At Donner Ski Ranch, we found at least 2 places to stay about a 5-minute walk or less from the bottom of a lift. The closest we found is Heidelmann Lodge, The Nature Friends, about 5 minutes on foot from Chairlift 3.
In summer Donner Ski Ranch has 39 mapped mountain bike trail sections near the lifts, 1 trailhead within about 4 miles, Lake Mary 0.4 miles from the main base. Schull Lodge is 0.7 mi from a trailhead as the crow flies.
- 6lifts on the map
- 47mapped runs
- 720 ftvertical, lowest lift to top
- 7,760 fthighest point mapped
- 39bike trail sections nearby
- 1trailhead within 4 mi
- 0.4 mito the nearest named lake
Ski-in/ski-out or a short walk?
Among the places to stay we found at Donner Ski Ranch, 2 places to stay are about a 5-minute walk or less from the bottom of a lift. “Ski-in/ski-out” and “slopeside” are labels each property gives itself, and they can mean a run past the door or a groomed path to the nearest chair. We don't repeat the label; we measure the walk to a lift's bottom station and how close a mapped run passes. Before you book, ask the property which run reaches the door and whether it is groomed all season.
Which lift to stay near
- Chairlift 3 2 places within about a 10-minute walk; closest: Heidelmann Lodge, The Nature Friends
Places to stay, closest first
Condo complexes and rental homes are often missing from the open data we measure, so the real number near the lifts is usually higher. The mountain's own lodging pages list them.
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Narrow it down Counts update as you choose.
7 places to stay
- 5min walk1.2mi to a trail
Heidelmann Lodge, The Nature Friends
Hostel · 19880 Donner Pass Road, CA- To Chairlift 3: about 5 minutes on foot, by a mapped walking route
- To the nearest trailhead (Donner Peak Trailhead): 1.2 mi as the crow flies
- 5min walk1.3mi to a trail
Clair Tappaan Lodge, Sierra Club
Hostel · 19940 Donner Pass Road, Norden, CA- To Chairlift 3: about 5 minutes on foot, by a mapped walking route
- To the nearest trailhead (Donner Peak Trailhead): 1.3 mi as the crow flies
- 11min walk1.4mi to a trail
Hutchinson Lodge
Hostel- To Chairlift 3: about 11 minutes on foot, by a mapped walking route
- To the nearest trailhead (Donner Peak Trailhead): 1.4 mi as the crow flies
- 17min walk0.7mi to a trail
Schull Lodge
Hotel- To Chairlift 3: about 17 minutes on foot, by a mapped walking route
- To the nearest trailhead (Donner Peak Trailhead): 0.7 mi as the crow flies
- 1.0mi to a lift1.0mi to a lift
Boreal Inn
Motel- To Chairlift 5: 1.0 mi as the crow flies
- To Chairlift 5: 1.0 mi as the crow flies
- 2.4mi to a lift2.4mi to a lift
Donner Lake Village Resort
Hotel- To Chairlift 4: 2.4 mi as the crow flies
- To Chairlift 4: 2.4 mi as the crow flies
Food: The Pub at Donner Lake, 0.3 mi
- 5.4mi to a lift5.4mi to a lift
Truckee Donner Lodge
Hotel · 10527 Cold Stream Road- To Chairlift 4: 5.4 mi as the crow flies
- To Chairlift 4: 5.4 mi as the crow flies
Food: Mountain Brew, 210 ft
Summer at Donner Ski Ranch
Read from OpenStreetMap; distances are straight-line from the main base. What runs in summer, and when, is up to the mountain: check its own calendar.
- Nearest trailheadsDonner Peak Trailhead (0.3 mi)
- Mountain bike trails39 mapped sections within about 2.5 miles of the lifts; difficulty is tagged on 39 of them
- Lakes nearbyLake Mary (0.4 mi), Lake Angela (0.5 mi), Chinese Catfish Pond (0.5 mi)
The mountain in winter
Counts come from the map, which can lag behind a new lift or a renamed run.
- Runs by difficulty on the map14 easier, 18 more difficult, 15 most difficult
- Cross-country (Nordic) skiing nearbyChristmas Tree Homesites (1 mi, 67 mi of trails), Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area (5 mi, 43 mi of trails)
Other mountains close by
- Sugar Bowl Resort1 mi away · California
- Boreal Mountain Resort2 mi away · California
- Soda Springs3 mi away · Soda Springs, California
- Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area5 mi away · Truckee, California
- Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley10 mi away · Tahoe City, California
- Northstar at Tahoe Resort12 mi away · Truckee, California
Good to know
How many places to stay are within walking distance of the lifts at Donner Ski Ranch?
We measured 7 places to stay around Donner Ski Ranch in open map data. 2 are about a 5-minute walk or less from the bottom of a lift, 2 within about 10 minutes and 4 within about 20. The rest are farther out.
Is there ski-in/ski-out lodging at Donner Ski Ranch?
No place to stay we found sits right beside a mapped run here, but 2 places to stay are about a 5-minute walk or less from the bottom of a lift. Any ski-in/ski-out claim is the property's own: ask how the run reaches the door.
Which lift has the most lodging close by?
Chairlift 3: 2 of the places to stay we list are within about 10 minutes on foot of its bottom station.
Is Donner Ski Ranch worth a summer trip?
The map shows 39 mapped mountain bike trail sections near the lifts; 1 trailhead within about 4 miles; Lake Mary 0.4 miles from the main base. Lift-served biking and summer rides depend on the operator's season, so check its site for dates.
How high does Donner Ski Ranch go?
The highest point on our map is about 7,760 feet, and the lowest lift starts near 7,040 feet, a drop of about 720 feet. Elevations come from the map's terrain model, so treat them as close, not exact.
How do you work out the minutes?
Along a mapped walking route from each place to stay to the bottom station of the nearest chairlift, gondola or tram you can walk to, at an easy pace. Where the map has no route we give the distance as the crow flies instead of minutes. How we measure.