Royal Gorge
Soda Springs / Donner Summit · near Soda Springs / Truckee · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Nordic & Snowshoe
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Mar; reliable Donner Summit snowpack (~7,000 ft)
What is here
- Activities
- classic · skate · snowshoe
- Setting
- forest
- Amenities
- Largest XC resort in North America · Groomed classic & skate trails · Trailside warming huts · Rentals, lessons & lodge
- Best for
- A full day on a vast groomed network
- Features
- North America's largest XC resort · Miles of groomed trails · Warming huts en route · Reliable Donner Summit snow
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- High elevation & sun exposure · Cold, wind on exposed ridges · Weather can close trails · Dress in layers, carry water
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- Yes
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- xc-center
- Ability
- intermediate
- Snow
- 5
- Trail notes
- North America's largest cross-country resort — a vast network of groomed classic and skate trails winding through forest and open ridges high on Donner Summit, with warming huts along the way
- Terrain note
- ~6,800–7,400 ft; huge groomed network; reliable deep Sierra snow
- Intl tip
- The largest cross-country ski resort in North America, on Donner Summit near Soda Springs — a vast network of groomed classic and skate trails through forest and open ridges, with trailside warming huts. Terrain for everyone, from gentle beginner loops to long backcountry-feeling tours, and reliable snow at ~7,000 ft. Rentals, lessons, and a lodge make it easy for first-timers. Dress in layers for the high, windy, sun-exposed ridges, carry water, and check the trail/weather report. Unmatched scale and variety.
The guide
Royal Gorge, spread across the high country of Donner Summit near Soda Springs, is the largest cross-country ski resort in Nort…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Royal Gorge — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.3, -120.36