Royal Gorge Ski Resort

Great skiing today. Trails groomed but no tracks for classic or striding — wish I knew before starting out!

So grateful to Royal Gorge for an excellent two-​day first-​time cross-​county skiing experience on an early March weekend. Conveniently located near Soda Springs (yay! a lot closer than my usual near-​Tahoe City destinations), this resort has miles of gorgeous trails: trees, water features (well, streams and ponds) and meadows.
We were four women, one with lots of experience, two with long-​ago experience, and a newbie (me). We decided to just give it a try rather than do a lesson. After we paid (we got a «pouring rain» discount on day 1) and fitted out (thanks for your patience, boot guy), we tackled the trails.
The juggler + instructor (yes – he juggles while he skis) gave me a quick rundown and tips (fall forward! it’s mostly balance! enjoy yourself!) which was sufficient to get me going. Great guy and great tips. Turns out that unlike downhill skiing, it is possible to muddle through and give it a go without too many falls. Despite the rain (my gear is much less waterproof than I thought), two thumbs up.
The first day it was raining quite hard – the advantage was the snow was ‘slow’ rather than icy. We did a big loop out to an unheated hut (tissues and napkins and water + a couple of porta-​potties) then back. Maybe 8 km. Very few (3?) people on the trails with us. The second day we woke up to a huge dump of snow and had an epic wander around other trails followed by lunch at the lodge. Again, we saw just a few people, which gave us that «we’re the only ones here» feeling.
Terrific friendly staff, rustic but clean and nice lodge, affordable prices, and beautiful trails: We couldn’t have asked for more. I’ll be back to take a lesson one of these days.

I took my boyfriend and his family cross country skiing for his birthday. None of them had ever been before so we all decided to take the lesson. We had David as an instructor. He was the biggest jerk I’ve ever met. He was condescending arrogant and had no patience for beginners. He over complicated the process and wasted over an hour of our time with about 10 minutes of useful information. He even yelled rudely at skiers passing by the trail saying that they were pissing him off for skiing in a ski school zone when there was no marking or signage indicating it was. I meant to complain to the management before I left but forgot.
The trails are lovely and when I go back next week I will definitely say something. We all deserve an apology for his rude and unprofessional behavior.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a better Cross-​Country ski experience in the Sierras. Royal Gorge has 200 Km of trails, and close to all of them were groomed the Saturday we went skiing. The trails are all lined with lovely trees, and you pass a lot of meadows and snow-​covered lakes on the way. We only explored a small percentage of the trails, but the conditions and trail maintenance were solid. The lodge is standard, small gift shop, counters for buying tickets, a café, and a rental shop. We brought our own skis, and got a pass for the whole day for about thirty bucks.
It was snowing out and cold, and so we started off down toward one of the small lakes (Kilburn Lake) and a warming hut.
The MOST impressive thing about the whole place was how well marked every trail was. Even with lots of freshly fallen snow there were visible signs at every trail junction, and lots of large maps posted at trail junctions as well. All of that signage makes for a much better time because we knew exactly where we were in the resort, and had no problem taking the right trail back to the lodge at the end of the day.
The warming hut was exactly as it sounds. A small log cabin with a fire going that made for a nice place to have lunch, and rest a bit. The food offering at the hut were pretty basic, but it was cozy and there was a nice sense of camaraderie by all the skiers. The place was quite beautiful, and it’s great not to worry about downhill skiers for a change!

What a delightful trip I got to take today with my son’s Boy Scout Troop. I was so intimated by the fact that I had zero skiing experience and none of our boys had either. The weather conditions could not have been more perfect! The snow was powdery all around us and the trails were freshly carved into the snow. It was truly a beautiful day to be outside and commune with nature.
We rented our skiis and equipment and then got a group lesson. I really love how they did it. Kids were in one group with an instructor, and adults were in another. We had the two best instructors I could ever imagine! Gordon was a God send. He got all four boys working and doing an amazing job getting down to and from the tracks. We got to practice half way down a trail and come back again. Even though the boys were working at different speeds, he kept them together as a group in such a loving, kind manner. It was special watching him in the distance. I felt I could breathe for a bit, knowing my kid was in good hands while I got to enjoy my own mini lesson.
For the adults we had an instructor named David. I was so impressed with how easily he glided and showed us how to move across the tracks like a professional. Now it will take me many, many more trips before I can strive to be as good as Dave. But I love how he brought the best athlete out in me and I felt like I could do anything on those skiis by the end of the lesson! It was such a fun time, I can’t help but laugh thinking back upon it.
Afterward, the whole group enjoyed such a yummy lunch up at the lounge. They had food for vegetarians, sweets for your sweet tooth, kid friendly selections, and adult size portions to everything. It was quite perfect for our group. All the while sipping hot chocolate and looking out the beautiful view of the snow covered patio.
Then it was time to get back out on the trails. And we went for a nice easy path around Big Bend. That was enough for our group of boys who were too young and inexperienced to want to venture much further. The only tricky part is coming and going of the rental room with all the pieces of equipment. But they always seem to have staff on hand to either help you put things on or take them off again. So it went as smooth as it could go. I was appreciative to all the staff. Everyone from the person who first greeted us at the door, to the man who took our skiis and placed them in a bucket was a kind hearted, fun person to interact with. I felt so happy that we braved the cold and came out and had a grand adventure! Which by the way, once you start moving, you quickly warm up. So you don’t need as many layers on top as you’d think.
I hope to be back again soon. Looks like there’s plenty of places to lodge nearby if you want to make a weekend of it. I feel empowered today to discover a new sport that is both easy to do but completely invigorating. Plus, it was just gorgeous out near the woods. I feel like it was the perfect little getaway and we still had time for a mini snowball fight when it was all said it done. Thank you Royal Gorge Ski Resort for making our trip a success!

I had never been on ski before. Today, I tried XC skiing lessons and the teacher, Zini, was amazing. She was patient and made me feel confident.
I did not hit any of the trails, but the bunny slope looks good. Inside the resort is nice too and they offer fresh food. Definitely coming back!

It’s been years since I’ve been up here. I want to give them 5 stars buuuuut… I used to ski here a lot. I loved it. They have an incredible piece of real estate here. In fact all the brochures talk about how beautiful it is and how awesome the views are and they’re right! The problem I had today is that the darn trails aren’t groomed. I was frustrated. I actually went out and blazed my own trails in a couple of places. But not getting to the top to take in these highly touted views is a real bummer. I’ll come back though.

Wonderful cross country ski trails but the trail signage is awful. Better know where you are going! Even worse signage for snow shoeing. Some trails end with no warning and no signs to orient to a destination.

Great experience for my first time EVER on skis!
Thanks JoJo and Gary for taking the time to orient this newcomer to everything I needed to know.
A special thanks to Robin, my instructor for the class. Cheerful! Energetic! Patient! She has a talent for describing things in analogies that are unforgettable. So I’ll remember the suggestions and directions easily on my next outing.
Thanks to all of the employees for providing a WONDERFUL first day of skiing!

NOROVIRUS CENTRAL
When conditions are right the cross-​country skiing here can be pretty sweet. However, it would be hard to convince me to return. Three members of my family contracted an intense gastro-​intestinal infection after eating lunch in the little restaurant. Hard to say whether it was unwashed lettuce in the Tacos of Doom, improperly stored juice that had overstayed its welcome and had become a vibrant bacterial culture, or just bad hygiene by a sick staffer who didn’t wash her hands after taking a dump. But that’s a quick way to spoil one’s vacation, vomiting and s**ing all night. I might return for the skiing someday, but we’re going to bring our own lunches.

Awesome facility for those of us who love Nordic skiing. Lots of trails, interesting options for views, difficulties, and workouts. They have all the necessary equipment available as rentals, and have classes for skate and classic skiing.
My only complaint is that the weather in Tahoe is too warm, making the conditions less than ideal at times. Not much that they can do about this, but it’s worth noting that you should check the weather before heading up.

Winter is my favorite season thanks to Royal Gorge XC Ski Resort.
Fantastic trails, wonderfully groomed for both skate skiing and striding.
Gorgeous vistas and lookouts. Feels like I am in the middle of nowhere surrounded by snowy mountains, trees, and endless views everywhere.
No long lines, no obnoxious pricing. Just great exercise in beautiful surroundings. Suitable for beginner to expert level. Both of my daughters have had ski lessons there with great results. As a bonus, the food for purchase at the lodge is impressively health-​minded and fresh. No frozen junk food here at all.
Lastly, the rental skis are good quality, both skate and striding styles.
So skip the ridiculous lines and crowds! Get some real challenging exercise and try out Royal Gorge!

First, I love cross country skiing. I’m from Ohio, and the cross country skiing our way is WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY different than cross country skiing at Royal Gorge.
This really was like downhill skiing on pretty steep icy hills, or trying to get the heck up steep hills. Like the previous reviewer, there is a steep hill right outside the rental place, and I fell down really hard on the icy hill and i’m pretty sure I fractured my tailbone also. It still hurts like a son-​of-​a gun and it’s been over a week.
Anyway — I’m giving this 4 stars because even though it was really hilly (I took off my skis more times than I can count going up-​hill and sometimes going downhill if it was too stepp). It was so, so, so beautiful and so peaceful (for the 4 hours we were out skiing we only ran into about 3 other people), and the warming hut was fun — even though we were super warm from skiing — we sat outside at the picnic tables and enjoyed the water they provided and the fiber 1 bars and Nutella to Go that I had brought with me.
Other than my lingering injury, this really was a fun activity. Just use better judgement than I did at the beginning — if you think the hill looks too steep, just take your skiis off and walk down…
Enjoy!
NOTE: we went snow-​shoeing at Northstar on their Cross Country ski trails and this was more like what I was used to — gently sloping, rolling hills, and this also was very beautiful and not at all crowded — and for the same price you ride up a gondola to the ski rental area. Also very fun!

We have been skiing at Royal Gorge for over 20 years and were very happy to find it much improved this year. As previous reviewers have noted, the resort was purchased by developers and subsequently fell into bankruptcy. The good news is that it was purchased by the Tahoe-​Donner Land Trust in 2012 and is now being operated by Sugar Bowl. The new manager is doing a MUCH better job maintaining the trails, and we’ve found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Although single day trail tickets are expensive, you can purchase a $ 19 pass that entitles you to $ 10 off the daily rate. If you ski more than two days in the season you are money ahead.
They have a way to go to bring the resort back to its glory days, but they’re on their way.

Resort is overpriced, under serviced, under staffed, and can be dangerous when icy. Many lifts are not operating, many runs are not groomed and some employees lack proper training. The second star is reserved for beautiful scenery.

Went cross country skiing for the first time on Presidents weekend. I smelled cinnamon rolls in the morning upon arrival. I thought about them all day while I was skiing! The skiing was great and the staff were very friendly! I ate at the small café and really enjoyed the black bean chili, it was to die for! The best chili I ever had. They also had a rosemary potato quiche that looked really good. The menu is very vegetarian friendly! For desert I couldn’t help myself and had a very decadent piece of chocolate cake, that was also the best cake I have ever had! Yumm it was still warm! I highly recommend skiing and eating at the café .The prices are very reasonable.

Just a few words:
«North America’s Largest XC Ski Resort!»
And that definitely translates to best as well.
A little bit of old world charm with hundreds of kilometers of groomed to perfection trails with loads of off-​trail snowshoeing as well. Why cross country ski at a giant resort when you can go to this quaint spot and slid through tall, snow-​covered pines with gorgeous vistas of the Tahoe region and Royal Gorge (over 4,000 feet deep).
Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time, Royal Gorge is the right place for everyone. This was my first time cross country skiing (I personally am a hardcore snowboarder) and this was a fabulous place to start learning. And they have loads of different skill level trails that run all over their huge property. Everything from trails around lakes and meadows to up and down rolling hills. I will definitely make a point of return when I in the area again.

Well, Royal Gorge used to be the premier destination for Nordic Skiing on the West Coast. Unfortunately, those days are gone. It’s still a decent enough destination, and its wealth of groomed trails means it will still get a premier share of the apparently dwindling Cross-​Country Skiing public. But it is no longer my first choice for Nordic Skiing in the Tahoe region.
We visited there this past Monday. After failing to get through to anyone on the phone calling the previous week (I didn’t have the patience or skill to navigate their voice-​messaging system) I relied on their web site for information. This proved accurate enough but sometimes you just want to speak with a real person.
The resort owners have chosen to keep the place closed Wednesdays and half-​days Tuesdays, except during the major holiday season. This is bad for us, as we are mid-​week skiers.
Staff were friendly but there was some confusion as to the open-​closing schedule (we got different versions from different staff). The ski shop seemed poorly stocked…, but this is still pretty early in the season. Still, there was an air of neglect and/​or half-​heartedness about the place that has not been true on previous visits.
Snow conditions were good and I have no complaints about the skiing.
This place seems to have been declining ever since the Wilderness Lodge burned down 4 years, 5 years ago?
I will be visiting other resorts on my next trip up. This hasn’t dropped entirely from my Nordic Skiing radar, but its definitely lower priority now that it has been in the past.

This is the largest XC ski resort in the US (according to Royal Gorge). There’s a vast network of groomed trails here and it’s also possible to skate off trail if you want to go at a brisker pace. The nice thing is that it’s more or less crowdless and you feel like you’re just exploring the snowy woods and all of the quiet that they have to offer on your own.
Tread carefully over the icy steps near the lodge before you head in though. I fell down them. Hello tort lawsuit. It was kind of like that scene in Witches of Eastwick after the opera where Felicia Alden’s strand of pearls comes undone and each one falls to the ground in painstakingly slow motion and then she slips on them. Falls down some stairs. Injures herself. Suffers from delusions about Jack Nicholson as Daryl van Horne.
Except in the instant case there were no pearls. Just a breach of duty of care and gross negligence in their stead.
I was in some excruciating pain (thought I had broken my tailbone). Fortunately for Royal Gorge it was nothing serious though and I wasn’t feeling very litigious that day anyway.

This was our first experience cross country skiing. We arrived late on a Thursday for a 3pm private lesson with Steve. He was a wonderful, patient teacher and in an hour had us with enough knowledge to enjoy ourselves on Friday.
The people here are so friendly and helpful. We hardly ran into anyone on the trails… it’s beautiful and peaceful. When we came back in with our skis and my wife asked about snowshoes, they let us go out with shoes for no charge and gave us a suggested route for a great view.