Ski Northern California nearest Bay Area!

Updated for the 2024-25 ski season.

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.

If I missed one, please email me with the URL if you have it.

Ski Clubs

Blue Angels
Next session: Winter 2025. The Blue Angels are offering our youth a ski and snowboard program. The Blue Angels ski program offers 5 Saturday ski trips to Sierra-at-Tahoe for ages 7 to 16, all ability levels. Nearest bus pickup is in Danville at 5:30am.

Ski Reports

Sierra Nevada Snow Report
Includes webcams, powder alert, opening dates, and snow forecast, and more.

Ski Lake Tahoe Ski Reports
Get the snow and weather reports for all Tahoe ski areas right here, as well as ideas for other things to do in the area.

Tahoe Weather Forecast
Check the snow and rain and for just plain “great” conditions for skiing here. 10-day forecast.

Ski Resorts

North Lake Tahoe
Some open by Thanksgiving, but with few lifts running. Check lift status.

Diamond Peak
Closed. Planned opening December 12, 2024. 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. Community-owned, fiercely independent and community-driven – those are the key differentiating factors that make Diamond Peak distinct in the crowded Lake Tahoe ski resort scene. Check Facebook and Twitter for announcements.

Donner Ski Ranch
Closed. Planned opening December 21, 2024. Check for opening of weekdays later. Webcams currently showing level of snow. Please check our Facebook page for the most up-to-date info on our operations or call (530) 426-3635. 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 Playfor you and your family. Lift status. Please call (530) 426-3635 for the most up-to-date Chair Lift Operation Status.

Homewood Mountain Resort
Closed: Planned opening December 5, 2024.  Check lift status. 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
27% Opened Friday, November 22, 2024. But Chutes are closed. 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
8% Open. Great early season conditions continue with the newest storm. Passes go on sale December 2. Say tuned to Lift and Terrain status for the most up to date info! Mountain Cam. Check for lift status. Check Facebook. Lake Tahoe’s premier year-round resort offering 2,420 acres of skiing and snowboarding. Open for golf in warm months.

Palisades Tahoe
1% Open.More snow on the way! Snowfall totals for Monday – Tuesday, using the latest averages, could be around 4-8 inches at the base, 8-12 inches near mid-mountain, and 12-16 inches up top by Tuesday night. Check Facebook. Ready to start Trip Planning now?

Royal Gorge Cross-Country Ski Resort
Opening day, Thursday, November 28, 2024. Check for trail conditions. North America’s largest cross country skiing resort, located near Lake Tahoe California. North America’s largest XC resort, Royal Gorge offers 6 distinct trail systems featuring 8 different warming huts across 6,000 acres, seamlessly integrated with the Village at Sugar Bowl. Not just cross country, but also skate skiing, snow shoeing, dog trails, and beginner trails for small children.

Sugar Bowl
22% of Ski runs open now. Sugar Rush tubing opened now. Check Facebook for ski conditions and job openings. 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 Current conditions. It is located before Truckee. Here’s how to get there.

Achieve Tahoe, formerly Disabled Sports USA Far West
Open. Located within Palisades Tahoe. Achieve 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. Miniature horses are not permitted on lifts, just incase you needed to know this.

South Lake Tahoe

Heavenly
4% Open. Check Facebook. As of Nov. 22, 2024: “Canyon Express + Ridge Run = back in business.” 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
Opening day December 6, 2024. Dec. 2 is your last chance to grab a pass and join us for the season—buy yours today. Check Facebook. “We have received 46 inches of snow throughout this storm!! This means there is LOTS of avalanche mitigation work to still do across our mountain. Uphill access is closed and it is extremely important that no one travels uphill in our inbound ski area. Always call the Uphill Access Hotline before heading out: 209-258-7444” Get a group-rated season pass. 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
Target opening day: Friday November 29, 2024. Start the season off on the right foot with a ski or snowboard lesson at Sierra! Known as the place to learn, whether you’re looking to get into the sport for the first time, book a private family lesson, or get your winter legs back with a 1:1 sesh, we offer lessons for any and all ages! Check Facebook. Downhill skiing and snowboarding resort. Family-friendly. Check for conditions.

Soda Springs
Opens November 29, 2024. Check Facebook. Soda Springs operating schedule. Open from 10am – 4pm. Families can take the kids snow tubing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowshoeing, all on one lift ticket. Home to one of California’s first snow tubing areas. Located just off I-80 at Donner Summit.

Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area
Open…We are OPEN today for season pass holders, day tickets, retail, rentals, lessons. Cafe amenities are open weekend only, and we have nutrition bars, snacks and cookies daily. Stay tuned to this page for updates. Rentals available. Check Facebook. Day lodge. Welcomes dogs on 7.5 kilometers of trail weekdays and Sunday afternoons that aren’t holidays.

Truckee North

Boreal/Woodward
Opened Friday, November 22, 2024.
Shred on the Woodward Tahoe glacier. Check Facebook. Lifts and trails status and view web cam. Nearest ski resort, located in Truckee just off I-80. Has children’s and adult lessons. Has night skiing, freestyle, snowboarding, sledding areas. Group ski packages

Plumas Ski Club
Open when club members want to ski. 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. Depends on volunteers to open.

Yosemite South

Badger Pass – Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area
Open December 13, 2024 – March 31, 2025. Check the Yosemite Park Facebook. 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. Please call the Snow Phone at 209.372.1000 for conditions, weather and ski area information.

Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort
Snow Valley opens Friday, November 29, 2024. Check Facebook. 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. Have you ever ridden a snow bike or snow skate?

Dodge Ridge Skiing and Snowboarding
Opens for holiday events Friday, November 29, 2024. Check Facebook. Near Emigrant Gap, so closest snow to south Bay Area. Dodge Ridge is the Bay Area and Central Valley’s closest snow to home for skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and snow play. With 1,600 vertical feet and 800+ acres of skiable terrain, Dodge Ridge is your families next winter destination. 

June Mountain Ski Area
Closed. May open closer to Christmas. Kids ski and ride free though some blackout dates apply. Live cams. Explore June’s terrain using this interactive trail map.

Mammoth
21% Open. Blizzard conditions have been absolutely all-time these last few days. Check Facebook. Hours of Operation. They offer snowmobiling, x-country, skiing, snowboarding and a sports school.