Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl is a historic ski resort on Donner Pass near Norden, California, USA — about 45 minutes from Reno and a short drive from Lake Tahoe. It opened on 15 December 1939, founded by Austrian ski champion Hannes Schroll, and was the first ski area in California to install a chairlift as well as the first on the West Coast to run a gondola. Walt Disney was among its early backers, and Mt. Disney still carries his name. The terrain spreads across four lift-served peaks — Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Disney, Mt. Judah and Crow's Nest — and the slopeside village has no roads at all: you arrive on the Village Gondola.

🏔️ Skiable terrain: 1,650 acres (~670 ha)
🟢 Beginner ~17% 🔴 Intermediate ~45% ⚫ Advanced ~38% · 103 trails
🚡 Lifts: 13 (incl. a gondola, 5 high-speed quads, 3 quads and a triple chair)
⛰️ Summit 8,383 ft (2,555 m), base 6,883 ft (2,098 m), vertical 1,500 ft (457 m)
🌨️ Average snowfall ~500 in (~1,270 cm) — among the deepest in North America; season from mid-December to mid-April ⛷

Whether you are lapping the legendary Silver Belt bowl off Mt. Lincoln, taking the 3 mi (4.8 km) run down from the ridge, or learning to turn on the gentle slopes of Mt. Judah, Sugar Bowl delivers an unforgettable experience. Between runs, warm up at one of the mountain lodges and take in the view over Donner Lake and the Sierra crest. With the Sugar Bowl Ski Navigator, you'll always know where to go — from the nearest lift to the best spots on the hill.

Lift Operating Hours
Daily from approx. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Village Gondola runs from the Gondola parking lot to the car-free village; the Mt. Judah base area at Judah Lodge can be reached by car.

Location
Sugar Bowl Resort
629 Sugar Bowl Road, Norden, CA 95724
California, USA
Emergency number: 911

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