Northstar California
Northstar California
4.2
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
For the modern family that prefers substance with a unique, laid-back style, Northstar California Resort combines California cool with high-end luxury, on-mountain exhilaration with a sophisticated alpine village atmosphere. Halfway between one of North America's coolest mountain towns and one of the world's most beautiful alpine lakes, Northstar is a destination on the rise, having poured nearly a billion dollars into creating Lake Tahoe's premier luxury snowsports experience. Upscale shops, refined dining and Lake Tahoe's only five-star slopeside lodging is married to impeccable grooming, incredible tree skiing and enough variety to challenge every level of skier (and world-class terrain parks to keep the kids busy). Those who come to Northstar know what they're looking for. Sometimes it's adventure, sometimes it's to learn, sometimes it's to relax in a welcoming place with family and friends. No matter what that experience is, they'll find it to be exactly the way it should be.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.2
675 reviews
Excellent
348
Very good
207
Average
55
Poor
26
Terrible
39
ellan c
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
Fun Downhill Mountain Biking Lessons with Awesome Coaches - Great summer entertainment option while staying at Northstar California Resort!
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So we finally found something that our teenagers actually found exciting! The Village at Northstar has wonderful restaurants and shops located in the heart of Northstar California Resort - within walking distance of your lodging. During summer months, Northstar Performance Demo is a great bike shop located in The Village, where you can purchase and rent equipment. They rent high quality, well-maintained mountain bikes, and their skilled technicians patiently fitted my family members with our helmets and protective gear, equipping us for the safest ride possible.
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You can ride these top of the line bikes at Northstar California Mountain Bike Park (part of the resort and next door to The Village), which offers excitement and fun for mountain bikers of all levels, from beginner to advanced. Northstar California Resort offers downhill biking lessons as a great entertainment option for their guests, and the group lessons are especially helpful for families wanting to learn key skills and safety tips. The private lessons are well worth the money for families through advanced riders, and coaches Jon & Eric rock! They both have years of experience, can definitely help you skill up, and these fantastic coaches can turn a nice visit into an awesome day of adventures!
.
In winter, resort guests enjoy skiing and the outdoor ice skating rink, so we were thrilled to discover a summertime activity that was fun and actually interesting to our difficult to please teenagers (you know what I'm talking about). With private lessons, riders of different skill levels can be accommodated, and thanks to Jon & Eric's great coaching, our teens learned enough to hit intermediate trails on Day 1! The other advantage of private lessons was that the kids had a coach to accompany them - since none of their adults could keep up! Parents will appreciate that they can feel good about bowing out for relaxation and libations back in The Village, confident that their kids are riding the trails with a responsible, biking-experienced adult.
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With the resort's bike/ski lifts, bike/ski shop, ice rink, and restaurants all located together next to resort lodging, you can quickly go back to change clothes and get to a yummy restaurant without getting back into the car, all very close to where your kids are biking/skiing/skating.
.
If you're looking for some excitement and adventure (or something to interest/entice your teens away from their electronics) while staying at Northstar California Resort, visit the resort's bike shop in The Village to rent your equipment and book your downhill lessons with their fantastic coaches! We were so glad that we did!!
.
.
So we finally found something that our teenagers actually found exciting! The Village at Northstar has wonderful restaurants and shops located in the heart of Northstar California Resort - within walking distance of your lodging. During summer months, Northstar Performance Demo is a great bike shop located in The Village, where you can purchase and rent equipment. They rent high quality, well-maintained mountain bikes, and their skilled technicians patiently fitted my family members with our helmets and protective gear, equipping us for the safest ride possible.
.
You can ride these top of the line bikes at Northstar California Mountain Bike Park (part of the resort and next door to The Village), which offers excitement and fun for mountain bikers of all levels, from beginner to advanced. Northstar California Resort offers downhill biking lessons as a great entertainment option for their guests, and the group lessons are especially helpful for families wanting to learn key skills and safety tips. The private lessons are well worth the money for families through advanced riders, and coaches Jon & Eric rock! They both have years of experience, can definitely help you skill up, and these fantastic coaches can turn a nice visit into an awesome day of adventures!
.
In winter, resort guests enjoy skiing and the outdoor ice skating rink, so we were thrilled to discover a summertime activity that was fun and actually interesting to our difficult to please teenagers (you know what I'm talking about). With private lessons, riders of different skill levels can be accommodated, and thanks to Jon & Eric's great coaching, our teens learned enough to hit intermediate trails on Day 1! The other advantage of private lessons was that the kids had a coach to accompany them - since none of their adults could keep up! Parents will appreciate that they can feel good about bowing out for relaxation and libations back in The Village, confident that their kids are riding the trails with a responsible, biking-experienced adult.
.
With the resort's bike/ski lifts, bike/ski shop, ice rink, and restaurants all located together next to resort lodging, you can quickly go back to change clothes and get to a yummy restaurant without getting back into the car, all very close to where your kids are biking/skiing/skating.
.
If you're looking for some excitement and adventure (or something to interest/entice your teens away from their electronics) while staying at Northstar California Resort, visit the resort's bike shop in The Village to rent your equipment and book your downhill lessons with their fantastic coaches! We were so glad that we did!!
.
Written 28 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
drmader
Orinda, CA3 038 contributions
Feb 2025 • Friends
This is a favorite easy spot for guarantee groomed trails to enjoy the best Tahoe has to offer . Didn’t make it to the lake look out trail..but did make it to the caboose :) quiet, no people, friendly staff at the alpine center where u can change shoes or store your stuff, grab a hot cider or restroom. We literally drove in, parked ($25) in front, walked to ticket line- bought $67 gondola and day pass ( $120 for the season if you live close or go often) and were walking in the beautiful snow blanketed woods in 30 min? Self serve.. stay on a wide groomed loop or venture to a more single file meandering up and down path. Beautiful and tranquil and just what we were after . Thank you
Written 12 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mjv82018
Wayne, PA4 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
Amazing. For a beginner family (12 year old and 10 year old, with mom and dad who have not been skiing in quite awhile) this was perfect. There are a few long greens. If you stay at the ritz, you rent skis and lift tickets online in advance from epic pass. It’s extremely intuitive and easy to be fitted for skiing and the hotel takes care of everything for you. Each day that you’d like to go skiing, you simply walk down to the skiing concierge, exchange your shoes for your ski boots, walk outside where you are handed your skis. When finished, you reverse these actions, handing in your skis and boots for your shoes. The greens are extensive and completely reasonable for a two to three day beginner vacation. It couldn’t be better. If you look at a trail map, you’ll see the three to four day progression. You start with the first chair lift right outside of your hotel. You progress to the arrow chairlift, still green, but a little more aggressive. Finally, you progress to the vista chairlift. Still green, just a little longer and a little more aggressive. On this trail there is a small detour “cascades” that is a perfect first-time blue experiment that is short. We stayed on these three chairlifts, right outside of the ritz, for 4 days. You can easily ski the multiple green trails for your entire family vacation. This is not 100 yds of beginning skiing, it is several wide long runs that are well worth your time. Our final “graduation” after feeling comfortable on all of these green runs for two to three days was the east ridge blue run. This is the top of the mountain, with an essentially green run with beautiful views that has a brief blue run at the very end. If you take the east ridge run to the very end, there is a short blue drop off at the far end dropping you back to green. Anyway, my point is that this is a fantastic family ski vacation. Northstar is absolutely the way to go, and if the ritz is on your radar, zero complaints and nothing but compliments from me. I could tell that my family was casually dropping hints the entire time that they’d love to return. If you have more advanced skiers in your party, there are plenty of options for them, but this mountain also has plenty of space for learners and cruisers. In a nutshell, if your are considering a ritz stay and wondering if your beginner to intermediate family (with one crazy cousin who needs a half-pipe) would like this vacation…don’t hesitate. It’s perfect.
Written 5 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael Z
Pound Ridge, NY103 contributions
Mar 2025 • Family
We skied at Heavenly the day before and switched to Northstar for a change. The trails were beautiful and well groomed, the difficulty levels were slightly lower than Heavenly which made my wife happy. The biggest issue here was the walking to the base gondola if you can imagine wearing boots and carrying skis to walk a long distance. Worse, the shuttle bus driver left us in lot J knowing we parked at lot E, and then passed by lot E with empty bus. This was pretty awful to happen this way. We won’t come back here in the future for this reason.
Written 20 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim D
Miami, FL26 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
I'm currently in my 45th minute of calls to their customer support. It's the seventh circle of hell. They have chastised me for not having a photo associated with my account. But, I called because of online account issues. I can't even buy a pass right now, but they are telling me how important it is to have a photo.
I just wanted the ability to buy lift tickets. I called because when I log into my account online I am not listed as the 'head of household' so I cannot change the address or payment on the account or purchase lift tickets, because there is no credit card attached to the account and I cannot remedy that as my role is not 'head of household' in the account. After 30 minutes on a customer support call, the agent made me another account for me, with me as the 'head of household.' It can't be associated with my email address because 'multiple accounts are an issue' and the account with my email address is trapped under the domain of my boyfriend's 'head of household' account. This trapped account also cannot be deleted. If I want to delete it, I have to drive to Northstar resort and ask them to do it in person.
They agent then said that they added my boyfriend to the account they created for me where I am the 'head of household' so that I could purchase tickets for us both and my family. I logged in and it he was not added to my account. I got an error message that he was a 'head of household' on a different account and this prevented him from being added to other people's accounts.
So, I got to call customer service again. They could not find me in the system. They did not believe I had an account. After ten more minutes, they found me, and attempted to add my boyfriend. That did not work. So, they deleted his account. But, I did not have to drive to Northstar to do that... And now, I wait to see if I can invite him to join my account, and the rest of my family, so we can all ski together. They said in 30 minutes he will show up under my account.
They also let me know that to purchase a ticket for a 4 year old, I have to first add the child to my account, and then call back and purchase the ticket. It is impossible to do online.
Though this customer support experience is horrific, their ski experience is fantastic. Which is likely why their customer support can be so bad.
I just wanted the ability to buy lift tickets. I called because when I log into my account online I am not listed as the 'head of household' so I cannot change the address or payment on the account or purchase lift tickets, because there is no credit card attached to the account and I cannot remedy that as my role is not 'head of household' in the account. After 30 minutes on a customer support call, the agent made me another account for me, with me as the 'head of household.' It can't be associated with my email address because 'multiple accounts are an issue' and the account with my email address is trapped under the domain of my boyfriend's 'head of household' account. This trapped account also cannot be deleted. If I want to delete it, I have to drive to Northstar resort and ask them to do it in person.
They agent then said that they added my boyfriend to the account they created for me where I am the 'head of household' so that I could purchase tickets for us both and my family. I logged in and it he was not added to my account. I got an error message that he was a 'head of household' on a different account and this prevented him from being added to other people's accounts.
So, I got to call customer service again. They could not find me in the system. They did not believe I had an account. After ten more minutes, they found me, and attempted to add my boyfriend. That did not work. So, they deleted his account. But, I did not have to drive to Northstar to do that... And now, I wait to see if I can invite him to join my account, and the rest of my family, so we can all ski together. They said in 30 minutes he will show up under my account.
They also let me know that to purchase a ticket for a 4 year old, I have to first add the child to my account, and then call back and purchase the ticket. It is impossible to do online.
Though this customer support experience is horrific, their ski experience is fantastic. Which is likely why their customer support can be so bad.
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leslie Y
6 contributions
Jan 2022
Northstar is one of the prettiest ski areas in the Tahoe area, great for beginners and active intermediates, the slopes are not as challenging for expert skiers as Squaw (I will never call it Palisades!) or Heavenly. The location is easy for people staying on the North Shore or in Truckee, the runs are immaculate and the village is very pretty.
But the resort owners are getting greedy. A lift ticket is already over $130 for a SENIOR or a TEEN, and then they gouge you with $25/day parking unless you want to wait for a shuttle from the hinterlands. A "cup of soup" sized bowl of vegetarian chili is $16!! And a locker is $15 to rent. We are already paying premium to ski, and it feels like consumer rape with the resort charging these exorbitant fees.
Otherwise we had a wonderful ski day in January, with great snow, blue skies and warm enough to ski without a jacket.
But the resort owners are getting greedy. A lift ticket is already over $130 for a SENIOR or a TEEN, and then they gouge you with $25/day parking unless you want to wait for a shuttle from the hinterlands. A "cup of soup" sized bowl of vegetarian chili is $16!! And a locker is $15 to rent. We are already paying premium to ski, and it feels like consumer rape with the resort charging these exorbitant fees.
Otherwise we had a wonderful ski day in January, with great snow, blue skies and warm enough to ski without a jacket.
Written 17 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LD
San Francisco, California, United States20 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
Awful experience at Northstar Resorts.
I made reservations for a 5 year old group skiing lessons on December 26th. There was a snow storm on that day and classes were canceled. Unfortunately, no one told any of the customers! An email was sent moments before the class, an unreasonable amount of time for anyone who was driving there. Customers were not called. The website said they were still open. No one at Northstar was answering the phones and every option in the phone call tree ended in a full voicemail dead end and no humans to talk to. There was no way for customers to learn that classes were canceled except to show up, find a handwritten note on the door, and no employees to talk to. All of this after driving an hour in the snow to get there. The official response I received 5 hours later over email was that they tweeted that classes were closed. Obviously I should have known that Twitter is their preferred notification mechanism and I should look there for authoritative information and not their website.
I don’t know how good their classes are, but if this is any indication they’re awful and you probably can’t trust them with your kids.
I made reservations for a 5 year old group skiing lessons on December 26th. There was a snow storm on that day and classes were canceled. Unfortunately, no one told any of the customers! An email was sent moments before the class, an unreasonable amount of time for anyone who was driving there. Customers were not called. The website said they were still open. No one at Northstar was answering the phones and every option in the phone call tree ended in a full voicemail dead end and no humans to talk to. There was no way for customers to learn that classes were canceled except to show up, find a handwritten note on the door, and no employees to talk to. All of this after driving an hour in the snow to get there. The official response I received 5 hours later over email was that they tweeted that classes were closed. Obviously I should have known that Twitter is their preferred notification mechanism and I should look there for authoritative information and not their website.
I don’t know how good their classes are, but if this is any indication they’re awful and you probably can’t trust them with your kids.
Written 26 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer W
Sacramento, CA1 contribution
Feb 2021 • Friends
Wow....so very aware of Covid protocol, but so disappointed in Northstar. Bought a season pass and didn't expect them to not open lifts even though 6" of new/groomed terrain, to preserve the snow for weekend crowds even though with Covid, crowds are more if not worse during the week now (lines up the hill and people crammed together because they didn't open more expanded lanes). Plus the prices for food ( amost $14 for a cup of mac n cheese) and lack thereof, and lack of any propane heaters outside have left me at a loss. Plus the attitude from staff, mind you I wear a mask continuously and am very respectful of their situation, but won't be getting another pass anytime soon. Hate to say goodbye to my favorite place in Tahoe. 😪
Written 4 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shampeu
Northbrook, IL448 contributions
Dec 2022
We thought this was a great resort. The lifts ran well, many runs were groomed, and the signage told us which runs were groomed. We ate lunch outside on the mountain and, even though the food wasn't good, we were happy to have the option to eat outside.
Written 4 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard L
Frisco, TX1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Family
Slopes were not well grommed. Too much powder and difficult to ski. Many lifts were not open for the $269 price. Also, this is the first place that did not provide a veteran discount. They said they give military discount for season passes but not daily passes.
Written 30 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Car services from Reno airport
Written 19 February 2025
Is entry to Northstar California free? Or do you need an Epic Day Pass/lift ticket to enjoy the ice skating, food, shops, etc.?
Written 8 November 2024
Free rent ice skates 29 dollar
Written 21 February 2025
Hello!
I was hoping I could book a two day trip from San Francisco to Northstar, inclusive of bus, hotel, ski lessons. But I am unable to find anything online- can anyone recommend an agency or site that may help?
Thank you
Rosie
Written 15 February 2019
Hello Rosie...please try tahoeskitrips or nacski to get bus information to Northstar. Have a great time!
Written 15 February 2019
Where is the rental shop at Northstar?
Written 30 January 2018
Does anyone know any information on tubing at north star. How much will it be for two adults and 2 kids?
Written 12 January 2018
Please check the Northstar Village web site is $40 per person.
northstarcalifornia site
Written 12 January 2018
Tania C
Oxley, Australia
We have booked to travel from Australia for a white Christmas this year. I was wondering if you could give recommendations of where to eat on Christmas Day? Thank you.
Written 12 November 2017
There are a lot of options. Weather will be a consideration if you are traveling by car, Truckee is close. Try TripAdvisor for the area. There are many restaurants at varying price ranges.
See you there
Written 13 November 2017
Quisiera saber si hay ropa ¿ para alquilar
Written 2 April 2017
What is the snow like this year? We are looking to book for Christmas 2016. - thx!
Written 25 November 2016
They opened thanksgiving and the snow was good. Then they got 15 inches that weekend so it's looking good. Go to Northstar website and they give snow reports.
Written 3 December 2016
Depends on your budget. Staying at the village will be pricey but you won't have to drive far or not at all. Kings Beach has regular lodging (motel/hotel), and not too far to drive - Truckee is closer, but less lodging options.
But alas, my latest lodging was last summer for a tennis camp at Northstar Villages. Hope this helps.
Written 23 December 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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