Ski season is here! While Sacramento rarely sees a snowflake, locals are just so lucky to have a perfect spot to go skiing adventure with the family for just a short drive away. And if your little ones love the snow, then finding one of the best family-friendly ski resorts for kids near Sacramento must probably be a priority at this time of year.
Buckle up as we streak through our list of family-friendly ski resorts near Sacramento to help you plan your next adventure. It’s time to book a family ski trip the whole family will enjoy, with plenty to do on and off the slopes!
10244 Soda Springs Rd. Soda Springs, CA 95728
Phone Number: (530) 426–3663
E-mail: info@skisodasprings.com
As one of the longest-running family-friendly ski resorts for kids near Sacramento, California, Soda Springs Mountain Resort is the best place to explore the magic of winter in Tahoe. Snowsports lessons at Planet Kids are for kids who want to stay safe, have fun, and learn basic snowsports skills.
Soda Springs is open Thursday–Monday during the winter months, except for holiday weeks where operations are 7 days per week. Additionally, during peak and holiday periods, rate increases may apply to all products at Soda Springs, including, but not limited to, lift tickets, Mountain Adventure, rental and lesson products, and other promotional offers.
19320 Donner Pass Road, Norden, CA 95724
Phone Number: (530) 426-3635
E-mail: dsrinfo@donnerskiranch.com
Among the oldest and most iconic ski resorts near Sacramento, Donner Ski Ranch is one of the family-friendly ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area that features a wide variety of terrain, inviting skiers and riders of all abilities to enjoy the fully-featured mountain oasis.
With one of the highest base elevations in the Sierras, the resort boasts epic powder. And, with aggressive high-mountain and backside terrain, advanced skiers and riders can escape the crowds and enjoy untouched lines.
Donner Ski School offers a variety of options to help you learn to ski in a fun, no-pressure environment. For parents who opt to teach their children to ski without instruction, they offer a highly affordable way to do so.
You can have an $18 moving carpet-only ticket for all ages, and young child equipment rental (ages 0-5) is just $15, so it’ll cost just $51 for a day of fun for you and your kid.
19749 Boreal Ridge Rd., Soda Springs, CA 95728
Phone Number: (530) 426-3666
E-mail: info@rideboreal.com
Known for its amazing Learn To Ride program, Boreal Mountain Resort is the best skiing resort for kids and the whole family in the Lake Tahoe region to begin your journey on snow or take your skillset to the next level. Build confidence faster with a half or full-day lesson for your kids. Using their patented Woodward progression zones, their experienced Snowsports staff supports the development of essential learning skills for young skiers and riders of all abilities. Lesson programming is developed based on age and level progressions.
Kids will also learn to responsibly explore the diverse terrain that Boreal Mountain Resort and Woodward Tahoe have to offer. Ski season is here! But because of the ongoing pandemic, parents are concerned about the safety of their kids. Is it safe to go to a skiing resort for kids?
One of the oldest family winter traditions is easier than ever at Boreal’s Tahoe Tubing. Equipped with a moving carpet to transport tubers back up the hill and groomed tubing lanes, Tahoe Tubing is the place for giggles galore and pure family fun. Come experience the joys of learning to ski or snowboard over the holidays. Group Lessons include a 90-minute lesson, lift access, and a rentals package!
629 Sugar Bowl Rd., Norden, CA 95724
Phone Number: 530) 426-9000
E-mail: info@sugarbowl.com
Sugar Bowl Resort offers skiers and riders vast and varied options for a day of fun on the slopes. And as the closest major Tahoe resort to Sacramento and the Bay Area, skiers and riders love the convenience and the ability to spend more time on the slopes than on the road. Whether it’s your child’s first time on snow, or you’re interested in their skiing or riding skills, Sugar Bowl’s professional ski and snowboard instructors will help them reach along the way.
Lesson programs focus on skill-building and fun to ensure children’s success while safely enjoying winter sports. Private and group lessons are available for all ability levels. They specialize in children’s skis, provided by quality professional instructors, with an additional focus on safety, fun, and learning. Children’s lessons are offered at both Judah and Village base areas. This is one of the best family-friendly ski resorts near Sacramento.
3860 Saddle Road South Lake, Tahoe, CA 96150
Phone Number: (775) 586-7000
E-mail: info@vailresorts.com
Do you have plans for a skiing adventure with your family this winter? High above the sapphire-blue waters of Lake Tahoe, Heavenly is one of the most unique snowsports resorts on the planet. The choices are endless. With more terrain variety, more hidden glades, and more rippin’ groomers than any Lake Tahoe resort, the whole family will have endless adventures both on and off the mountain.
Explore all of your options and experience Heavenly’s winter activities for kids! Feel the rush of snow tubing without any of the hard work! Their mini tubing hill is over 500 feet long and has a convenient magic carpet to take you and your tube back up to the top.
Even if your kids aren’t skiing or riding, you can still experience one of the greatest views of Lake Tahoe with the Scenic Gondola Ride.
5145 West Lake Blvd., Homewood, CA 96141
Phone Number: (530) 525-2992
E-mail: guestservices@skihomewood.com
Homewood Mountain Resort is among the family-friendly ski resorts near Sacramento that offer kid’s programs teaching the foundations of skiing and snowboarding in a safe, fun-filled environment. Group and private children’s lessons are available daily for children ages 4 through 12 of any ability level.
This is one of the ski resorts for kids near Sacramento, with certified instructors that focus on building good technique in a positive learning environment so that your kids will learn to love the snow and the mountains. One lesson can be all it takes to set your child on the path to a lifetime love of skiing and riding.
1501 Kirkwood Meadows Dr., Kirkwood, CA 95646
Phone Number: (209) 258 – 6000
E-mail: Kirkwoodinfo@vailresorts.com
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is one of the nation’s top year-round family-friendly ski resorts lifestyle destinations. About 35 miles from South Lake Tahoe, Kirkwood is a true mountain resort that provides a fulfilling and diverse on-mountain experience and a unique sense of community. When you visit Kirkwood for the first time and round the bend on HWY 88, where the valley comes into full view, you’ll understand immediately that there’s truly something special about Kirkwood.
Mountain Explorer/Burton Grom Ski and Snowboard Lessons are for kids 5-12 years old. It is located at Timber Creek. Timber Creek is the first base facility you see on the right side after entering Kirkwood.
This lesson drop-off time is from 10:15 to 10:30 AM for morning or full-day lessons or 1:15 to 1:30 PM for afternoon sessions. The 3 to 4-year-old Mini Ripper/Grom Lessons is also located at the Timber Creek Base Area. The lesson drop-off time is from 9:30 to 10:00 AM at the Mini Ripper Entrance to the Timber Creek Children’s Center.
5001 Northstar Drive, Truckee, CA 96160
Phone Number: (530) 562-1010
E-mail: northstarguestsvc@vailresorts.com
The secret to success is to create an environment where children build confidence and skills progressively. This means personalized attention in small groups with world-class instructors, special terrain, and lifts developed just for little learners. Northstar skiing resort for kids has a signature Explorers Program that lets you and your child choose their adventure with an instructor who personally comes to understand their ability and cares about their progress.
Their world-class children’s ski school will turn your child into a lifelong skier, so your family can share the experience of confidently exploring the mountain together. Book three consecutive days of Child Ski Group or Ultimate 4 lessons, and we guarantee your child will be skiing safely and competently, or the fourth lesson is free of charge.
1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, Twin Bridges, CA 95735
Phone Number: (530) 659-7453
E-mail: info@sierraattahoe.com
Sierra’s Snowsports School is a skiing resort for kids that offers a wide range of options for all ages and all ability levels. Learn a new sport, improve your technique, or explore new possibilities. Thanks to its world-class instructors and impressive terrain, learning to ski or ride at Sierra is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can’t be missed. Children’s Lessons are subject to availability.
No winter vacation to Lake Tahoe is complete until you have raced down the tubing hill at Sierra-at-Tahoe in a gigantic doughnut, building snowmen (or snowballs!), or eating smores while warming up with hot chocolate around a fire pit at Blizzard Mountain! With plenty of indoor + outdoor activities for your little ones who aren’t ready to hit the slopes, their licensed childcare center will keep them playing all day. Conveniently located at the mountain’s base, you’ll be able to check in on them between laps.
1960 Squaw Valley Rd, Olympic, Valley, CA 96146
Phone Number: (800) 403-0206
E-mail: info@squawalpine.com
It is a skiing resort for kids, an internationally renowned mountain resort in North Lake Tahoe, California, and the proud host of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games. The resort spans 6,000 skiable acres across two mountains, with stunning views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.
Skiers and riders of all ability levels are welcomed by over 65 percent beginner and intermediate terrain, while legendary steeps, towering cliffs, and heart-pumping chutes continue to be ground zero for boundary-breaking skiing and riding.
Squaw Valley’s SnoVentures Activity Zone, located in the base area, offers mini snowmobiles for kids. Kids ages 6 and up can strap on a helmet and ride a snowmobile that is just their size around the SnoVentures mini snowmobile course.
Snow tubing is also a fun mountain adventure for the whole family. It is also located at SnoVentures Activity Zone in the base area of Squaw Valley adjacent to the parking lot. Play in the snow, bond with family and friends, then warm up at the SnoVentures Lodge adjacent to the snow play fun.
2280 State Route 207, PO BOX 5038, Bear Valley, CA 95223
Phone Number: (209) 753-2301
E-mail: fun@bearvalley.com
Bear Valley Mountain and Village is a premier skiing resort for kids and a lodging destination in the Central Sierra. Conveniently located on National Scenic Byway Highway 4 within Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range and surrounded by two of California’s largest federally designated wilderness areas, outdoor activities in Bear Valley are abundant.
Bear Valley offers private lessons for kids three years old and up. Take advantage of one-on-one training with a professional instructor to hone your little one’s skills and improve your experience on the slopes! Private lessons with a professional instructor can be booked hourly daily for skiers and snowboarders. If you have a 5th grader with a “C” grade average or equivalent, they can ride for free EVERY WEEKEND starting January 6th!
22222 Mount Rose Hwy, Reno, Nevada
Phone Number: (775) 849-0704
E-mail: deepsnow@skirose.com
It’s no surprise kids love skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Rose. That’s because there’s so much for them to do! Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe offers multi-session lessons for children. Parents who want to see their kids learn and appreciate the outdoors and the value of winter sports should definitely consider enrolling in one of their Kidz@Rose programs.
It’s among the best family-friendly ski resorts for kids near Sacramento and knows the importance of creating the next generation of passionate outdoor enthusiasts. That’s why they offer multiple date options, affordable rates, smaller class sizes for more individualized instruction, and grouping young skiers and boarders with others of their own age and ability.
4500 Ski Park Hwy., McCloud, CA 96057
Phone Number: (530) 926-8610
E-mail: thinksnow@skipark.com
Mount Shasta Ski Park in California is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. It is located in Northern California, 295 miles north of San Francisco and 100 miles south of Medford, Oregon. The nearest town is Redding, California, which is 65 miles south of the ski park. Guests are drawn to the resort because it is newer than most. It was built in 1985, making it the newest ski park in California.
They offer different packages for kids, such as Coyote Kids Intro Package full-day and half-day ski lessons with levels 1 to 3. This is designed for first-timers and beginner skiers ages 5-9. It includes two lessons, ski rentals, and a Surface lift ticket. They also offer Kids Ski Lesson Only (half-day) for levels 1 to 3. Guests with their own gear and don’t need a full package are more than welcome to opt for Just a Lesson. Lessons are available for beginner to intermediate riders, ages 5-9.
1 Dodge Ridge Rd., Pine Crest, CA 95364
Phone Number: (209) 965-3474
E-mail: info@dodgeridge.com
Since its opening season in 1950, Dodge Ridge Resort has remained a family-owned resort with values that celebrate the skiers and riders who have started a life-long love of the sport. Offering 862 skiable acres, 67 runs, and 1,600 vertical feet, they’ve become known for their all-mountain powder days.
It’s one of the few ski resorts for kids near Sacramento that has been teaching kids as young as 2 years old. For nearly 70 years, they’ve been developing skiers and riders through the use of cutting-edge snowsports programs that guide children in a natural progression from beginner to expert.
11603 Snowpeak Way, Truckee, CA 96161
Phone Number: (530) 587-9444
E-mail: skireservations@tahoedonner.com
Tahoe Donner is a vibrant mountain community with a passion for outdoor recreation and a celebration of the Tahoe lifestyle. Located in Truckee, California, the Tahoe Donner Association manages a broad range of year-round recreational amenities, some for members only and others open to the general public, including an award-winning championship golf course, a family-friendly downhill ski area, and a renowned cross-country ski area with a newly constructed, state-of-the-art base lodge.
Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort has provided families a unique and affordable ski experience. They are committed to being “the best place to begin” and offer ski instruction for children as young as three years old, interchangeable lift tickets for parents with non-skiing children, retail outlets, and a kid-friendly menu in the cafeteria. Wide-open bowls, uncrowded slopes, gentle beginner terrain, excellent grooming, and a friendly, courteous staff await you.
The best ski resorts for kids near Sacramento offer entertainment for everyone — from beginners to the most expert skiers. They recognize the importance of catering to families by providing learning facilities for fun activities and helping kids improve their skills and enjoy their time on and off the slopes. This awesome skiing resort for kids has covered your winter vacation from daycare to the ski school and delightfully short transfers to rentals.
Sacramento offers so many opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources, or browse through our things to do in Sacramento with kids.
Still looking for more winter activities for Kids in Sacramento? No problem! Check out our comprehensive listing of places to go in the region and our highly recommended seasonal blog posts.
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