Whether you are looking for ski-in/ski-out arrangements, a village or town setting, or even lakeside accommodations there are plenty of family friendly places to choose from.
Staying anywhere around the north end of Lake Tahoe you will be literally surrounded by several world class mountains and a few smaller more local ski areas. Large or small, all the ski areas around Lake Tahoe offer friendly service, well maintained dining and day-skier centers, and ski schools.
North Lake Tahoe - Ski-in/Ski-out or Ski Safari
Depending where I am planning to visit for a ski vacation, I usually plan to either hunker down and nest at a ski area with a lot of varied terrain or I plan to stay in the general vicinity with daily commutes to the slopes.
Choosing the North Lake Tahoe area as a family ski destination gives a choice of accommodations, ski-in/ski-out, or within an easy commute/shuttle to the slopes. North Lake Tahoe offers a selection of lodging accommodations and on and off slope dining establishments to fit all budgets.
1960 Winter Olympics
In 1960, the Squaw Valley Olympic Winter Games welcomed the world to the beauty and skiing of North Lake Tahoe. In the years since then Squaw Valley USA and the surrounding ski areas have garnished international acclaim.
Also, over those many winters and summers North Lake Tahoe has developed into a friendly, easy going community where vacationers feel at home. In fact, when you talk to the residents you find many were visitors who liked the skiing and summer so much they just stayed.
Ski-in/Ski-out at Squaw Valley USA
Squaw Valley USA is the center of the North Lake Tahoe ski world - both geographically and on the world class ski scene. So, staying at Squaw Valley puts you a chairlift or tram away from some of the most respected ski terrain in the world.
The Resort at Squaw Creek
With this in mind I stayed at the Resort at Squaw Creek, close to Squaw Valley Village, by ski or by shuttle. The Resort at Squaw Creek is a standalone resort that you can call home for your entire stay. Shop, dine, swim, snowshoe, cross country ski, try dog sleds and horse sleighs and ski Squaw from your personal chairlift. Plus, they can arrange for shuttles to the other nearby resorts.
As I said Squaw Valley USA is famous for its expert terrain but be assured it is just as popular for all the intermediate and novice terrain and its ski school programs. Believe me - 4000 acres fits the whole family from Squaw Kids to Squallywood.
Skiing Around North Lake Tahoe
No matter if you nest at Resort at Squaw Creek, in Squaw Village, at another ski resort or in one of the nearby towns and lakefront facilities you can ski quite a few areas with just a little commute.
If you, like me, grew up in an area where skiing day commutes of 1.5 to 2.5 hours are the norm, then skiing around North Lake Tahoe is a breeze.
Alpine Meadows Mountain Resort
Alpine Meadows sits shoulder to shoulder with Squaw Valley and is a family friendly, laid back resort with a lot of what Squaw has, just in a smaller package. This trip was my first skiing Alpine Meadows (photos) and it struck me as a Squaw with the cork still in the bottle, the world class skiing is there but just not shouted about too loudly.
There's a great dining area with families pulling up tables like a clan picnic with everybody welcome. During the busy lunch hour we were offered seats at more than one family table.
I mentioned family friendly - Alpine Meadows offers the flaik GPS system for kid's programs - and for general rental. Most importantly, for parent's peace of mind, flaik GPS is a safety first and fun added feature that gives a lot respect (and thanks) to any of the resorts that offer it.
Alpine Meadows is right off Highway 89, down the road from Squaw Valley USA and up the road from Tahoe City you can't miss the turn - and don't miss out on the skiing.
Northstar-At-Tahoe
Another popular resort, Northstar-At-Tahoe has a brand new Ritz-Carleton nestled among the trails. The Ritz not only has a chairlift on site, but also a gondola for access down the Village at Northstar and up for dinner at Manzanita, the Ritz's signature restaurant.
Besides the great skiing that keeps Northstar-At-Tahoe (photos) very high on Best Skiing lists plan to enjoy some time in the Village at Northstar. If you are not staying at Northstar make a special trip to catch the shops, the dining, the skating and the friendly fire pits.
When I was at Northstar-At Tahoe I met quite a few "commuters" from the Sacramento and Bay area. Now, that's brand loyalty.
Skiing Sugar Bowl
Up Donner Pass Road atop majestic Donner Summit - yes, you know the story - sits Sugar Bowl ski area (photos). With the most annual snowfall in North Lake Tahoe you'll not only find the expected Sierra steeps, cruisers and glades but also an open boundary policy with guided backcountry touring available.
The Lodge at Sugar Bowl is a classic high-alpine lodge offering slope side accommodations and underground parking. It's a quick 9 miles from Truckee on Donner Pass Road or if road conditions warrant 3 miles off I80.
Daron Rahlves calls Sugar Bowl his home area, even if you don't see Daron you'll love the skiing as easy or as challenging as you like, not a lot of hype but a lot of good skiers.
A Family Ski Destination Week - or More
I mentioned just a few resorts - Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows, Northstar-At-Tahoe and Sugar Bowl. However, you can extend your stay and take in Diamond Peak, Homewood, Boreal and Mt. Rose over in Nevada.
That's not to mention that staying in North Lake Tahoe you are less than a scenic hour drive from world class Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary amenities and lift tickets for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
