Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Arizona Snowbowl that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Arizona Snowbowl stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Arizona Snowbowl review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Arizona Snowbowl
Total (2.7)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Great place to take a family. Pretty good setup for first time skiers, with a double that takes you up a decent amount of vertical. The quad also services good beginner runs.
The demo rental setup is outstanding. I got to literally trade skis in/out throughout the day — the shop was convenient to the lifts, and the demo folks got immediate attention. The whole rental operation was very organized and streamlined — I did it alone with 5 kids and had no problems.
Two base areas is good and bad. Good to keep away from beginners, if you desire. Not so good if you have a mixed group of beginners and more advanced, especially if the beginners need periodic check-ins. But, the base areas are close enough that a middle-aged dad in decent shape can hoof it in ski boots and not feel worn out. Honestly, it wasn’t bad.
Staff is friendly. There were some technical difficulties with liftees not using scanners properly. Customer Service folks were attentive and validated my irritation. They even called the liftee directly while Inwas there.
Shuttle from Flagstaff ran everyday during our Christmas/New Year’s trip, but it does NOT do that throughout the season, so caveat emptor. That shuttle was great. Clean, spacious, even felt safe letting a younger teenage kid ride it back alone one day.
I definitely would like to go back later in the season. The minimal terrain that was open over Christmas /New Year’s was still worth the trip. But, I’d rather go back later in the season next time.
Overall, I’m a fan. Good experience. My rating might be higher if I’d have been able to ski the whole mountain. But 4/5 stars is pretty good, regardless.
Great
Graden Dahlberg
Skied here between Christmas and New Year’s (not an ideal time). Regardless, the mountain was not terribly crowded. Snow quality was poor due to early season conditions, but runs were well maintained and snowmaking operations kept the slopes open and fresh enough.
I had five kids with me ranging in ages from 14 to 4. I gave the oldest two free range license and didn’t think twice. The family-friendly atmosphere, simple layout, and small mountain vibe gave me confidence that a 14yr old and a 12yr old would be fine without me. Ski school was good for the littlest ones (4 and 6). Probably should’ve put the 8yr old in there, too (hindsight).
Tech issues with lift ticket scanners sent me and a couple of my kids to customer service a couple of different times. This was annoying and inconvenient, especially when customer service told us that our tickets were fine and that the error was a tech/system/lifty-user-error issue. But, the folks in customer service were very kind, polite, professional, etc.
The free shuttle bus from Flagstaff was clutch. But, you should know that it runs daily during this peak time between Christmas and New Year’s — the rest of the season does not have a daily shuttle option (only certain days on/around weekends and holidays).
Overall, I want to go back — with and/or without my kids. I want to ski the rest of the mountain when it’s fully open (only had about 15 runs open during my trip). The free kid skiing, the Power Pass discounts on lift tickets and rentals, the lower priced early online tickets, the reasonable rental prices, the demo rental switch-out system, the well-organized on-site rental pick-up and return — AZ Snowbowl is a good place to go, especially with a family. Glad we went. Would do it again. No hesitation recommending it to others.
Ryan Mantles
Lack of communication! It’s impossible to get customer service , super high prices, limited terrain park no warning of ice patches or ski patrol around to be found when someone is Injured you have to leave your friend ski the whole mountain to the bottom and give a description of where the injured person is at.
Lack of parking and a money hungry resort that is now selling lift tickets to ride the gondola for scenic views for people who are not patrons or skiers or snowboarders thus increasing the overall traffic and adding more time to lift lines and congestion for patrons who are their to ski/board the mountain.
Lack of refunds and communication!
Their social media could easily post weather reports as it’s the most effective way to communicate what the conditions are or what lifts are running but that would impact their profit if people didn’t show up so they will not be open about the conditions or status of the lifts.
Overhyped no care for patrons and way too overpriced!
They refuse to honor prices or deals if you make a mistake with a purchase.
If they do shit down the mountain for wind advisory’s they will not refund you because you’re are supposed to be a weather expert. No refund or accommodations will be made.
Marcus
- Lots of first time skiers and riders.
- Dynamic pricing sucks. $200+ for a lift ticket.
- Hills are set up so that the choke points mix together the expert riders with the beginners.
- Windy, highest peak and almost only peak in the area so no protection from any of the wind in the area.
- Will close the lifts for half the day, or just keep 1 lift that services green runs due to wind. No chance for a refund.
-Icy
-Parking is bad, you need to get there early or you get stuck at the parking lot that is 5 miles away.
Holden Oliver
if they continue to close the arizona gondola and grand canyon express lift without any indication of when it will be running again. i will never purchase a ticket here again
Elyssa
Snowbowl has gone to the dogs. Bought my husband's ticket more than a month in advance. They've always given a free birthday ticket like every other resort I know of. This year, after waiting HOURS for a shuttle, they told me they no longer do that and it would be almost $300 for my lift ticket to board the remaining 2 hours of the day. They wouldn't even give a refund on my husband's ticket even though they ran out of parking and their shuttles could not accommodate demand. Started this journey from Sedona at 7:30am and and leaving broken hearted after 2pm. Do not spend money here expecting any reasonable accommodation. If they oversell, you will pay the price.
Edit: wanted to clarify that their website says NOTHING about this change in policy (see photo) and now I see other reviewers waited several days to get any information.
Michael Rastatter
We had a great time this past week and we’re blessed with lots of fresh snow. Customer service was really good.
Sarah Schuette
Years ago, Snowbowl used to be my favorite place to be, all winter. Now, it’s taken a 180-degree turn into what I think is caused by a corporate nightmare. It’s much more expensive these days and still crowded with the same amount of people, and even though they added a couple lifts over the years it’s still the same size, guys?! Also, the atmosphere just seems different, and mostly not in a good way. I’ll start with the positive: They definitely have more staff cleaning the bathrooms now—thank goodness for those few souls who stuck it out pre-corporate when they were running around trying to help everyone at the same time, they deserve a medal. On the flip side, most of the staff seems fake and corporate-y now. You used to know almost all the staff by name, and they are still friendly enough, but it’s not the same. There are a couple good bartenders, the only one whose name I can remember is Jasmine, and the other was a younger gentleman at the lower bar area. On separate occasions they both made me feel welcome and talked to me the whole time I was there, all while keeping up with other people’s orders. Until you can bring back the small-town vibe I paid so much for, I’ll be going to Sunrise this year.
Sally Gulf
Wow what an adventure Snowbowl has brought to my life! Living in in flagstaff for university and having Snowbowl an easy skip up the hill, no matter the time of year this is a true destination. Being in the nature heals your soul from the outside in! My favorite way to spend a day is going up to snow bowl to then grab a drink at the bar. The bartenders treat you as if you’re family. One that keeps me coming back is Jasmine! I’m not sure what she puts in those Mai Thais but she can make them just the right kind of zest for my tastebuds and my heart! Every time I see her working I’m sure to bee line it to her so I can grab sight of her heart warming smile with a side of good vibes, then maybe a shot of tequila if she hasn’t already made my day :) She’s so personable and kind to all people she interacts with. It’s an honor to know her and she’s an artist at her drank making craft. I’d say the service with the nature here is the reason I keep coming back. I’m bringing everyone I know to experience this unique culture of good people and views that will both take your breathe away and steal your heart!
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