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Skiing & Snowboarding

Local's Guide to Family-Friendly Ski Resorts in Lake Tahoe

Amber DiBello

Amber DiBello

Hello! My name is Amber DiBello and I am a mountain mama of 2 kids and 2 dogs in Reno Nevada. We live in the snowy community of Sky Tavern at 8000’ elevation.


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Throughout the years and stages of motherhood, I have had the privilege of visiting every ski resort and most of the popular lodging options in Lake Tahoe via staycations - each one has a special attribute that made it memorable and perfect for our family.

Best “All Inclusive”, Most Affordable Ski In/Out packages

Granlibakken Tahoe. 5/5 stars. 100% would stay again. My top rating goes to Granlibakken because it’s a combined lodging and ski resort. Packages include use of the tow rope for beginners and a T-bar for more advanced skiers, as well as a sledding hill and multiple cross-country ski/snowshoe trails. Other amenities include kid-friendly hot tubs, on-site lessons, plenty of space for snowman-building, my personal best-rated ski lodge lunch spot, and a phenomenal restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

When we visited I was in my third trimester of pregnancy with my second child. It was easy to walk to everywhere we needed but it was also close to drive to another popular destination: Emerald Bay and Sunnyside Restaurant.


Best Ikon Pass Connected Family Resort

Everline x Palisades Tahoe. We stayed in the summer but found ourselves eyeing the Everline chairlift. If your family holds the Ikon pass and can tackle chair lifts and more challenging terrain, or doesn’t mind the quick drive to Palisades Village parking - this is for you.

The resort has ample activities that the kids will love! During our stay, we experienced the year-round outdoor heated pool, indoor bounce house, movie theater, and game room. Other resort amenities include on-site rentals, a private ice skating rink, snow-cat stargazing tours, and fat tire biking.

Palisades Tahoe also gets my vote for “best of late season” as it tends to stay open late into the season. We have skied their sister mountain, Alpine, twice now on the 4th of July — once being with our then 3-year-old and it was an experience I’ll never forget!


Best Ski Lessons in Lake Tahoe for a Toddler

Diamond Peak Ski Resort x Hyatt Regency. This ski resort had by far the easiest beginner bunny hill chairlift for my daughter when she was two and three, but note that the magic carpet is only available if you purchase lessons. Most noteworthy is that kids 6 and under ski for FREE here and can get a complimentary season pass.

The lesson center featured a hot chocolate corner and Disney movies to help first-timers relax. They also offer rentals for those who need them, including a combo helmet and goggles that got my daughter to put on her gear with ease. Our instructor had a master’s in early childhood development, and it was amazing to see how she confidently guided my daughter through this new skill.

I’ll also mention that this was the first resort I felt comfortable skiing every chairlift at as a lifelong snowboarder who only picked up skiing in my thirties for my kids. Diamond Peak Ski Resort is also the only place that allows parents to buy a single “ride share” pass as they swap childcare duties. Pretty cool if you need a break and you both want to get in your turns.

Other noteworthy highlights:

  • This resort also has a ski patrol dog who doubles as a mascot. My daughter loved him — I mean, who wouldn’t?
  • You’ll also find a cafeteria with healthy options, which can be hard to find on the mountains!
  • There’s great stroller access to restrooms and convenient parking.

Hyatt Regency is by far the most kid-friendly resort-connected lodging in Nevada. The outdoor heated pools, indoor and outdoor programs for children, nighttime s’mores station, and unbeatable lake-front views and walking paths made it feel like we were at a Disney resort! Be sure to check out the Italian restaurant and steak house — my picky eater daughter has never eaten so much food!

Best Skiing for Pregnancy and New Moms

Nevada Nordic x Basecamp Hotel. Located between Reno and Incline Village in Tahoe Meadows, this is where the DiBello family (pups included!) go for cross-country skiing. This proved to be a great way for me to get my legs moving, whether I was in my third trimester or with a 6-month-old baby. (Of course, always make sure to discuss your skiing plans with your doctor at every stage.) These groomed trails don’t have any amenities but are free to the public and pulk sled-friendly (think Thule chariot or Kinder shuttle which are available for rental at nearby Tahoe Multisport).

If you’re looking to beat getting nap-trapped, strap on cross-country skis, backcountry skis with skins, or even snowshoes and head out to the trails with everything you need. Don’t forget to build a plan to pack it all back out. Classic cross-country is a skill I picked up as a 30-something snowboard mom and actually obtained a season rental for my three-year-old last year, who picked it up pretty quickly with us pretending the classic tracks were railroad tracks. This is also the location of the famous Chickadee Ridge, a true winter wonderland experience for kids who get to feed these magical birds right from their palms.

Best Priced Season Pass and Lesson Packages for 4-Year Old

Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. Ah, my home mountain and where I’ve been a season pass holder (with off-and-on Epic and Ikon passes) for the last five years. This is also the closest ski resort to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which is likely why they offer a day price deal if you show your same-day plane ticket!

The mountain has a mix of beginner progression terrain, including one magic carpet and two bunny hill lifts to keep things interesting for parents. Want to kick it up a notch? Try the steepest terrain in Tahoe, lovingly referred to as The Chutes.

The resort also offers ski-down parking and two huge parking lots that give you that front-row feel no matter where you park. If parents want to get some kid-free laps in and have kids ages four and up, Rosebuds Ski School is a great option. Choose from a half- or whole-day timeslot.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe is extra exciting during the holidays with these fun activities:

  • The Santa Ski, where kids strive to find as many people dressed in Santa costumes as they can
  • New Years fireworks
  • An Easter Egg hunt on “ski-Easter”

Best Multi-Week Program for Kids

Sky Tavern. Planning to stay in Reno for several weekends during winter? Consider a longer term program package, such as the one Sky Tavern offers. They are a co-op mountain, meaning adults with kids in the program get heavily discounted passes as well.

This is where many locals learned to ski or snowboard (commonly both!) in the area. Want to know the most interesting part? The entire mountain is actually a City of Reno property dedicated to children’s learning — you can’t ski there unless you have a child in the program! So, for any beginners who would benefit from 100% of employees being great with kids, now you know where to go.


Best Luxury Ski Trip

Northstar x Ritz Carlton. This is my go-to pick for best lessons for kids under 4 years old, as it has a more accessible gondola for littles!

Northstar is a really popular place to learn with great lake views (including a summit champagne bar) and the best family-friendly aprés ski village. The village has just about every store you could want, an iconic ice rink, nighttime s’mores around fire pits, and amazing restaurants.

While there are several options for lodging in the Northstar Village, I’ve most enjoyed my experience at the Ritz Carlton during New Year’s Eve. Inside there was magic everywhere, from music to balloon art and face painting for the kids. There were great amenities outside as well, including the heated pool and outdoor fire pit options with food and drink service. We watched as older kids utilized the resort-specific gondola and ski-in/ski-out trail access while we enjoyed one of the best meals I have had in all of Tahoe.


Other Ski Resort & Lodging Options

Here are some other great resort and lodging pairings based on my experience on these mountains. Note, I have only visited without my kids:

  • Heavenly Lake Tahoe x Coachman - Bring your four-legged friends along for an adventure! This resort and lodging duo is incredibly dog-friendly, and you can admire epic lake views while you’re skiing down more advanced terrain.
  • Kirkwood x Desolation Hotel - Get away from the crowds and try something different. This resort and lodging pair is the farthest destination from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and you’d need winter driving skills and a serious 4WD vehicle to get there. But, once you do, the terrain definitely makes up for the travel time. Explore the chutes, backcountry, and expert-level trails.


Beyond Skiing: Exploring Greater Reno Area with the Fam

One thing about ski resorts in Lake Tahoe is the lifts close at 4 p.m. daily and on occasion earlier when the storm conditions that bring our infamous powder cause wind holds - but the fun does not have to end with the close proximity to family-friendly activities. Some of our favorite aprés-ski family time includes:


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