Some Resorts are now open. Recent November 2012 storms have brought plenty of snow to the higher elevations of the Sierra Mountains!
Lower elevations may have enough snow for snowshoeing or sledding on a casual basis over Veterans' Day weekend.
No, it doesn't often snow in Milpitas, and never enough to
ski, but many love to head to the Northern California slopes near Truckee, Lake Tahoe
and Yosemite. Here's our favorite nearby ski areas within about
a 4-hour drive of Silicon Valley or San Francisco.
North Lake Tahoe
Alpine Meadows
December 7: Scheduled Opening Day. Located near Tahoe City, this luxury resort offers corporate lift tickets.
Diamond Peak
December 13: Scheduled Opening Day. At Incline Village (Upscale area) on the Nevada side of Tahoe. Guaranteed ski conditions
or your money back. 30 runs, even dog passes for $3.
Donner Ski Ranch
Recent rain washed away snow. Probably reopening in December. If you are searching for a simpler, more relaxed ski & snowboard experience, a resort
that offers everything the major resorts do, without the hassles
and expense, Donner Ski Ranch is the resort for you and your
family. Lifts Open.
Homewood Mountain Resort
December 14: Scheduled Opening Day. Stellar views and kids 10 and under ski free (with the purchase
of an adult ticket). On Tahoe's west shore. Home of the 2000
Snowboard Junior Olympics.
Mt. Rose
The highest base elevation in the Lake Tahoe area. Shuttle available
from Reno airport: 25 minutes from Reno. Special feature is the
"Adaptive Ski School" open to individuals of all types
of abilities to learn or improve skiing skills. Package includes
adaptive equipment and lift ticket.
Northstar-At-Tahoe
November 16: Scheduled Opening Day. Lake Tahoe's premier year-round resort offering 2,420 acres of skiing and snowboarding. Open for golf in warm months.
Squaw Valley
November 21: Scheduled Opening Day. Check the Squaw webcam.
Ready to start Trip Planning now?
Royal Gorge Cross-Country Ski Resort
Under new ownership for 2012-2013 and onward. North America's largest cross country skiing resort, located
near Lake Tahoe California, 320km of cross country skiing on
90 cross country skiing trails.
Sugar Bowl
Reopening December 1-2: Scheduled Opening Weekend. Season pass for children 5 and under includes free rentals and two 3-hour lessons. The new quad lift is a few steps off the deck of the classic Village Lodge. Check the Lifts Open Report.
It is located before Truckee. Here's how
to get there.
Tahoe Adaptive Ski Schools
Located at Alpine Meadows and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in Lake Tahoe, California, provides
instruction and adaptive equipment for hundreds of students each
winter. Our experienced instructors and highly trained volunteers
make skiing possible for anyone with a disability.
South Lake Tahoe
South
Lake Tahoe Hotel Reservations
Heavenly
November 16: Scheduled Opening Day. Choose your own adventure at Heavenly! A mountain so big it has
to be seen to be believed. And even then you won't believe it.
Diverse terrain.
Kirkwood
November 21: Scheduled Opening Day.Get a group-rated season pass.. Use Group name: gomilpitas and password kirkwood. Get option to buy discounted "buddy tickets." Claims to have the deepest snow in north America. Noted for its
fine alpine cross country skiing. From The San Francisco Bay:
Use Interstate 580, State Route 205 to Interstate 5 North, Route
4 East to Route 99 North, and Route 88 East (3.25 hrs.)
Sierra-At-Tahoe
Downhill skiing and snowboarding resort. Family-friendly. Check
for conditions.
Soda Springs
Soda Springs is open Thursday - Monday for Tubing, Skiing, Snowboarding and Planet Kids. Open from 10am - 4pm. Families can take the kids snow tubing, skiing, snowboarding,
sledding and snowshoeing, all on one lift ticket. Has a moving
carpet ski lesson for shy or young children and a parent.
Home to one of California's first snow
tubing areas. Located just off I-80 at Donner Summit.
Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area
Day lodge. Welcomes dogs on 7.5 kilometers of trail weekdays
and Sunday afternoons that aren't holidays.
Truckee North
Boreal
Open as of November 10. Check conditions and view web cam. Nearest ski resort, located in Truckee just off I-80.
Has night skiing, freestyle, snowboarding, sledding areas. Interested
in group
ski packages? Sign up for Boreal's iRIDE rewards card today.
Plumas Ski Club
Come try skiing on brand new 12-16 foot long board skis just
like the old time ski races of the 1860's. Holds long board ski races in January. Near the Eureka Gold
Mine in the historic ghost town of Johnsville, California, and
the top resorts in Graeagle,
north of Truckee about 40 miles. Noted for longboard skiing. [Guide's note: I learned to
ski here!]
Yosemite South
Badger Pass
Stay in lovely Yosemite and shuttle to the ski resort. Whether
it's a day of downhill skiing at Badger Pass or ice skating against
the backdrop of Half Dome at alpenglow, the memories of winter
in Yosemite will last a lifetime.
Bear Mountain Ski Resort
Open as of November 12. This new interactive site has been designed to bring the scene
at Bear Mountain into the homes of snowboarders and skiers across
Southern California and the world. Daily action photos, weekly
video clips, live cams, the BS forum, live weather and current
news.
Dodge Ridge Skiing and Snowboarding
Near Emigrant Gap, so closest snow to south Bay Area. Take the
easy drive up Hwy. 108 for the Closest Snow to Home. Look for
our new Half Pipe located on Center Bowl. 300 ft long and 13
ft high and cut by the new Zaugg cutter.
Mammoth
Open as of November 10. They offer snowmobiling, x-country, skiing, snowboarding and
a sports school.
