Top Family Friendly Ski Resort in Tahoe – Mt Rose

This post was last updated on January 4th, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Choosing a favorite family ski resort in Tahoe is like drinking a fine wine. There are some wines that cost a lot of money and taste fantastic, but they’re for really special occasions. You drink them first, appreciate them, but it’s a one time deal. There are also wines that are overpriced and taste like acid, but have fancy labels and come from large commercial winerys. Then, there are wines that are moderate in price – not too cheap, not too expensive – that are perfect for any meal, sharing with friends – even those who aren’t wino’s, and you keep coming back to it because it’s reliable. You get the picture. That’s Mt Rose, the top family friendly ski resort in Tahoe.

I would put the big guys – Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar California and Heavenly Lake Tahoe – in the category of really expensive wines. Since everyone has their own unique palate, you can choose for yourself if it’s good or not. They all have the acreage and amazing runs (I’m not going to argue there), but they also have the fancy villages with expensive condos and lift ticket prices to match, ski school instructors with exotic accents, and the continuous parade of who’s wearing what and from what designer. If that’s what you are looking for great. Stop reading right now!

If you are looking for a more intimate, family friendly ski resort, with some of the best snow in the Tahoe area look no further than Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. “Be Among Friends” is more than a tag line. It’s where the locals go. Enough said right!

5 Basic Facts about Mt Rose Ski Tahoe

1. First ski resort in the Tahoe area to open the 2019/2020 ski season.
2. Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation at 8,260 feet, which means more snow.
3. 25 minutes or less from Reno.
4. Free WiFi at the Main Lodge and Winters Creek Lodge.
5. Extensive snowmaking.

Those are 5 basic facts about Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. But here’s what keeps locals coming back and why visitors might want to make Mt Rose Ski Tahoe their destination for family fun.

Top Reasons Mt Rose Ski Tahoe is Great for Families

1. The lift lines move fast and the lift operators are way cool, especially on the beginner lifts. They are extremely helpful with little kids, regardless if it’s sunny or dumping snow. They are not hiding inside the control booth. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help. New for the 2019/2020 season, RFID lift gates, which means no more digging around for your lift ticket or pass. It will be read automatically as you pass though the gate. 

   

    

2. Rock Star parking. The parking lots are close to the lodges and lifts on both the Rose side and Slide side of the resort. You don’t have to take a shuttle to the base of the mountain just to wait 30 minutes in line for a lift ticket. 

   

    

3. Many employees have been around for 20 plus years. They love what they do and they keep coming back year after year. 

   

    

4. Winters Creek Lodge. It’s where the locals hang out. 

   

    

5. Kids @ Rose. They have yet to lose my child unlike another Tahoe area ski resort did a few years back. But, that’s not the only reason I like it. The instructors are wonderful! They are patient, enjoy kids (which is a plus if you are going to work with kids and not just here for the visa ), and most of the instructors grew up skiing at Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. 

   

    

6. Mt Rose Ski Team. My kids have collectively skied in this program for ten years. If your child is more advanced than the Ski at Rose program, this is the best bang for your buck. You don’t need to be a local either. But, you do need to commit to skiing on either Saturday or Sunday for the duration of the program. It launches out of the Rose side. The instructors, like those in the Ski at Rose program, are patient and enjoy teaching.

 

 

Another Reason Mt Rose Rocks – Investment

You can complain that lift ticket prices keep going up, but with all the major improvement the last few years, at least you can see where your money is going: new RFID lift gates, expanded snow making, new Wizard ski lift, several new beginner runs, expanded lodge seating at the main lodge with lots of wall outlets, free wi-fi, new ski school check in area, and the Winters Creek Lodge.

 

Passholder Perks

There are so many more reasons to love Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. I haven’t even gotten started on passholder perks or the deals they offer visitors who fly in to Reno and want to ski the same day. You can visit their website at www.skirose.com for daily deals, snow report and mountain information, and live web cams.

 

Disclaimer: I am a Mt Rose Ski Tahoe season pass holder. I paid for my season pass. My opinion is my own. I have not been compensated in any form from Mt Rose Ski Tahoe, although I won’t turn down a bottle of wine if one should come my way.