Hidden Gem Ski Area in Idaho

I wrote about this awesome ski area back in 2017, when my misadventures brought me through Pocatello, Idaho and I stumbled upon an epic powder day at a little known ski area called Pebble Creek. Needless to say my experience there was a lasting one, and I find myself wanting to sing their praises once more. So here we go!

Founded in 1949 as “Skyline Ski Area” on the slopes of Eastern Idaho’s 9k+ foot tall Mount Bonneville, Pebble Creek changed hands a few times through the years, and grew slowly, until finally settling into the arms of a famous YouTuber and former local Shea Butler. After purchasing the resort, and returning to his childhood hometown of Pocatello, he proclaimed that his purchase was for the benefit of his community. True to his claim, the ski area has remained humble and “down home” and still maintains a warm and friendly atmosphere. 

The Locals have a saying around that area, and it goes: “If you can ski Pebble Creek, you can ski anywhere in the World.” A pretty cool bit of legend from the old timers perhaps, but it certainly lends to the thought that maybe there is more to this little ski area than a common ski traveler might think. Upon skiing it for myself, I found out that there definitely is!

I would classify Pebble Creek as a medium sized ski area, in the scheme of things, big enough to ski all day and not hit the same trail twice, but not so large that you’d get lost and need to refer to a pocket trail map. Pebble Creek does have impressive stats: 2,200ft vert on 1,100 acres, 51 trails and it’s got 45% Advanced – Expert level terrain! That’s more than enough room to have a seriously good ski day at a very affordable price.

As far as infrastructure goes, Pebble Creek has everything you’d want, including three fixed grip chairlifts: One for the dedicated beginner ski area, one is a base to summit lift servicing all terrain, and one is primarily for night skiing. None of these three lifts, hardly ever have a line. Ticket sales, gear rentals and lessons are all available at the base area, and who could forget about the coolest little ski bar around, the Rockbottom Saloon.

Pebble Creek may be punching above it’s weight with it’s terrain offering and stats, but at it’s heart it’s a community ski area for the locals of nearby Pocatello and Inkom. The folks here are friendly and welcoming and the vibe is low key and mellow. A far cry from the rat race that has become modern day mega-resorts.

In Summary, I will admit that my first visit to Pebble Creek was unplanned and purely because it was “on my way home,” and yet it managed to win me over in such a way that it became my best and most memorable ski day of the 2016-17 season and one that I’ll not soon forget. Having lived at a mega resort for most of the last 10 years (Heavenly Valley) makes me appreciate ski areas like Pebble even more, and resorts like PC will always be on my ski road trip list going forward, on purpose! I’ll close by repeating the quote I made in my first article about this hidden gem ski area: “Ski areas like Pebble Creek exist for locals to cherish and fortunate travelers to find!”

I’m glad I did, and I hope this little piece has inspired a few others to add it their list, I promise you’ll enjoy it. ~Zack Phelan~ Keep scrolling for stats and pics.