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How to Get to Truckee-Tahoe Ski Resorts: Shuttles, Parking, & Transportation Tips

December 18, 2024
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Weekend ski trips to Truckee-Tahoe can be a blast, but getting there can be a challenge during peak holiday times (typically Dec-Feb). This guide covers everything from parking reservations and shuttle services to insider tips, helping you hit the slopes stress-free.

Get to and Around Palisades Tahoe

Palisades Tahoe:

Resort Shuttle from Truckee & Tahoe City

  • Park & Ride: Free weekend shuttle service from Truckee and Tahoe City to Palisades Tahoe. Get dropped off right at the resort entrance.

Where you'll park:‍

  • From Truckee - Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (11611 Donner Pass Rd)
  • From Tahoe City - Tahoe City Transit Center (180 W Lake Blvd)
  • Dates: Weekends from Dec 7 - April 13, 2025
  • Shuttles run every 20 minutes
  • View Schedule

Resort Shuttle from Tahoe City

  • Sherwood Shuttle: Free resort access from the West Shore to Alpine.
  • Pickup location: Sunnyside Resort parking lot
  • Dates: Saturdays & Sundays for winter season 2025
  • Shuttle operates between 8:30am-4pm

Resort Shuttle to get around Olympic Valley & Alpine Meadows

  • Mountaineer Shuttle: Free, on-demand service in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows with an average wait time of 7 minutes.
  • Olympic Valley: Operates daily from 7am-11pm
  • Alpine Meadows: Operates Thursday-Monday, 7am-11pm

Drive & Park

  • Plan ahead: Reservations are required for weekends and peak periods.
  • Parking options: a mix of paid and free reservations, with carpooling incentives.
  • Free reservations are released every Tuesday at noon and 7pm for the upcoming weekend/holiday period.
  • Palisades Tahoe Parking Reservations

Get to and Around Northstar California

Northstar California:

Resort Shuttle from Truckee

  • Park & Ride: In partnership with The Lift, a co-working space near the Truckee Airport, a Park & Ride shuttle service will run throughout the winter.
  • Dates: The service operates between December 14- March 30, 2025.
  • Shuttle operates hourly
  • View Schedule
  • TART Bus Service: On weekends and during peak times, the TART route will be re-routed past the Park & Ride lot. Extra bus service will also be available for the MLK weekend (Jan 18-19) and the last weekend after Presidents Week (Feb 22-23), with added transportation between Northstar and The Lift.

Resort Shuttle to get around Northstar California

Drive & Park

  • Plan ahead: Reservations are required for weekends and peak periods.
  • Parking options: a mix of paid and free reservations, with carpooling incentives.
  • Free parking available at the Castle Peak lot every day, with no reservations required.
  • Northstar California Parking Reservations

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Getting to Sugar Bowl Resort

Sugar Bowl Resort:

Sugar Bowl / Donner Summit Shuttle

  • Free public shuttle connecting Truckee with Donner Summit (Dec 9, 2024 - Apr 20, 2025).
  • Morning loop: 7am-9am, Evening loop: 4:10pm-6pm

Key stops:

  • Coldstream TART stop
  • West End of Donner Lake (former TART stop)
  • Donner Ski Ranch
  • Sugar Bowl Mt. Judah Lodge

Riders can make a timed transfer between the Sugar Bowl | Donner Summit Shuttle and the TART Truckee Local Route at the Coldstream stop.

  • Exterior ski storage available on the shuttle.
  • No dogs, except for service animals.
  • Shuttle won’t operate when Old 40 is closed.

Drive & Park

Getting to Boreal

Drive & Park

Getting Around Truckee: TART Connect

  • Free, on-demand curb-to-curb shuttle service within Truckee zones, like a “Mountain Uber
  • Winter: Dec 12, 2024 - April 6, 2025, 6:30am-midnight daily
  • How to Use: Download the TART Connect app on Android or iOS.
  • View Schedule

Tips for a Successful Ski Day

1. Visit Midweek for an Uncrowded Experience

If you have flexibility in your travel schedule, visit midweek (Sunday night - Thursday night) to avoid weekend traffic. You’ll get to experience Truckee-Tahoe like a local while enjoying uncrowded slopes, and you won't have to worry about making parking reservations which are required on weekends and holidays at Palisades Tahoe and Northstar California.

2. The Early Bird Gets Breakfast on the Hill and a Parking Spot

It’s no secret that getting an early start can give you a leg up on weekend traffic and help ensure you find a parking spot. Change up your AM routine so that you can get out and on the road before the crowds. Wouldn’t you rather spend that extra time siting in a cafe with a hot latte instead of sitting in traffic?!

Here are some breakfast spots to try when you’re ready to hack your AM ski commute:

3. Have a Lazy Morning and Enjoy Afternoon Laps

Not a morning person? We get it. At Palisades Tahoe, you don't need to make a reservation after 1pm. Good news is that most folks don’t shred bell to bell, so heading to the ski resort in the afternoon can be a good strategy to score parking as skiers and riders are heading home after their morning turns. Plus, catching last chair can sometimes surprise you with empty slopes and gorgeous waning light. Be sure to check maps and ski area apps for real-time highway traffic and parking availability.

4. Carpool! It’s Fun, Better for the Environment & You’ll Score Premium Parking

Grab your buddies, throw on a playlist, and turn your ride to the mountain into a good time. Carpooling helps reduce the number of cars on the road, and lower vehicle trips means lower emissions. Heck ya. If you’re carpooling to Palisades Tahoe, you can snag parking close to the lifts in carpool dedicated areas (3+ people per car) and you still need to make a reservation. And at Northstar California, carpoolers can score FREE parking reservations for the Village View lot (4+ people per car).

5. When all Else Fails, Have a Plan B

Sometimes, no matter how early you get on the road, or how meticulously you plan, your Plan A just might not work out. On those days, know when to turn around and resort to your Plan B. There are so many fun winter activities in Truckee! Go cross country skiing or snowshoeing, explore Downtown Truckee, check out Donner Memorial State Park, stroll along the scenic Truckee River Legacy Trail, or if you want really uncrowded slopes, consider hire a local guide and spend your day backcountry skiing in Truckee-Tahoe.

6. Come for the Skiing/Riding, Stay for the Après

Once the lifts close you head to your car and drive home… right? Nope! On busy weekends, it’s a good idea to avoid the 4pm rush, and our favorite way to wait out the crowds is après. Après ski is a french term that literally translates to “after ski”, but what it really means is tapping into the food and drink scene after the lifts stop spinning. Instead of beelining it to your car, pop into an on-mountain dining spot to order some apps and listen to live music. At Palisades Tahoe, hang at the Plaza Bar Apres DJ Series.

Truckee-Tahoe Live Traffic Cams and Maps

Our Weather, Roads & Cams page is a hub of information to help you plan your drive to the ski resort or around the Truckee-Tahoe region. Bookmark the page so that you can easily access links to Caltrans maps, highway conditions, live highway cams, ski area cams, weather forecasts, and more.

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Social Media Accounts for Highway Traffic Updates

Ski Area Apps and Social Media Accounts for Mountain Updates

For more information on Truckee-Tahoe ski areas, see our skiing/riding page.

More Resources

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Truckee-Tahoe is located within the ancestral homelands of the Wá∙šiw (Washoe) people.

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