Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl presents skiers and snowboarders with four picturesque mountain peaks, classic bowls and 500 inches of featherlight snow per year as fine as pure sugar!

In 1938, Walt Disney was among the visionaries who helped pick this perfect ski resort location near Donner Summit. Since they were the first to choose, they naturally chose the best site in Lake Tahoe. A spot graced with precipitous peaks, steep narrow chutes and wide-open bowls. A spot that receives more snow than almost anywhere in North America.

Sugar Bowl became the home of the first chairlift in California and the first gondola in the country. The cherished Magic Carpet Gondola still moves guests through snow-draped pines from their cars to a reclusive winter haven. The same man who brought the Matterhorn to Southern California outdid himself with a grander, truer Alpine experience in the Sierras -- one with lots more fun and tons more snow!

During the 1940's and 1950's, Sugar Bowl became a popular mountain hideaway for the Hollywood jet set. Since then, Sugar Bowl has successfully melded wilderness and technology to maintain its quiet popularity. The resort has preserved the snow-mantled peaks, the inspired terrain and the challenging runs while seamlessly integrating faster lifts up the slopes, modern lodge facilities with trendy foods and drinks and high performance equipment rentals.

The base elevation is 6,883 feet and the summit elevations is 8,383 feet making for a vertical drop of 1,500 feet. Of the 15,00 skiable acres, 675 are groomed. Thirteen lifts transport skiers and boarders to 84 trails spanning four mountain peaks. The varied terrain is rated 17% beginner, 45% intermediate and 38% advanced. The longest run is three miles.

Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Disney, Crows Peak and Mt. Judah offer skiers and snowboarders awesome views and every type of terrain, including lots of fun runs for beginners. Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Disney and Crows Peak offer some of the most challenging terrain around and Mt. Judah is a snowboarder's paradise with terrain parks and halfpipes.

Sugar Bowl is steeped in racing tradition and perhaps best known for The Silver Belt Classic, a world-class race that attracted Olympic caliber skiers. Silver Belt may still be Sugar Bowl's defining run. This long, nearly halfpipe-shaped run demands a lot of short radius turns and a few hundred feet of vertical courage.

Main Mountain Trail Map

Activities 

For more information about activities at Alpine Meadows, see our directory or visit Sugar Bowl . 

Snowboarding

At Sugar Bowl, it is open mountain for snowboarders. For riders who like freestyling in terrain parks, there are several mountain parks on Mt. Judah to explore. The intermediate level terrain park is Golden Gate Park, the black diamond rated terrain park is The Haight and there is also a halfpipe cut frequently by a state-of-the-art "Scorpion" pipe groomer.

Sugar Bowl offers enough varied terrain to satisfy and challenge any boarder's skill level. In fact, Sugar Bowl's terrain parks are the training grounds for the Santa Cruz Snowboard Team.

This season, visit Sugar Bowl and discover the sweetest skiing and boarding in the Sierra!

High-Speed Quad On Mt. Disney

To help celebrate Sugar Bowl's 60th Anniversary, the Disney lift was replaced with a new CTEC Garaventa high-speed detachable quad chair. Although the original Disney lift had been rebuilt a number of times, the new quad makes quite a change. Guests no longer need to hike from the Village Lodge up to the Disney lift, but can load directly off of the lodge deck. The new lift climbs to the true Summit of Disney, making the East Face of Disney accessible to all.

Quad Chair And Beginner Area

In addition to the Disney Quad, a new beginner quad chair was built at the base of Mt. Judah. The White Pine quad accesses four new runs for beginners. With the new beginner area and Fast Track learn to ski and snowboard packages, it will be easier than ever to start skiing at Sugar Bowl.

Trails On Mt. Judah

From the top of Mt. Judah, two new intermediate runs, Tunnel 41 and Pacific Crest Trail, open up some great gladed areas, and gentle rolling terrain for intermediates.

Ski Instruction and Equipment Rentals

The Mountain Sports Learning Center offers a variety of group and private lessons for both skiers and snowboarders ages 12+. Sugar Bowl's new Fast Track Program is a fun and inexpensive way for first-timers to get on the slopes. All programs are available at both the new Main Lodge and the Village Lodge entrances. No matter how good you are now, Sugar Bowl instructors can take you to the next level -- guaranteed! If you are not satisfied, you will receive a credit for another lesson. Sugar Bowl has a well-stocked ski and snowboard equipment rentals shop.

Mountain Lodges and Restaurants

Sugar Bowl had two base lodges and a midmountain lodge that offer guests easy and convenient access to a variety of dining options. At the Main Lodge at Mt. Judah, the Sierra Vista Bar & Grille serves breakfast, lunch and adult beverages, the Sunset Grille features an outdoor barbecue on the main deck and the Plaza Cafe serves espresso drinks and pastries. The Mid Mountain Lodge offers lunch fare and barbecue on the deck and the Palisades Bar upstairs. The Village Lodge includes fine dining at the Lodge Dining Room, breakfast and lunch at the Nob Hill Cafe, barbecue on the Nob Hill deck, Mad Dog Juice 'n Java, the Belt Room Bar and a Rathskeller lunch area with vending machines.

Sugar Bears Child Care

Located at the Village Lodge, this state-licensed child care program for kids ages 3-6 includes skiing, lesson, equipment rental, lunch and activities. All children must be toilet trained to enroll and a change of clothes is recommended. The center is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and offers full and half-day sessions. Reservations are recommended. Call (530) 426-6776.

Children's Ski Programs

The Mountain Sports Learning Center offers a variety of group and private lessons for both skiers and snowboarders ages 4-12. All programs are available at both the new Main Lodge and the Village Lodge entrances. Base Camp, Summit Adventure Camp and Fast Track are a few of the programs offered for children. Base Camp is for ages 4-5 and these half-day skiing programs are a perfect transition from the Sugar Bears child care program. The Summit Adventure Camp is for ages 6-12 and includes an all-day lesson, a supervised lunch, a mountain tour and a gift to acknowledge improvement at each level. The Jr. Fast Track Program is for both skiers and boarders ages 6-12 and includes a two-hour group lesson, equipment rental and lift ticket. Call (530) 426-6770.  

Logistics

Hours

Once the lifts are running, Sugar Bowl is open for skiing between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily.

Ticket Sales

Lift tickets go on sale at 8:00 a.m. daily. Half-day tickets go on sale at 2:00 p.m., for use beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Pricing

Sugar Bowl provides a wide variety of ticket programs and options to fit your vacation plans. There is sure to be a ticket option just right for you.

Information

(530) 426-9000

24-hour Snow Phone

(530) 426-1111

Equipment Rental

Ski and snowboard equipment rentals on-site.

Physical Address

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
Old Highway 40
Norden, CA 95724

Directions

By Plane
Frequent commercial service by most major and regional carriers to Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

All-Weather Highway Access

From Reno to South Lake Tahoe:
SR 395 south to U.S. HWY 50 west
58 miles, 1.25 hours

From South Lake Tahoe:
SR 89 north to Truckee, left on Donner Pass Road to Old Highway 40
40 miles, 1.0 hours

From San Francisco:
I-80 east to Truckee, SR 89 north, left on Donner Pass Road to
Old Highway 40
180 miles, 3.0 hours

From Sacramento:
I-80 east to Truckee, SR 89 north, left on Donner Pass Road to
Old Highway 40
90 miles, 1.5 hours