209 Living
ARNOLD — Big snow, big trees, and the big outdoors.
It doesn’t get much better for a winter day trip than heading up Highway 4 to take in the 209’s majestic backyard.
There are four highways in the 209 that can get you high in the Sierra before seasonal closures due to snow stops your progress.
While Highway 120 takes you to the magic that is Yosemite National Park, your best bet for a full-packed day with everything from snow play, easy hiking, lunch or dinner and wine tasting all along one ribbon of asphalt is Highway 4.
The highway itself is 197 miles long starting near the edge of San Pablo Bay in Hercules, passing through the Delta and Stockton on up and over Ebbetts Pass at 8,730 feet then ending at the junction of Highway 89 in Markleeville.
The pass is not plowed in the winter.
The farthest you can now go is a half mile past the junction of Highway 207 that leads to the Bear Valley Ski Resort.
If you’re into skiing obviously driving Highway 4 is about getting there.
But if you want to just enjoy looking at the snow from the warmth of your car or in short excursions from along the road, then there are plenty of options.
The most enjoyable for kids young and old are the three Sno-Parks between Arnold and Bear Valley Ski Resort. They are ideal for riding saucers down snow banks, making snow angels in fresh powder, creating a snowman, enjoying low-key snowball fights or whatever the snow inspires you to do in a safe locale.
The Sno-Parks are at the Spicer Meadow Road turnoff, another at the end of the plowed highway near Lake Alpine, and at Round Valley off Highway 207 leading to the Bear Valley Ski Resort. The Sno-Parks have toilets and parking — something you will not find along other stretches of Highway 4.
Round Valley Sno-Park is the newest. While snowmobiling is not allowed at Round Valley there is a slope that’s a big draw for tubes, toboggans, saucers, and such. As with other Sno-Parks, you can take off and do cross-country skiing. Snowmobiling is allowed at the other two Sno-Parks.
You do need a permit. They can be purchased in Bear Valley past Spicer Meadow Road turnoff at Bear Valley Snowmobile or Bear Valley Cross Country. You can purchase the daily $15 permit or a seasonal permit that costs $40. To find out more about the Sno-Park program or to locate a permit vendor in your local area, go to the California State Parks OHV Division website.
You can opt to play in the snow at Bear Valley Cross Country instead.
Bear Valley Adventure Company offers more than just cross country trails. It also features sledding and tubing hills with inclines ranging from gentle to moderate. The base is located directly across Highway 4 to the Bear Valley Village entrance.
They provide the tubes and sleds. Sledding is $25 per person while tubing is $35. Non-sledding/non-tubing access is $10 per person. Parents or guardians need to accompany children. The area is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 209-753-2834.
