Dodge Ridge is a family-friendly ski and snowboard resort offering 60 board-friendly ski runs and five freestyle terrain parks, as well as a half-pipe; the parks are aimed at beginner and intermediate levels but also have advanced features. Dodge Ridge’s biggest draw is its location, with San Francisco only three hours to the west.

Facilities at the resort are minimal, with a ski/sports and rental shop, park-riding clinics and a number of restaurants. There is no slope-side accommodation here but the surrounding towns of Pinecrest, Longbarn, Sugarpine, Twainehart, Sonora and Columbia have 30 hotels and lodges to choose from and all necessary amenities.

The 60 slopes at Dodge Ridge ski resort are spread over a 487-metre vertical and are divided into 20 per cent beginner, 40 per cent intermediate and 40 per cent advanced pistes. The terrain is diverse and there enough moguls and steeps to keep the adventurous happy, and five terrain parks for the boarders. The longest run is 3.2kms, and 11 lifts provide access for over 15,000 skiers per hour.

Other winter activities and facilities at Dodge Ridge include cross-country skiing, ice-skating and sledding; while tobogganing and tubing are also available nearby. Après-ski can be found in the many restaurants, many featuring bars, on and off the slopes; while the various towns offer more of a choice of nightly entertainment.

The ski season at Dodge Ridge extends from December to April, and the young and old receive discounts, while children under seven and seniors over 81 ski for free. If you’re coming from overseas, a combination of flying to San Francisco or Reno and transferring by shuttle bus or hire car is the most practical travel option.