Travel Alert & News for Truckee & Lake Tahoe, California

Skiing & Riding

When it comes to skiing and riding, Truckee-Tahoe is a snow-lovers dream come true. There’s world-class terrain, seriously deep snow (500 inches of annual snowfall along the Sierra Crest) and unbeatable sunny California weather. Over seven ski resorts are at our fingertips, all within a 15-45 minute drive of Truckee. Easy to expert terrain provides options for all types of skiers and riders and makes for an unforgettable winter trip.

Check out all things skiing & riding.

Sierra Avalanche Center

Surrounded by public land, Truckee-Tahoe has some of the most accessible backcountry skiing and riding out there. Two national forests host popular tours - the Tahoe National Forest near Truckee is where you’ll find deep pow at Castle Peak and the Tahoe Basin Management Unit is home to West Shore favorites like Rubicon and Jakes. But hang on! Before you get the gear and skin up at the nearest trailhead, you’ll need to take a deep dive into avalanche education, and the Sierra Avalanche Center is a great place to start.

Avalanche centers provide safety and education information about avalanches, snow, and weather. Here in Truckee-Tahoe, the Sierra Avalanche Center issues a daily avalanche forecast every winter morning. The Sierra Avalanche Center is a partnership between the Truckee Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest and the Sierra Avalanche Center nonprofit organization.

Learn More!

2025 Winter Activity Guide

Check out the 2025 Winter Activity Guide from the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District.

Stay busy this winter with ice skating, swimming, music, art, dance, and more!

Ski Resort Shuttles: Get to Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, & Sugar Bowl

Get to and Around 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

Get to and Around 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

Northstar Village Transit App: On-demand shuttle service throughout The Village for easy access to lifts, restaurants, and activities.

Getting to 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
View Schedule

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.

Learn more!

Winter Activities

During the winter months, Truckee-Tahoe turns into a winter wonderland, complete with snowy mountains, frosty alpine lakes, and twinkling lights in Truckee’s quaint downtown. Winter activities abound, with fun things to do for everyone. Take a peaceful snowshoe hike or cross country ski through the forest; go sledding and tubing on mellow, family-friendly hills; or get fresh powder turns at world-class ski resorts.

Find Truckee-Tahoe winter activities.

Getting Around Truckee

TART Connect - FREE On-Demand Shuttle in Truckee-Tahoe

TART Connect Schedule:

Winter - Dec 12, 2024 - April 6, 2025, 6:30am-midnight daily

Use the FREE on-demand shuttle to get from your Truckee lodging to anywhere within Truckee town limits. Point to point rides seven days a week. Download the TART Connect APP on Android or Apple, then order a ride and get picked up in as little as 15 minutes. Additional vehicles have also been added to the fleet this winter to help minimize wait times.

Guide to Power Outages (PSOMs)

Read our Visitor's Guide to Wildfire Safety Power Outage (PSOMs).

During extreme fire weather, utility companies may shut off power to Truckee to minimize the risk of wildfire. Whether you’re visiting the area or live locally, be prepared for wildfire safety power shutoffs and know that unplanned outages are also possible during wildfire season.

What is a PSOM?

PSOM stands for Public Safety Outage Management, a program by NV Energy to protect high-risk communities during extreme weather events. When there is an imminent threat of fire danger, NV Energy will shut off power delivered via transmission lines to Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) and Liberty Utilities. View TDPUD's PSOM page.

Text Alerts:

Opt in to text alerts by texting "TDPUD" to 333111.

Travel Guides

2025 Sustainable Truckee Visitor Guide

Before you arrive, check out the Sustainable Truckee Visitor Guide for ways to travel sustainably with mindfulness and care for our environment, community, and local economy. The guide lists actions you can take to learn and stay informed, reduce waste, respect our land, water, and wildlife, visit car-free, lower carbon emissions, be a good neighbor, and much more.

Other Visitor's Guides

Planning a visit to Truckee-Tahoe? Read these Visitor Guides to prepare for your trip and understand what to "know before you go."

Visitor's Guide to Sustainable Travel
Visitor's Guide to Black Bears and Food Storage
Visitor’s Guide to Sustainable Transportation
Visitor's Guide to Boating and Water Recreation
Visitor's Guide to Wildfire Season
Visitor's Guide to Planned Power Outages (PSOMs)

Leave No Trace & Trash Info

Trash & Recycling in Bear Country

Learn how to properly recycle and dispose of trash in bear county from Keep Truckee Green. When visiting Truckee-Tahoe, always dispose of trash in a secured, bear-proof garbage receptacle. If a bin is full, pack out your trash - take it home or find the closest empty bin. Remember, proper food storage protects bears and keeps us all safe!

Visitor's Guide to Black Bears and Food Storage
Be Bearwise on Vacation - Bear Safety
Tips from Keep Truckee Green
Download Recycling & Trash Guide (PDF) - English & Spanish

Leave No Trace and Pack Out Your Trash

We invite everyone to help take care of Truckee-Tahoe's beautiful landscape. Please keep our trails, beaches, and public areas clean and litter-free. Pack out all of your trash, and pick up any other trash you see for extra good karma points. Thank you for being a good steward of our mountain town!

Learn how to Recreate Responsibly and Leave No Trace.

Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards

Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards are digital gift cards that can be redeemed at 60+ locations in Truckee: restaurants, breweries, shops, boutiques, yoga and massage studios, wine bars, grocery stores, outdoor guiding companies, and many other local businesses. Buy cards online in just a few clicks and schedule the e-gift for delivery on the date that you choose. An easy gift that friends, family, coaches, and teachers will love. And, every card gives back! Visit Truckee-Tahoe matches 25% of every card for Sustainable Truckee stewardship projects.

Buy Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards in bulk for your employees or team. There's no e-delivery for businesses and organizations that make bulk purchases over $1,000!

Emergency Notification System

Sign up for Emergency Alerts

Tahoe Alerts makes emergency notification registration easy for residents and visitors across the Tahoe region. Coverage Areas: Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Douglas, Alpine, and Washoe counties, as well as Truckee, Carson City, and South Lake Tahoe.

Steps to sign up:

Visit TahoeAlerts.com
Enter your address or location
Let the system identify the right emergency notification system for you.

‍Be Prepared for Power Outages:

‍Read our Visitor's Guide to Wildfire Safety Power Outage (PSOMs).

Sign up for text alerts from TDPUD:

Opt in to text alerts by texting "TDPUD" to 333111.

Truckee-Tahoe Travel News This Week

Weather, Conditions & Roads

E-Newsletter Signup

Menu

More

Connect