Throughout my childhood in Berkeley, California, I only found it easy to wake up early for the 5:30 a.m. alarm that would sometimes come on weekends. A 5:30 a.m. alarm meant we could be out of the house by 6:00 a.m., in Sacramento, California, by 7 a.m., seeing the first snow by 8 a.m., and parked in the Judah lot by 9 a.m. By the time most of my friends woke up, I would have already been transported to the Sierra Paradise, which is Sugar Bowl Resort. Located near Donner Pass, Sugar Bowl is perfectly positioned to receive more snow annually than anywhere else in Tahoe, making it a true winter wonderland.
Sugar Bowl’s proximity to the Bay Area and high snowfall totals make it an excellent choice for single-day or quick weekend ski trips without breaking the bank. Bay Area families, including Walt Disney, originally founded the resort. In 2024, it remains one of the West Coast’s last privately owned major resorts. Over the decades, the resort has maintained its small-town charm and family-friendly atmosphere while offering some of the best terrain in Tahoe. The benefits of being independent are evident in the lift lines, which are generally much more relaxed than Vail or Alterra-owned resorts.
Resort Stats
- Location: California
- Nearest city: Truckee, CA
- Vertical: 1,500
- Top elevation: 8,383 Feet
- Base elevation: 6,883 Feet
- Skiable terrain: 1,650 Acres
- Runs: 103
- 17% beginner
- 45% intermediate
- 38% advanced
- Longest run: Crowleys off of Lincoln is over 3 miles
- Lift system: 12 Lifts (5 Express Quads, 3 Quads, 1 Triple, 1 Gondola, 2 Surface Lifts)
- Terrain parks: 3
Sugar Bowl’s topography is crowned by the 8,383-foot Mount Lincoln, surrounded by its three other peaks: Mount Judah, Mount Disney, and Crow’s Nest Peak. Each has a namesake lift that contributes something unique to the mountain’s diverse terrain. First, there’s Judah, which features countless perfectly groomed blue runs and houses the main Coldstream Park and halfpipe. The top of Mount Judah can only be reached under optimal conditions via the Summit Chair, but when it’s open, the Judah Bowl and other double black chutes off the top are an absolute blast.
Next is Disney Express, which takes you up and over the ridge of Mount Disney. The east side warms up first on the mountain, giving access to the Sugar Bowl and several great mogul or tree runs. The west side of Disney Chair offers icier chutes and drops, as well as Disney Meadows, my personal favorite intermediate sequence of runs in Tahoe. Further west is the Crow’s Nest Triple, an excellent choice for dodging crowds and finding fresh turns later in the afternoon. Every winter, when I return to Crow’s Nest, I find new terrain that wasn’t there the year before, which never ceases to surprise me.
Lastly, there’s the notorious Mount Lincoln Express, whose 1,261-foot vertical rise presents some of the most slept-on terrain in the world, making it a contender for the best lift in Tahoe (I promise, if you spend a pow day lapping Lincoln like you might on KT, you’ll see what I’m talking about). The Sisters and other chutes off of Silver Belt are truly remarkable, without mentioning the Palisades, which I’ve scarcely dared to venture into. All in all, Sugar Bowl’s proximity to the Bay, combined with its shorter lines while offering greater snow and amazing terrain, make it a mountain I’m happy to call home.
