Northstar is a polished Lake Tahoe resort built around a pedestrian village near Truckee, in California's Sierra Nevada. Its sheltered, tree lined runs hold their snow well and stay friendly when the wind picks up higher peaks. With gentle terrain, careful grooming, and a relaxed pace, it is one of the most family focused mountains in the region.
Northstar is a ski resort with genuine ski-in/ski-out hotels in United States, in the Sierra Nevada (California). The village sits at 1929 m and the lifts top out at 2624 m, with 80 km of pistes and 20 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 84/100, and the season usually runs Dec 6 → Apr 15.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Very good · 6.3k reviews
A long-standing favourite in Northstar, trusted by thousands of guests before you.
Guests rate this hotel as very good (4.5/5 from 6,257 reviews). It sits about 2.8 km from the slopes. A upper-scale option for Northstar, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Very good · 1.7k reviews
Strong value for Northstar, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 1.3k reviews
Strong value for Northstar, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 305 reviews
Strong value for Northstar, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
Northstar has a genuine ski-in, ski-out pedestrian village at the base, with a gondola that carries you from the village square up to the slopes. As a result, much of the lodging here lets you ski straight to and from the door.
Northstar suits families, beginners, and intermediates above all, with broad blue cruisers, well spaced tree skiing, and a small share of steeper terrain for stronger skiers. At its heart sits a pedestrian village with an ice rink, shops, and casual restaurants, and gondolas lift you from the square up to the slopes. The resort is on the Epic Pass and sits close to Truckee and the north shore of Lake Tahoe, making it an easy base for a wider Tahoe trip.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Northstar: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Northstar offers 80 km of pistes across 20 lifts, from 1929 m to 2624 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Dec 6 to Apr 15, with a snow score of 84/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
Northstar has a genuine ski-in, ski-out pedestrian village at the base, with a gondola that carries you from the village square up to the slopes. As a result, much of the lodging here lets you ski straight to and from the door.
Northstar has 80 km of marked pistes served by 20 lifts, between 1929 m and 2624 m of altitude.
Northstar counts about 100 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
Sierra Nevada (California)
Sierra Nevada (California)
Sierra Nevada (California)
Sierra Nevada (California)
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