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Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area, United States

Stay in Truckee: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Truckee

Watch this spot We email you when Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area is worth the trip.

About Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area

Village 2,064 m. Facts: verified.

A ski resort with its village at 2,064 m and its top at 2,219 m. It has 9 km of runs and 5 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The runs drop 149 m, from 2,219 m to 2,070 m. For beginners and families: 87% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate). For experts: 1 km of advanced, expert and freeride runs. Within 5 km of the village: a public pool, a ski school and childcare. It is usually in season from December to April. The snow is usually deepest in March, about 1.4 m at the top (2,219 m). For skiers the best month is usually March, with about 5 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Truckee.

The ski area

Runs from 2,070 m to 2,219 m: 149 m of vertical. 9 km of runs and 5 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap for Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area.

Runs
Easy3.3 km
Intermediate4.2 km
Advanced0.8 km
Not graded0.3 km
Lifts
Chairlifts2
Magic carpets3

Measured along each mapped run, so it can differ from the resort's own figure. Ski area data © OpenSkiMap.org and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

For families

87% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate).

Within 5 km of the village:

  • a public pool: Truckee Community Pool, 4.9 km
  • a ski school: Tahoe Snowbike Rental, 3.8 km
  • childcare: no name given, 1.5 km

The Family filter counts these. Places from the Overture Maps Foundation, from Meta, Microsoft, Foursquare and AllThePlaces. Foursquare data © 2024 Foursquare Labs, Inc., Apache 2.0. Check opening times before you go.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to RNO, direct.

    See flights MDW → RNO · Skyscanner from about £210 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 20 from the airport to Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAdTransfers · HoppaAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Truckee, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area is 11 km from the beds: plan on the drive each day you ski.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Truckee, 11 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire, lessons and lift passes.

    Ski lessons in Truckee · GetYourGuideAdSki and board hire · SkisetAdLift passes · Resort website

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Lifts closed for the season. They usually open about 25 November.

Forecast

The score, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

DayScoreFresh72 hDepthtop, mid, baseColdestat topWindat top
Sun 18Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m5°C
Mon 19Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m7°C
Tue 20Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m5°C
Wed 21Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m4°C
Thu 22Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m3°C
Fri 23Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m5°C
Sat 24Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m1°C
Sun 25Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m4°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to.

Snow by month

MonthBase2,064 mMid2,142 mTop2,219 mColdestat the top
Dec0.3 m0.3 m0.3 m-3°C
Jan0.7 m0.8 m0.8 m-4°C
Feb0.9 m0.9 m1.0 m-4°C
Mar1.1 m1.3 m1.4 m-3°C
Apr1.0 m1.0 m1.2 m1°C
May0.1 mnone0.2 m6°C

Typical snow on the ground in the village, halfway up and at the top: the middle value over 2016 to 2025, from ERA5-Land reanalysis at the grid cell nearest each height. Not a forecast, and not the groomed pistes: resorts make snow lower down.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to RNO, then 1h 20 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to RNO, then 1h 20 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,955–£3,090 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to RNO, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£210–£440
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Transfershared airport transfer, return£70–£120
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£215–£360
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Lift pass5 days£1,000–£1,350
Ski hire5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£165–£275
Total£1,955–£3,090

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Airport to resortAd

Transfers · Hoppa

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Truckee, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · Booking.com Ski holidays · Crystal Ski

Lift passes

Lift passes · Resort website

On the snowAd

Ski lessons · GetYourGuide Ski and board hire · Skiset

KitAd

Ski kit · Ellis Brigham

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.