Sugar Bowl Resort

Sugar Bowl Resort sits high on Donner Summit in California’s Sierra Nevada, close to Truckee and a straightforward drive from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area along Interstate 80. Founded in 1939 by the Austrian ski champion Hannes Schroll, with a history shaped by Austrian ski culture, Hollywood and Walt Disney, it is one of California’s oldest ski resorts and remains independently owned and operated. Its terrain spreads across four peaks, from beginner slopes and groomed intermediate runs to technical steeps, open bowls and gladed trees, with terrain parks and access to the backcountry. A gondola carries guests from the parking area up to the Village Lodge, and the resort’s Royal Gorge offers an extensive network of cross-country ski trails.