Best Dog Friendly Ski Resorts – It’s no secret that Lake Tahoe is one of our favorite dog-friendly places to visit. With great hiking, skiing and stunning views to snow-covered mountain trees and dog-friendly ski resorts, South Lake Tahoe has something for everyone.
Located at 6,225 feet above sea level, Tahoe is North America’s largest alpine lake and had a record amount of snow this year. This place is magical all year round, and we’ve been lucky enough to experience Tahoe as a winter getaway a few times. With 188 inches of fall this year, we knew we had to play in the snow.
Best Dog Friendly Ski Resorts
When planning a winter trip to Lake Tahoe, you should visit between late November and early April, when there is plenty of snow. The rinks opened in December continue until the end of March and sometimes until April, depending on the amount of snow during the year. January and February are the months when most visitors come to Tahoe. I recommend visiting early or late in the season to avoid the crowds, or extending your long weekend to a week to do snow sports.
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Traveling with a dog requires extra gear, and winter getaways are no different. I honestly think it will take more time to keep your puppy safe, but it’s totally worth it. It’s worth buying some of the gear you’ll need for your winter break in advance and checking before your adventure, such as snow boots. I waited until the last minute for this and got lucky, but this is something you want to do correctly to protect your dog’s paws and ensure he can spend as much time in the snow as possible.
If you’re staying in South Lake Tahoe, there are a variety of hotel options near the town of South Lake and rentals in the surrounding areas and other mountain resorts. We were hosted at the Station House Inn for this winter getaway. The hotel is located a few blocks from Lake Tahoe Boulevard. In Nam Ho town.
We enjoyed staying in the comfortable king bed on the first floor with direct access to the outside. Our room had all the basic necessities and also some things like a mini fridge, heat lamp in the bathroom, and an ice chest. There is plenty of parking on site and this is included in your booking.
The hotel also has a lodge perfect for relaxing after a day of skiing and a restaurant where dog owners can dine. Station House Inn Lodge hosts a happy hour daily from 4pm to 6pm. and movie nights on Fridays. They even offer marshmallows outside by the fire pit in the evenings.
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If you don’t want to deal with parking and shops and restaurants in Paradise Village, you can reach the city center within a 5-minute walk from the hotel.
While skiing and snowboarding aren’t the only activities you can do with your dog in South Lake Tahoe, there are many other winter activities you can enjoy. To help you plan your winter vacation, we’ve compiled a list of all the dog-friendly activities we loved during our visit to South Lake Tahoe.
There are several areas around Tahoe that are popular for dog-friendly snowshoeing: Fallen Leaf Lake, Echo Lake, Meeks Bay, Page Meadow, North Tahoe Regional Park, and Hope Valley. I don’t think it’s possible to have bad views in Tahoe, so be prepared for plenty of views no matter which spot you decide on.
The two most important things when snowshoeing are equipment and access to the area you want to explore. If you need to rent snowshoes, you can rent them for a day (or multiple times) from South Tahoe Ski and Snowboard Rentals, Camp Richardson, Pyramid Peak Ski and Snowboard Rentals, or Sports Ltd. You can visit Tahoeroads.info for up-to-date information. Traffic conditions and closures.
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We had planned to snowshoe at Echo Lake, but due to road closures, we parked near Camp Richardson and hiked to the Fallen Leaf Lake trailhead instead. Since this is not a popular place in the winter, street parking is easy to find. Typically, about four cars can fit in the driveway, and the roadway past Camp Richardson can fit 10 or more. If you see the road closure sign in front of Camp Richardson, don’t be afraid. This is just a warning that you cannot go any further as the roads to Emerald Bay are not maintained.
It is about 2 miles from the main road to the lake. At the beginning there is a route that takes you through the mountains. I think a groomed trail is easy and if you stick to it you won’t need snowshoe poles to support you.
If you want to get off the beaten path and explore deep snow terrain, I recommend a stick and a onesie for your dog. If the snow is very deep, as we visited, there are no obvious signs and service can be erratic, so make sure you find your way back.
We didn’t make it to Leaf Lake because the snow was bothering one of Rue’s feet, so she had to go back to the car (I was her personal Uber).
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Even though the trip was shortened, it was definitely worth it and was definitely our favorite activity of the trip. I tried not to do that with my camera and just enjoy the moment, but look there! Everywhere we went was beautiful.
Tip for skiing with your dog: Invest in a hands-free leash that you can wear around your waist or across your body, and use a long leash so your dog has enough room to walk in front of you. This will prevent you from touching the pole if necessary and tripping over it. If your dog remembers well, this is an excellent exercise for his escape, as long as he doesn’t mislead you. Rue likes to be in front of me or behind me, so we stick to the lead.
Similar to skiing, you can play in the snow just about anywhere in Tahoe this time of year.
Our original plan was to play in the snow at Sno-Park. The Sno-Parks program is operated by California State Parks in collaboration with other organizations and provides access to plowed snow park areas where you can stop to ski, toboggan, ski or just play snowballs. Some Sno Parks offer access to groomed XC and snowshoe trails, others do not, but all welcome four-legged friends as long as they stay on a tight bond. While Sno-Parks aren’t cheap, costing $15 a day or $40 for a season pass, they can provide all-day entertainment.
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There are 19 Sno Parks in California, most of them in the Lake Tahoe area, stretching from Sierra County in the north to Mammoth Lakes in the south. The two closest lakes to South Lake Tahoe are Echo Lakes at Echo Summit off Highway 50 (Pacific Crest Trail to Desolation Wilderness) and Taylor Creek (South Shore entrance at Fallen Leaf Lake).
You’ll find maps, descriptions and more information about Sno-Park here. Purchase your card or license (valid through May 30) online or at area retailers. Do not attempt to park without permission: you will be fined $95.
However, just like on our ski trip, all the trails at Sno-Park were closed or under snow. Luckily, we found the perfect open space to run and play just down the road from where we walked along the Papa Baldwin Bike Trail along the Emerald Bay Trail. We met a few skiers and built a snowman, but really we had the place to ourselves.
We even lucked out with fresh snow! It was a great time watching Ruby Bunny bounce around in the deep snow as light fresh powder fell on us and created something I could imagine would be like living in a snow-filled world.
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All snowmobile businesses, like Adventure Mountain in Lake Tahoe, are dog-friendly. Sno-Parks can be a good choice for the runs when open, but in reality you should only go if you have your eye on a good hill.
We found the most beautiful hill behind Paradise Village at the end of Forest Suites Resort. There is a public car park attached to Thien Lang, but if you pass by there you can park safely on the street and go up the hill.
We took our Funboy inflatable sleds and electric pump with us so it was easy to inflate the sleds in the hotel room, close them, and pack them away when we were done.
It’s hard to tell from the photos but it’s there
