Mt Rose Ski Resort

Officially known as Mt Rose Ski Tahoe, the Mt Rose Ski Resort is one of the Lake Tahoe ski resorts and has a lovely family friendly vibe. Mt Rose is Tahoe’s closest skiing to the city of Reno, being only a 25 minute drive away. Mount Rose is not a destination resort and because it’s located in Nevada, which sounds so far away to some people, the ski resort is often overlooked by many Tahoe visitors. This makes it more of a locals’ mountain with fewer crowds than the big glitzy Tahoe ski resorts.

Part of the Mt Rose Ski Resort was formerly known as Slide Mountain as it’s located on Slide Mountain (the actual Mount Rose is nearby). Perhaps they changed the name because whilst sliding on snow is fun, a mountain that has slides isn’t?!!

Pros and Cons of Mount Rose NV

Pros

• It’s pretty easy to see Mt Rose through rose coloured glasses because it’s pretty rosy! It isn’t super crowded compared to Squaw Valley or Northstar (although the day lodges can get pretty busy during peak holidays).
• Whilst not incredibly cheap, Mt Rose ski resort is reasonably priced compared to the high profile Tahoe ski resorts with respect to lessons, equipment rentals and lift tickets. Some excellent midweek lift ticket deals are available, or Liftopia generally offers big discounts.
• The snow quality is often better than many other Lake Tahoe ski resorts.
• All ability levels are catered for.
• It is a good place to learn to ski or snowboard and first timer packages are inexpensive.

Cons

• The terrain is somewhat small. For high-end intermediates and up, there’s probably only enough variety for a couple of days.
• The resort is not well protected from strong winds.

Pro or Con Depending on Your Perspective

• There’s no on-mountain lodging so a drive is required each day to get there. The upside is that lodging is more affordable than at the destination resorts, and if you like cashinos then staying in Reno should keep you happy.

Mt. Rose Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Nearby Reno is known as "The Biggest Little City in the World" so some folks call Mt Rose Ski Resort the “Biggest Little Ski Mountain”. It’s reasonably small with 1,200 acres (486 hectares) and a vertical drop of 1,800 feet (549 metres), but it packs in 60 trails and perhaps it’s called “big” because the elevation goes up to 9,700 feet (2,957 metres), one of the highest of the Lake Tahoe ski resorts. Some of the terrain is rather “big” too.

Mount Rose has a very good balance of terrain with a small number of trails for all abilities. The official trail stats are 20% beginner, 30% intermediate, 40% advanced, and 10% expert. The dedicated beginners’ terrain is located near the Main Lodge and serviced by surface lifts and a couple of slow chair lifts, so novices should enjoy the long rest. Intermediates have motorway groomed runs, advanced riders have open mogul runs as well as varied glades, whilst experts have The Chutes which are steep and sweet. Park riders have a few terrain parks with various features.

Mt Rose Snow

Compared to many other Lake Tahoe resorts, Mt Rose doesn’t score quite as high in the quantity stakes, but the snow volumes are generally nothing to sniff at with an average annual snowfall of 350 inches (8.9 metres). Mount Rose has the highest base elevation in Tahoe and the top elevation is pretty high too, which can contribute to better snow quality than other Tahoe ski resorts.

Where is Mt Rose Ski Tahoe?

Mt Rose Nevada is located on the Mt Rose Highway, 25 miles southwest of Reno and only 11 miles northeast of Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe (which is close to the Diamond Peak Ski Resort).

Mt Rose Lodging

There’s no Mt. Rose lodging on-mountain. You can search here for Mt Rose lodging options, which include the distance from the ski resort for each of the hotels.

Mt Rose Lodging Listings

Staying in Reno is one option if you want to revel in a city renowned for its casinos, gambling and other party activities. Reno tends to offer very good value for money lodging (especially on weekdays), with various casino resort hotels and inexpensive chain hotels.

Reno Hotel Listings

Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe is a slightly better option if you want to sample various Tahoe ski resorts, and also if you want the serenity of the lake. A good compromise between casinos and tranquillity is to stay at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. This delightful upscale resort has lovely accommodations, a casino, outdoor heated pool, hot tubs, and various restaurants and bars.

Incline Village Lodging Listings

Other options are to stay in Crystal Bay, Kings Beach, or at one of the other north shore towns or resorts.