you need to have fun in the sunny snow because, let’s face it, most Angelenos don’t have a garage full of sleds and tubing gear.

There are different ticket prices, so if you just want to Play in the Snow or take a Scenic Chair Lift up 8,200 feet to the Grand View Lodge, there is an option that will work for you.

I will explain what a day is like when you include All Activities, including Tubing, Sledding, Snow Play, and the Scenic Sky Chair.

Getting to Mountain High East

Yeti’s Snow Play is located on the East Resort side of Mountain High and is just an hour and twenty minutes from where I live in Glendale. I considered booking a night in Wrightwood, which is the town you drive through to reach Mountain High Resorts, but since I’d never been, I wasn’t sure it was worth hunkering down in a quaint motel for the night – because sometimes log cabin looks can be deceiving.

We left our house around 9 a.m., and thanks to McDonald’s and Spotify, the trip flew by for my nine and three-year-old with just one bathroom break needed when we were twenty minutes out (toddler life :)). The drive home around 2 p.m. offered the same one hour and twenty minutes drive home with no additional traffic, and at this point, everyone fell asleep. So, a Yeti’s Snow Play Day is totally doable without a hotel.

That being said, Wrightwood is ADORABLE, and I would have been happy to check in at a Kid-Friendly Cabin or the Grand Pine or Mountain View Cabins. They are on the main drive to Yeti’s Snow Play, where you’ll also find spots like Grizzly’s Cafe to enjoy before or after a day on the snowy banks.

Things to do at Yeti’s Snow Play

As I mentioned, you can choose your Yeti’s Snow Play Day almost a la carte, but we went for the All Activities Pass for our first visit. We began the day with the most adventurous activity of all: Tubing where you ride a mountain escalator to the top of a small hill and then tube down. The escalator portion was a ride my three-year-old enjoyed more than the tubing, which was scary even for a forty-year-old! My nine-year-old took it like a champ and rode it several times before the day was done.

If you choose to take a little one, they must be over 36 inches to ride. Then, you can tether your tube to theirs. That way, you can see their frightened face all the way down since, most likely, your tube will have flipped backward to accommodate theirs going forward.

Following that, you most likely will want to ramp down, and that’s where the Sledding is just perfect! This is set up on a hill half the size of the tubing. You set your own sled up, and there’s a guide there to help if you’re falling all over the place. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can keep going as long as you’d like because the line is relatively short all day.

After you finish the activities that get your heart rate up, slow things down with some Snow Play. This was my toddler’s favorite part of the day, and it was almost impossible to pull him away. Hence, I put my heart into this snowman attempt. Luckily, Yeti’s Snow Play is small enough that I was able to let my older son ride the tubes while my younger one just dug in the soft, snowy powder.

The Scenic Chair Lift is the perfect way to usher in the idea of food, as there is a restaurant called the Grand View Lodge at the top. It is recommended that you take the chair lift before 2 p.m., as it gets a bit nippy as you get higher. The 5-minute ride is beautiful, and tons of fun, and the chairs are wide enough to fit a family of four.

Food at Yeti’s Snow Play

The Grand View Lodge Bistro at the top of the mountain is where we chose to eat, but you can also enjoy the Angeles Crest Cafe and the Snowshoe Saloon at the bottom of the hill, which is closer to the activities. They’ve even got outdoor seating with fire pits, so you can watch your kids and have a snack.

The food at the bistro includes heart-warming dishes like Soup, Mac n Cheese, and the highly rated Lasagna – which is a must if it’s on the menu. They also have Adult Beverages, Sodas, and Warm Drinks. Prices are slightly higher than expected, with entree prices around $18, but consider it a tip for the view.

I spent $45 plus tip to feed one adult and two children.

When to Visit Yeti’s Snow Play

The best time to visit Yeti’s Snow Play is after some rain because you’ll get a lot of extra natural snow. The park is open seasonally from the end of November until the end of March.

Ticket prices range from $30 if you’d like a Snow Play Day to $59 if you’d like activities like Tubing and Sledding. The Scenic Chair Ride is $35, or you can get it for $20 when you select the All Activities Pass, which is EVERYTHING for $79. Parking is easy and ample at Mountain High East and costs an additional $25.

No matter what you choose, don’t miss the chance to enjoy an epic snow day among the pines that’s just minutes from the palms. Reserve your fun here.