donner ski ranch

First time visiting Donner Ski Ranch with family and had a wonderful time. Reached there at around 11:30am and we were lucky that the lines were not long at all. We were able to schedule a 12:30pm lesson for my children as well with plenty of time for equipment rental and sizing before the start of the lesson! There were plenty of people there skiing/snowboarding but it was well staffed that it did not seem like it was chaos.STAFFING/CUSTOMER SERVICEThe staff was friendly and kind. When we told them it was our first time and wanted to know if we can watch our children during their lessons, Dana at the purchasing area said "Yes" without any hesitations. All we had to do was go up to the bunny slope area and watch as long as we were on the side and not in the middle of the slope for safety sake. It really put us at ease!CHILDREN LESSONS (1.5 Hours) for ages 7-12 only$69 included the basic equipment like skis, boots, poles OR board and boots plus usage of Magic Carpet (bunny slope) plus chairs 4 and chairs 6 lifts. If you want a safety helmet, you'll have to rent it for an extra $8. If you want goggles, no luck in rental, you'll have to purchase them at the ski shop and they are expensive ($48/$54 versus Amazon.com!). NOTE: Bring your own sunglasses or goggles is a must. Thank goodness we had.Ratio was about 1 instructor to 5 students; however, the group size was 15. They'd start with basic training of how to fall, how to get up, how to climb/step down the hill, then finally how to ski/ride down. They set up basic stations area with 1 instructor verbally instructing while 2 assistant instructors to catch the students down the short hill. Instructors were very nice and they do try to help students who were struggling. Parents had the ability to watch lesson closely during bunny hills but not on chair lifts unless have lift tickets already. However, the ages 7-12 grouping, really doesn't work well because of different physical capabilities. A 12 year old will get the hang of it a lot faster than compared to a 7 year old. So basically the group had a few younger students who got very frustrated because they were lagging behind. SUGGESTION: Split the age further down to be ages 7-9 and then 10-12. Our children did NOT like the lessons but it was because they got frustrated with the waiting for the instructors to come around and help plus they were struggling. However, they enjoyed the bunny hills after the lessons to practice all on their own and stayed until the very end when the place was closing! Next time, we may just opt out on the lessons and go straight with the lift tickets.DINING OPTIONSSmall dining area and patio seating available. The inside were nice and warm and wasn't crowded at all because we got there right before the lunch rush! Food options were reasonable at a ski venue (e.g. $4 for a corn dog / $2.50 for regular soda). They served fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, corn dog, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, garden burger, plus other typical venue options. Food was made to order with the exception of salads so that was nice because it was hot but it also means you have to wait. Dining room definitely filled up while we were there to the point it was hard to maneuver in/out but thank goodness it was lesson time and we got out of there!RESTROOMSNeed some attention to details on this one! Not sure what is the cleaning schedule but hearing and experiencing, restrooms are in need of some detailed attention. There are two areas for restroom, one off of the dining area and one downstairs in the lift ticket purchase. It was definitely crowded and no hooks to hang your bags or jackets. That made it very difficult. The stalls were not as cleaned as we'd like. SUGGESTION: Have scheduled cleaning every 2 hours intervals and post an update for completion, especially during holiday weekends!PARKINGAmple parking space when we got there. They have a direct parking lot and then an overflow across the road. We parked across the road and there were lot attendants guiding us where to park. Easy navigation to the place though even though we had to hop across the road with our children.

Donner Ski Ranch is where I learned to ski 33 years ago. It has obviously changed there, but the Ranch has always had a great local feeling and the terrain is great as long as the snow is there. It is south facing so it doesn't hold snow as long as some other resorts. In recent years they have added terrain in north facing areas that given them a longer season. Definitely worth it.

The Donner Ski ranch is close to Bay Area, the ticket is cheap and it is really good for beginners.It is not very far from I80. I did not need to use chain this time. We had fun and we will come back.

I started to learn to ski this season in Dec 2012, had a group lessons at Bear Valley, Heavenly, and Dodge Ridge each before I took a private lesson at Donner Ski Ranch, and also have skied at Sierra-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley. My private lesson on March 1st at Donner Ski Ranch was the worst learning experience comparing to the group lessons I took at other ski resorts. As my lesson at Donner was a private lesson, at the beginning of the lesson I told the instructor (Chuck) what I’d done so far and asked him to teach me making good turns, not doing plows, etc. But the instructor ignored what I had asked; rather he decided to take me to all the different lift chairs and “showing me the mountains” (as he put it). The instructor told me his ear pieces were running out the battery so he cannot hear me; he also cut my 2 hours private lesson 20 minutes short as there was another lesson was waiting for him, or maybe because he can’t hear me. So at the end, I felt I didn’t learn anything. The snow condition at Donner Ski Ranch was also the worst comparing to other ski resorts; it was icy in the morning and very slushy in the afternoon. The staff was worse than other ski resorts as well, not very well organized and was not professional. Overall, it was a very bad experience. I called Donner afterward and they offered to give me a makeup lesson. So I went again – what a mistake – the second experience was not any better than the first one. The staff (Dana) was very rude, maybe because I was there to take a “makeup” lesson. The lift ticket was not discussed before or during my first hour of lesson. Once the staff learned I suppose to have two hours lesson, they did not give me my second hour and Dana was very angry and yelled at me in front of many others “go get your lift ticket”. Regardless of when should I buy the lift ticket, at that point I had enough of the rudeness and un-professionalism of the staff, I decided not to ski or take lesson there anymore -- I will not give Donner Ski Ranch one penny more of my business. By the way, I took a friend with me on my second time there, and he purchased a package including group lesson. At the end, he said he and his friends and family will never go back to Donner Ski Ranch again.

Just back from 3 great days skiing at Donner Ski Ranch which I highly recommend.After January 1st, Tuesday - THursday skiing is only $30 for an adult all day lift pass. And for on $12 more you can get a ski lesson. Normal price is only $49. Almost 1/2 of all other Tahoe ski resorts.No crowds, closest to Bay area, nice groomed slopes and great instructors. ( Thanks Bill !)Although not as big as many Tahoe area ski resorts, for someone like me who doesn't ski much, I had all the runs I wanted. If you want excellent Spring skiing, now is the time to go and save a bundle too.

We went there during the winter break. While other places are crowded and raised their price, this place is still surprisingly not over crowded. The price for kid's class, lift and rental is unbeatable. Tha magic carpet area is perfect for beginners.We love this place! We can't wait to go back again!

My daughter and I started skiing two years ago. We needed lessons (group, private) and lots of exercise days.Instead of going to the big and famous ski resorts we started going to Donner Ski Ranch. The advantages I found were:a. Easy to get there (I-80)b. Small site, perfect for beginners - lots of short green runsc. You can always get lessons as it is not crowdedd. Affordable price (ski and food) - allowed us to visit more timesMy twin boys will start next year. I know where we are heading :-)

My first time here: We brought my 8 year old niece to learn how to snowboard. This little place is very inexpensive and therefore a great spot for kids to learn. There is a moving carpet, which makes it super easy to learn without getting on and off a lift right away. For those standing by with a video camera it's very family friendly. We brought a picnic and at outside at one of the picnic tables, it was a gorgeous blue bird day, so it was to really nice to picnic/eat outside. If you are looking for a small inexpensive mountain big on fun for family this is your place!

We visited on a Thursday, there were no crowds which was perfect or my 14 year old who was learning to snowboard. Ian was a great instructor very patient. The place is quite dated but has everything you need. Because I don't ski or board I was very happy that I could view most of the runs from the window of the lodge close to the fireplace. There is food to buy but, as could be expected, it is expensive. To save a few bucks we brought a cooler with our lunch. They have lots of tables inside and out to eat or play cards on.

It is small and inexpensive. Great for beginners or people with kids on a budget. Otherwise, it can get boring quickly.

I've been visiting Donner Ski Ranch for about 30 years. Our last visit was a couple of days past Christmas. What a mess it was! There is no longer anyone organizing the lift lines at the quad chair. It's chaotic there now. The cafeteria was unacceptable. Last year and years before, the workers at the grill were efficient. This year, 4 of them were standing around doing nearly nothing while the busy person at the grill attempted to serve customers. It took FORTY MINUTES to order and receive two cheeseburgers! The line wasn't really that long (about 20 ft.) They were out of many, many menu items and I heard through some of the customers that they were out of the same things the previous day. How about a trip down the hill for getting supplies? Very disappointing.The eating area is littered with people not eating, sleeping with their heads on the tables, dinking around with iPhones on the WiFi , making it difficult for paying customers to find a place to eat.They could use a lesson in teamwork. It appears that there must have been a management change at this resort and it's not for the better. That is unfortunate because my son learned to ski at this little resort. The prices are still great but someone needs to take charge of this place instead of letting it free run. It's in dire need of help.

Staff were rude and unfriendly.Do not recommend getting a lesson, teaching quality was very poor.During holidays the slopes are crowded.Won't go again. Recommend paying more for other resorts in the area.

this is a good affordable option for beginners. it has good slopes to learn how to ski or snowboard. one tip. after a big storm Donner always has grate slopes for powder snow.

My wife and I are both beginner skiers and read the great reviews about Donner being a good place to learn. Actually, it is definitely NOT a good place for complete beginners. We already took a lesson from NorthStar the day before, and I was skiing on most of their greens plow-style with no problem. My wife was falling a bit but could handle turns. The next day, we went to Donner, and I really wanted to like the place given the description of a family friendly old-fashioned place.When we arrived, the place felt great with its old-style cabin, and the parking lot is right next to the main lift.Rentals - on their website, they advertise $40 adult rental and lift ticket deals, but this is only good on Tues-Thurs. Otherwise, rental + ticket = $78. We weren't the only ones confused because there were 4 separate people who came in after us on Friday asking exactly the same thing when their total came up to be double what they were expecting. Their website is a bit of manipulative advertising.Slopes - really slippery on a fine sunny day. No precip for nearly one month. My wife and I both just could not stop on their gear + slopes. The whole layout of the place is poorly designed for beginners in comparison to bigger resorts. First, all of their runs dump on the big, pretty steep hill that you see from the parking lot. If that hill looks too steep to you, then don't ski here, because there is very little room at the bottom for you to stop, and you can't avoid this area since this is where the two main lifts are. I saw several people plowing into each other at the bottom and lots more who fell of their backsides to try to skid to a stop.The bunny slope / magic carpet area is just terrible for beginner skiers because of the steepness of that area. The flatter part is way past the beginning of the magic carpet, and you have to go UPHILL for ~80 ft just to get to the beginning of the magic carpet. My wife was completely struggling to get to the carpet, and she wasn't the only one. I found it extremely difficult myself, and I notice that several other people did as well. Some of the kids were pulled up by their walking parents, but ALL the adult skiers had to just take of their skis and walk up. The width and length of the magic carpet itself is also clearly made just for little kids and not for adult beginners. I asked one of the older instructors who was just standing there about why it was so slippery and her reply was that I should put my toe down and take some lessons. She then went on complaining about how few people there were to take lessons to some other staff.Green runs - tried two of them, and they were both fine in parts but other places were too steep or maybe it was their rental gear. The other side of the lift 6 is pretty flat, but again, everything dumps to the hill at the end.We only skied for 1.5 hours but my wife had enough and said she wanted to go somewhere else that was better designed for beginners. I would have tried more of the runs, but she was totally frustrated with their poor layout, so we returned our stuff and prepared to go elsewhere. We paid for full day rental, helmets, and lift tickets = $85 x 2, and we asked the manager, Gio, if we could have a return of a half day, but he said that under no circumstances did they ever give any portion of any refund at all. His offer was a voucher for another day at Donner that had to be used in 15 days. He also said that we were the only people in the last two weeks who complained which just simply is not true since I personally saw three different groups asking about various complaints like a wrong charge, etc.It's a shame because I really wanted to like the place, but overall, I had a terrible time at Donner. It's NOT particularly friendly, and it's just awfully designed for adult beginners. We had a much better time at North Star, where the people are lot nicer and everything is just designed better. In my opinion the price difference, especially over the weekend, is really worth it, but it does get a little crowded. Maybe Donner would be better for intermediates. The only saving grace was the spectacular view of Donner Lake and the surrounding mountains on the way up.

We visted Donner Ski Ranch 2 days in a row a few days after Christmas. My 11 year old son wanted to learn to snowboard. He took a private lesson and snowboarded for the entire time we were there. He was treated like a VIP, the instructor was great and he was snowboarding in no time. He was riding the lifts to the top of the mountain by the end of the 1st day. I thought all the staff was extremely helpful, there were no long lift lines and the magic carpet area was great for beginners to learn to ski/snowboard. The lodge was cozy with a fireplace and the food was decent. Our son is begging us to go back...he LOVED it.