Dodge Ridge Review

Dodge Ridge, California

Dodge Ridge is a mellow, fun day trip from the Bay Area.  It is actually the closest ski resort to the Bay Area, less than 150 miles drive from much of it. This review is based on 3 visits:  One powder day long ago and two recent mid-season with a deep base but firm conditions.

Skiing down to the base area on Gentle Ben at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Skiing down to the base area on Gentle Ben at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Stats and Rating

Real Vertical ? 1,550′, Rank: 98
Size 852 Acres, Rank: 81
Annual Snowfall ? 400″ claimed / 350″ actual, Rank: 28
Lift Pods ? 6, Rank: 47
Distinct Trails ? 44, Rank: 89
Review Date January 2022 and December 2022
Number of visits 3
Our Rating ★★
Resort website https://www.dodgeridge.com
Dodge Ridge Trail Map 2013-present

Dodge Ridge Trail Map 2013-present

Dodge Ridge Review

Prior to our visit in January 2022, the last time we skied Dodge Ridge was in 2003. It was a powder day, and conditions were great. Unfortunately that is somewhat rare. For example, 2014/15 was a poor snow season and the resort only opened for a couple of weeks in March.

When open, the terrain is actually pretty great with some nice cruisers and decent advanced terrain. Most of the action is on the 2 lifts, #7 and #8,  that go to the summit, which provide long consistent runs, and then the triple chair, #3, from the base. There is a confusing jumble of old double chairs on the bottom right of the resort that seem to be a holdover from decades of slow expansion, which don’t make much sense now. There are no high-speed detachable lifts and only a tiny amount of snowmaking at the base.  Chairs #4 and #2 rarely operate.

Trail ratings are a bit generous at Dodge Ridge. Some of the groomed advanced runs feel more like intermediate runs, so don’t be afraid to test your ability level and enjoy!

Sunrise run at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Sunrise run at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Lending a helping hand

I have to commend Dodge Ridge for helping out Sierra at Tahoe after the fire caused Sierra to not be able to open in 2021/22.  Sierra season pass holders were allowed to ski for free midweek that season.  We took advantage and returned to update our review and opinions.

We liked it so much we returned in December 2022 with another quick day trip.  That day was ideal with 58 (!) of 67 trails groomed and everything open with great snow.  We were even able to ski the Granite Bowl for the first time with consolidated powder conditions.  Lines were nonexistent even on the Sunday before Christmas.

View from the lodge at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

View from the lodge at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Chair #3

Most people who are proficient skiers are going to load on Chair #3 to start the day.  There is some steep terrain there but it’s easily bypassed for low intermediates.  When we were there in 2021 they had groomed the main runs so we lapped all of those.  It’s only about 800′ vertical, but it’s good stuff.  You can head directly over to Chair #7 from there to get to the top.

The Face off Chair 3 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

The Face off Chair 3 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Chair #7

This is an interesting chair with some longer runs on it.  Our favorite is Flume which runs down a narrow gully.  Quicksilver to Lower Stagecoach is very popular and is one of the longest consistent pitch runs on the mountain, but you will need to take 2 lifts to lap that one.

Flume groomed black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Flume groomed black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Chair #8

This lift has the best terrain with the largest vertical drop of 1,100 feet.  They usually groom 4 runs in this area. If the snow is good, the north-facing steep terrain like double-black rated Six Shooter is a fun challenge.

All of the steep sections of the mountain are short though, so even if you dabble in steeps it’s not going to tire you out much.

Six Shooter double black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Six Shooter double black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Lodges and Food

The buildings are old but well cared for for a resort of this size.  When we were there in January 2022, COVID impacts and reduced staff meant very limited cafeteria food options at the Creekside Cafe which were well below average.  The other 2 restaurants were closed.  In December 2022 everything was open and we sampled the pretty decent food in the Bistro.  I’m not going to say it was great food but it’s a good value and tasty.

Nicely groomed surface at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Nicely groomed surface at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

The good

  • Location is everything here. Being closer to the Bay area and a relatively easy drive has kept Dodge Ridge in business.
  • The terrain is good for intermediates and beginners with consistent longer runs from the summit and separate chairs for beginners at the bottom.
  • Nice family friendly atmosphere
  • They do a great job grooming.  Most of the main runs that can be groomed were groomed when we were there in 2022.  On the December visit they had groomed 58 of 67 runs, which is crazy and way overachieving.
  • No lift lines when we have been there.  I imagine Chairs 3, 7 and 8 gets some on Saturdays and holidays, but it is definitely going to be much less crowded than Tahoe.
Granite Bowl from Chair 8 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Granite Bowl from Chair 8 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

The bad

  • Ignore the average snowfall number reported above, because lack of snow and little snowmaking really hurt Dodge Ridge in about half the ski seasons. The elevation is extraordinarily low, peaking at only 8,200 feet. In the Sierra the good snow often doesn’t start until 8,000 feet. This results in very low year-year consistency due to rain.  On a good day it’s a great choice for a quick day-trip, but you have to time it right.
  • They obviously cannot invest in new lodges and snowmaking to compete directly with the Tahoe resorts.
  • The lift network is slow, old chairs and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Bobby's Freedom Run groomed black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Bobby’s Freedom Run groomed black at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

The bottom line

We think Dodge Ridge belongs on our list of best 100 resorts. It’s a fun resort for a day trip.  It is a great resource for locals from the central valley south of Sacramento who don’t want to fight Bay Area traffic going to Tahoe.  But the low elevation and lack of snow and snow making is an obvious killer and results in the 2-star rating.

Base of Chair 8 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

Base of Chair 8 at Dodge Ridge, January 2022

7 thoughts on “Dodge Ridge Review

  1. Ron L.

    Skied here back in 2019 and on Holiday break 2022. Your review is completely on point.
    This resort is perfect for beginner to intermediate. The Sunrise run which is pictured above is rated black,
    but it’s more of a solid blue runs. One thing to add, Dodge used to be really cheap, but now since they changed ownership recently, the lift ticket has jumped significantly, although still cheaper compared to most Tahoe resorts. They really need to put more investments to those slow lift lines.

    Reply
    1. Ron Thompson Post author

      Hi Ron,

      Last weekend we skied with some locals who have lived in Twaine Hart and Sonora most of their lives and it was a really refreshing community experience. They are saying the new ownership has vastly improved the situation there so I guess the higher lift ticket prices are paying off. We were simply amazed at the amount of grooming they do. Although not very challenging, it’s still an interesting / fun place to visit and we will likely be returning 2X per year as long as they are on the Powder Alliance.

      Reply
    1. Ron Thompson Post author

      Dodge is one of our favorites, but it is what it is which is a small resort with really old lifts, low elevation, very little snowmaking, and very little challenging terrain. Keep in mind it was chosen by us as one of the top 100 ski resorts out of the 600+ in North America. That’s a win! For what it’s worth, we maxed out our free days on the Powder Alliance pass there this year. Truly amazing season they are having.

      Reply
  2. EP

    I’ve never been here but going to make it out in early Feb with my kids to teach them how to snowboard. How is the bunny hill? I can’t find decent pictures on-line.

    For comparison, I took my kids to Northstar but don’t want to go back there. I don’t think their bunny hill is friendly for learning AT ALL – way too short and way too steep to get their confidence going. I resent North Star for that actually even though that is my favorite resort. Plus, I can’t ignore the fact that lessons for 4 kids was steep and I ended up taking care of my youngest after an hour class started because she was crying, so that was an instant $300 down the drain.

    Reply
      1. Ron Thompson Post author

        I agree with this 100%. Start on chair 6 and progress to chair 1. The only problem is that chair 6 is very busy.

        We taught our kids to ski mostly at Boreal. Lessons there are cheaper and the terrain was good for beginners with a nice progression of lifts.

        The Northstar village runs (from the gondola) are actually quite long and flat. I see a lot of lesson activity there.

        For Epic pass resorts in California, I actually recommend Kirkwood. Start at chair 9 and progress to 1. Progress to chair 7 to finish up the process.

        Reply

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