Iconic shuttered LA ski hill back on the market after private club plans fail

LA’s beleaguered hometown ski hill is hunting for a new owner.Two years after plans emerged to transform historic Mount Waterman in the San Gabriel Mountains into a private members-only club, the iconic site is back on the market — and actively seeking a new buyer.After years of battling a slew of difficulties largely centered around the whims of Mother Nature, Angeles Mountain Partners LLC announced in late 2024 that they had bought the mountain, which opened in 1939, and were going to overhaul the popular getaway destination, which sits on federally-controlled land, promising “more powder, less people.” The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The company even advertised membership into the elite “Waterman 100” — which would grant you “a lifetime of exclusive access to this iconic mountain.”The only problem was that Mountain Partners never closed escrow on the property, listing agent Marc Ramirez revealed to SFGATE.“They went ahead and were a little gung-ho and did a marketing plan before it closed escrow,” Ramirez told the outlet.“Good old Mount Waterman is listed for sale again,” he said.Just 60 miles from Los Angeles in Pearblossom, Mount Waterman emerged as a ski destination at the tail end of the Great Depression.

The resort was owned by the same family from 1939 until the 90s.After closing for the majority of the 2000s, it briefly reopened in 2008 after being purchased by Rick Metcalf — only to close again the following year.

Metcalf died in a roadside accident in 2025, near Adelanto, when he was reportedly hit by a passing car on Highway 395, according to officials at the time.That tragic death, the wildfires that same year and struggles dealing with the U.S.Forest Service all contributed to Waterman’s languishing on the ma...