Snowhaven

If you travel seven miles in the right direction from Grangeville you’ll soon find yourself at the Snowhaven Ski Area. This ski resort truly is a haven as it overlooks the Camas Prairie, the Gospel Hump Wilderness and the Nez Perce National Forest. Besides the absolutely awesome view, Snowhaven has plenty of great skiing on offer every winter. The resort enjoys a summit elevation of 5600 ft and a vertical drop of 400 ft.

Snowhaven is a relatively small resort with only nine trails spread out over 40 acres of skiable terrain. However, it still offers some variety with roughly 75% of the trails graded beginner and 25% graded advanced. There are only two lifts but they cover the area well. Snowhaven is a great place to bring young families or those who are just getting started as there are PSIA-certified instructors, a National Ski patrol, and a great children’s program. Be warned, however, there are no child care facilities available for toddlers. However, more suitably-aged children and adults will certainly benefit from the well supervised and safe environment which can be found at Snowhaven. Children between three and six can also enjoy a variety of toys, tubes, sleds, books and games.

Cross-country skiers will enjoy the double-tracked trails which can be found at Fish Creek Meadows. All in all there are 16 km of cross-country trails available. Snowboarders can either choose to enjoy the ski runs or they can opt for the halfpipe. There are no terrain parks available. Fun-seekers can also enjoy tubing.

When the sun goes down and you need to find warmth, there’s nothing quite like a log fire in one of the rustic and affordable cabins available near the ski area. Here you can either cater for yourself or enjoy the short ride into town and grab some grub at one of the local restaurants.

Snowhaven Ski Area is open between December and March and at night during certain parts of the season. Definitely make a turn at this affordable family holiday destination if you are going to be in the area this winter!