Northstar at Tahoe Ski Area

Need a break from the monotony of everyday life? Head for the hills and enjoy a mountain like no other - Northstar-at-Tahoe. One of the largest resorts in Lake Tahoe, Northstar offers 2,420-acres of ski and snowboard terrain and a vertical drop of 2,280 feet. Seventy-three runs and 16 chairlifts access a variety of terrain for all skiers and snowboarders. Northstar also offers world-class freestyle terrain, childcare, accommodations, restaurants, ski/snowboard lessons, snowshoeing, snowbikes and 50-kilomoters of Nordic trails.

Terrain

Northstar-at-Tahoe's Lookout Mountain, which opened four years ago, features the resort's steepest terrain. Check out Boca or Stampede for a steep, single fall line pitch where speed is a given, not an option. The Rapids off Northstar's Backside lift offers over one mile of consistent moguls, long enough to test the legs of even the most well-conditioned skiers and riders. Tree skiing, especially on powder days, is a Northstar trademark. The resort's entire Backside, as well as anywhere between Martis and Boca on the Lookout chair, is a play land of well-spaced, medium pitched tree runs.

Running the length of the resort's eastern boundary, Logger's Loop is a wide, medium pitched cruiser that winds down the front of the mountain. Before you begin your descent, be sure to stop and admire the postcard-worthy views of Lake Tahoe. The resort's West Ridge is the most popular blue cruiser with amazing views of the Martis Valley and plenty of runs off the side to choose from decent after decent.

For those just starting out, Northstar offers great beginner trails including Village Run with gondola access so guests don't have to get on or off a chairlift until they're comfortable. Those wanting that extra chairlift thrill can ride Arrow Express up and cruise Main Street down enjoying the wide, gentle terrain.

Northstar's runs are broken down into 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced. Backcountry access is allowed off the Backside and Sawtooth Ridge.

There's a reason why Northstar keeps receiving top honors for their parks and pipes. From Transworld Snowboarding's #9 best pipe ranking in the 2006 resort guide to ranking #1 for best park in the January 2005 issue of City Sports Magazine's Best of the Bay, Northstar's dedicated park crew works hard to get the job done and ensure every feature is built and maintained with extra care and attention. With help from master terrain park designers Chris "Gunny" Gunnarson and Josh Chauvet of Snow Park Technologies, Northstar's park staff has what it takes to build six parks, each with an amazing variety of jumps, hips, rails, boxes, a Halfpipe, and the 420-foot superpipe.

In an effort to make the resort experience more hassle free than ever before, Northstar introduces new services such as valet parking and a Village Concierge, while keeping in place old ones that have worked well in the past like Wi-Fi Internet access, ski check, season lockers, multi-day lift ticket options, on-site shuttle service and early ski and snowboard rental check out. The resort has also acquired new shuttles for transporting guests from the parking lot to the convenient drop-off zones located in front of the new Village, making the journey from the car to the mountain a little bit easier.

Off-slope Fun

Guests looking for variety in their vacations have come to the right place as Northstar-at-Tahoe offers a myriad of alternate ways to slide, glide and coast through winter. The resort's Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Center, located at mid-mountain near the Ski and Snowboard School, offers top-of-the-line rental equipment and lessons. Northstar's 50 kilometers of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails are a perfect way to experience serenity. Telemark lessons and rentals are also available. The Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Center also offers a host of fun activities including Full Moon Snowshoe Tours, the Sawmill 15K Cross-Country Race and Telemark Clinics.

For those who love sledding minus the walk to the top of the hill, Northstar offers a lift accessed tubing hill where guests can relax and enjoy the ride. Perfect for families, tubing is available to all ages. New this season, Northstar will offer FREE ice-skating in the new Village along with FREE skate rentals for all those in need of a spin.

Inside Line

Located just six miles from the north shore of Lake Tahoe and seven miles from Downtown Truckee, guests get the best of both worlds at Northstar-at-Tahoe. Getting to Northstar is easy! Northstar is located about 30 minutes from Reno and roughly 3 hours from the Bay area. During the winter, there are shuttle services available from Reno or South Lake Tahoe. If you're coming from an area outside of Northern California, Northstar is accessible by any of four major airports.