Lake Tahoe is the obvious ski destination choice for skiers and snowboarders who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lake Tahoe is home to 13 ski areas, making it the highest concentration of ski areas in America. However, in the time it’d take to drive to Lake Tahoe you could fly into Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) and be skiing in half the time.
Similarly, you could fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) into Bishop Airport (BIH), and be skiing at Mammoth Mountain just a couple hours after taking off. This is a no-brainer, especially on a weekend powder day, when you could be stuck in traffic driving to Lake Tahoe for hours. Below, explore our San Francisco flight guide, which explores all the different ski destinations you can fly to from the San Francisco Bay Area.
See more of our North America flight guides here.
San Francisco Flight Guide
>Get To Know San Francisco Bay Area Airports
The San Francisco Bay Area has a plethora of non-stop flights into some of the best ski destinations in America. What’s more, the advantage of living in the Bay Area is that you have access to so many different airports. More airports mean more non-stop flight options.
Skip SFO if you live in the East Bay or North Bay, and fly out of Oakland International Airport (OAK) or even Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa. Fly out of Oakland International Airport (OAK) and you’ll be to Salt Lake City in less than two hours. From Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) you can be skiing in an hour at any one of nine world-class ski resorts. From STS in Santa Rosa you can fly on Avelo to Bend, Oregon, and be skiing at one of America’s largest ski resorts, Mt. Bachelor, in just a couple hours.
For South Bay residents, there’s San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, which serves one million passengers per month. From San José Mineta International Airport it’s just an hour to Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and just a couple hours to larger cities that serve as ski gateways, such as Denver and Salt Lake City.
Additionally, you may want to consider Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Monterey Regional Airport (MRY).
Non-Stop Flights From San Francisco
While all of this can feel a little bit like advanced calculus, we’ve made it easier for you to plan your ski trip. Below you’ll find flights from the San Francisco Bay Area to some of the top U.S. ski destinations. Some of these flights are seasonal, while others can change without much notice. We recommend checking with the airline for specific times and availability as you plan your trip.
| Air Canada | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Utah | SFO-SLC | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Utah | OAK-SLC | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Utah | SJC-RNO | Year-Round |
| Alaska | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Big Sky | SFO-BZN | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Jackson Hole | SFO-JAC | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Mt. Bachelor | SFO-RDM | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Schweitzer | SFO-GEG | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Utah | SFO-SLC | Seasonal |
| Avelo | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| Santa Rosa (STS) | Mt. Bachelor | STS-RDM | Year-Round |
| Breeze | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Brian Head, Utah | SFO-PVU | Year-Round |
| Delta | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Utah | SFO-SLC | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Utah | OAK-SLC | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Utah | SJC-RNO | Year-Round |
| Frontier | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Colorado Front Range | SFO-DEN | Year-Round |
| Southwest | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Colorado Front Range | SFO-DEN | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Colorado Front Range | OAK-DEN | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Colorado Front Range | SJC-DEN | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Lake Tahoe | OAK-RNO | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Schweitzer | OAK-GEG | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Schweitzer | SJC-GEG | Year-Round |
| Oakland (OAK) | Utah | OAK-SLC | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Utah | SJC-RNO | Year-Round |
| United | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Aspen | SFO-ASE | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Banff Lake Louise | SFO-YYC | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Big Sky | SFO-BZN | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Colorado Front Range | SFO-DEN | Year-Round |
| San Jose (SJC) | Colorado Front Range | SJC-DEN | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Jackson Hole | SFO-JAC | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Lake Tahoe | SFO-RNO | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Mammoth Mountain | SFO-BIH | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Mt. Bachelor | SFO-RDM | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Schweitzer | SFO-GEG | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Sun Valley | SFO-SUN | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Telluride | SFO-MTJ | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Utah | SFO-SLC | Year-Round |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Vail and Beaver Creek | SFO-EGE | Seasonal |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Whistler Blackcomb | SFO-YVR | Year-Round |
| Westjet | |||
| Airport | Destination | Route | Dates |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Banff Lake Louise | SFO-YYC | Year-Round |
Know Before You Go
It’s no secret that a ski trip can often take a little bit more planning and preparation. And that’s particularly the case when flying into a smaller destination or regional airport, like many of the flights listed above. As such, we recommend booking your flights as far in advance as possible. In some cases, ski destinations may only have one flight per day, with those weekend flights filling up months in advance.
Additionally, ground transportation and rideshare in ski towns may not have the accessibility and availability as major cities. One of the perks of flying in and out of San Francisco, however, is that there’s such great transportation options. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has trains to both OAK and SFO. For those who live in the North Bay, the Sonoma County Airport Express is a great transfer service, connecting Sonoma County to San Francisco and Oakland airports.
Finally, no matter where you’re flying in and out of, we recommend giving yourself some extra time. Winter weather, traffic, and the time to check ski gear and get through security can all be unpredictable. For one less thing to think about, consider shipping your skis or snowboard.
February 26, 2024
