One of the oldest resorts at Lake Tahoe, on Donner Pass, founded in the 1930s with Walt Disney among the original investors and the first chairlift in California. The mountain gets more snow than almost anywhere at Tahoe because of its position on the pass, and the terrain spreads across four peaks with a good spread of levels and excellent tree skiing.

The village at the base is reached by gondola in winter because there is no road to it, which keeps the place quiet and self contained. Sacramento is around two hours away and Reno an hour. Storms can close the interstate, so keep plans flexible.