northstar

nice grooming but not much snow yet still lot off fun nice people at northstar fun fun and more fun.

NorthStar is primarily a winter sports resort and has added Summer activities like Lift Assisted Mountain Biking to increase use and profits in the slower summer months. I have no problem with making year round used out of the property. What I do have a problem with is the overselling of the season passes at very low rates, compared to what season passes used to go for. They used to be over $1000 a year long ago and they have cut the price to around $300 for a whole season of unlimited skiing. This may sound like a consumer skier's paradise with prices like that. Sorry to say, when you have the business model to sell or oversell thousands of season passes at low rates, figuring that profits will be made up in volume and food and drink sales, all that leads to is a degraded skier experience with huge long lines, super crowded parking lot .... heck, they even offer close in parking for $20 extra! Pay a low price for the lift ticket, but get taken everywhere else. Food is way expensive and all those packs of people are gonna have to eat! The terrain is nice if it wasn't so packed with people all over the mountain. After my last visit, I'll no longer come here ...... what a mess!

In all fairness I should start by saying Vail does a very good job with the upkeep of the mountain. From heated cobble stone walk ways to snow making, grooming, making sure the "village" looks presentable and keeping their staff friendly. The ice skating area is nice and enjoyable along with the gas fire places all around the center of the village. This place is good if you like "resorts" with heated swimming pools, and you want to relax. This would be an excellent place to learn how to ski/snowboard. The terrain is not very challenging.Parking is the only down side. It's either get there super early in the morning, or your taking a bus from a parking lot way far down on the access road.This mountain honestly isn't for me. It's more of a beginners fashion show with an out door mall. Eating here isn't cheap either, but that is just how Vail resorts are. Make the best of it and enjoy it for what it's worth. The only place I could find that was even close to "steep" is way in the back and you have to take a gondola and 2 more chair lifts to get there. They might label things as a black diamond, but honestly, I thought it was a blue square.I will say they do a good job with their New Years fireworks.

It was beautiful. Family came to visit for Christmas and we went skiing. $114 per lift ticket, no student or local discount. Very Pricy at the Chocolate Bar went to have a cocktail and a martini was $30. We passed. Back to Mount Rose for us!

The title says it all. Great ski resort. I Love skiing. Variety of skill levels and a service friendly resort. Not a snobby place like some resorts.

Too cold of all places in Lake TahoeInfo is not obvious, we came know about sledding later on; not on the resort.

Not too much foot traffic this time of year up at Northstar. Still a few shops open and Rubicon is open for Great Pizza! Tried on some beautiful Italian boots ... too expensive but fun!

For those unfamiliar with Lake Tahoe skiing, there are many, many mountains. Northstar was totally redone in 2012, I believe. They even have manmade snow, which sounds unnecessary in Lake Tahoe, but was critical in the poor snow year of 2011/2012.The village is superb! It feels like Rockefeller Center in the mountains. There's a central ice staking rink, surrounded by restaurants, indoor and outdoor bars, etc.Surround shops are excellent, and cater to the entire family.It's very family friendly overall. Lots of stuff for the kids to do apart from the skiing. The surrounding area is the best in my opinion for Tahoe. DEFINITELY go to Truckee, the best little town around the lake. It's a very updated "cowboy" town with excellent food (go to Moody's for sure) and entertainment. Truckee is about 15 minutes away from Northstar.If you're looking for x-country skiing -- drive across the main road, and go off-track.So WHY didn't I rate Northstar Excellent? The only reason is that Lift Tickets are astronomical -- above $100 -- which means a day at Northstar will run an average family well above $500.

If you ride mountain bikes, or simply want to try, and are in Reno area, drive to Northstar for a day of downhill biking, you will be glad you did! I am a mountain biker, but my friend is not. We rented our bikes and gear, and took a lesson. A great experience! Easy for beginners, but can be challenging for riders of all levels, so everyone enjoys it! High quality rentals, very very good protective gear ( full body armor ) so you feel safe. Good instructors too, friendly but knowledgeable. Only a 40 minute drive from downtown Reno. Nice shopping & dining at mountain base for after the ride, or for those who choose not to ride but want to be at the resort. I will absolutely return here when I'm in Reno again!

Northstar's terrain parks and pipes are out of this world. Pinball is amazing. And if no snow fall NS will make monster jumps out of artificial snow if needed. NS reeks of class -- village has an ice rink, surrounded by a band stand and loung chairs and fire pits. They even come by and waiters serve you free smores!! And having a cocktail at the Ritz Carlton is a must do. Only downside to NS is the parking. One has to take a shuttle to the village and then it takes about ten minutes to walk to the gondola that takes you to the actual lifts. Plan on 30 minutes from your car to the actual ski lifts.

I don't love swimming through the village to hit the slopes, but, if you're not in a hurry to shush, you'll appreciate the variety of shops offered there. Once you do hit the slopes, you'll appreciate the variety of hills to speed down!

Stay in the village area along the free shuttle service. Cheaper that staying right in the village itself. Friendly and courteous staff. Best for Blue and Black skiers along with terrain areas. Limited green runs. Village is quaint with fire pits, heaters, restaurants and free smores!

Can't expect too much for late season snow - slushy and melting. The resort is nice and clean and the staff friendly as always. Parking was convenient because of the smaller crowds.

This was our favorite place as far as ski locations on a recent trip. It's ridiculously expensive: $106 lift tickets and $12 draft beers, but just about every employee we encountered was super friendly and helpful, the runs were really uncrowded and the ambiance was great. It's my favorite on the north shore.

Northstar is a well run resort with a good all around set of features for activities year round. Some of your more hardcore skier/rider types will complain about the "flat" terrain, but I think that's just mythology. It ain't Squaw Valley, but there's plenty of awesome terrain. This is a great place to spend some time if you are exceptionally wealthy, but if you are not, remember to pack a lunch because they want something ridiculous like $12 for an alcoholic drink and $4 for a soda.