Mammoth by name and nature, the resort's huge size is served by North America's biggest uphill transportation service. A total of 30 lifts are capable of moving in excess of 50,000 skiers per hour. Mammoth Mountain was established in 1950 by living legend Dave McCoy, who retained ownership throughout the resort's spectacular growth to become one of the world's greats.

The resort has a reputation for early season opening - generally in the first half of November thanks to a combined effort between its extensive snowmaking system and the natural stuff. In the latter category, about 30 feet of snow is dumped on Mammoth each season. This abundance also helps the resort to stay open late - usually into June. The snow is then mercilessly bashed into place on more than 150 trails by the resort's award-winning fleet of groomers, the largest on the planet.

Off the ski slopes, the base village of Mammoth Lakes continues to grow, with a dozen or so bars and restaurants and a further dozen or so retail outlets. Activities include ballooning, bob sledding, dog sledding, saunas, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, spa, tobogganing and winter hikes. Mammoth is the favorite resort of Virgin boss Richard Branson, whose airline runs a ski tour operation to the states from the United Kingdom.