Northstar Cross Country
Truckee · near Truckee · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Nordic & Snowshoe
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Mar; dependable Truckee-area snow (~6,900 ft)
What is here
- Activities
- classic · skate · snowshoe
- Setting
- forest
- Amenities
- XC Center closed for 2025–26 · Alternatives: Tahoe XC, Tahoe Donner, Royal Gorge · Resort village at the base · Groomed trails when open
- Best for
- Resort-village base (XC center closed this season)
- Features
- XC center closed for 2025–26 · Nearby groomed alternatives · Resort-village base · Check for future reopening
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Cold & sun exposure · High elevation · Weather-dependent · Layers
- Good for a first timer
- No
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- No
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- xc-center
- Ability
- beginner
- Snow
- 4
- Trail notes
- Heads up — the Northstar Cross-Country Center is CLOSED for the 2025–26 season. When open it's a mellow groomed XC and snowshoe network on the forested resort slopes; for now, nearby Tahoe XC, Tahoe Donner, and Royal Gorge are the alternatives
- Terrain note
- ~6,900–7,700 ft; groomed forest trails; dependable snow
- Intl tip
- Heads up: Northstar's Cross-Country Center is closed for the 2025–26 winter season, so it isn't currently operating for cross-country skiing. When open, it's a mellow groomed Nordic and snowshoe network on the forested resort slopes near Truckee, with a full village (lodging, dining, rentals, lessons) at the base. For groomed Nordic in the Truckee–Tahoe area this season, head instead to Tahoe Cross Country (above Tahoe City), Tahoe Donner Cross Country (Truckee), or Royal Gorge (Donner Summit). Check Northstar's site for updates on future seasons.
The guide
Important: the Northstar Cross-Country Center is closed for the 2025–26 winter season, so it is not currently operating for cro…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Northstar Cross Country — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.27, -120.12