Now here's old school for you! Small mountain , cheap price. Not the safest around, but it's so much fun! Great place to learn before graduating to the more expensive resorts. To address some others reviews , it is typical for resorts and other seasonal employers to hire students from other countries on J1 visas. And if they get 10 feet of snow, it's going to be a while before all the runs are groomed. Groomers are sunny weather skiing . Ask for which tuns are groomed before heading up the hill if you aren't prepared for condiciones naturales. And finally if you are going snowboarding for the first three times you're going to fall a lot . Bottom line it's pretty basic, just like you. Lower your expectations and have a good time.! read more

So I don't ski or snowboard but my fiancé and his friends all do. We live in the bay area so we make a few trips out to Tahoe every year so I have spent many full days in lots of different lodges. All though this lodge, cafeteria and bar are much smaller than almost all I have been too this one is by far the coziest with the best food,drink and atmosphere. I was a little nervous when I arrived this morning to sit for the day because it is small and I didn't want to take up too much space and have the bar tender feel annoyed ( because I just worry about those sort of things) but AMY the amazing girl tending bar was SO GREAT! not only did she make me feel for than comfortable setting up shop at a bar table for the day but I was lucky enough to watch her talent, patience and ability to make every customer happy, even through the busy lunch rush. She personalized every conversation with all the customers while keeping the crowd from getting too backed up.. she even managed to clean up as ppl were in and out giving genuine recommendations to ppl about the area. I have experience in the customer service business as well so I can assure you she is top tier. Bar tender extordinaire. If you are lucky enough to visit this beautiful part of our country I highly recommend paying Amy a visit! Tip her well because she certainly works hard as a master of her craft read more

Great value for beginner and low intermediate skiers. Great instructors. Easy to get to from I-80. Little crowd if at all. This was the place where I took many lessons and loved. Although now I usually go to Boreal, I would still recommend this place to anyone new to skiing and wants a less crowded surrounding. For the price, it offers the best value on learn-to-ski beginner packages which include lift ticket, equipment rental, and group lessons. read more

Disclaimer: I came here at the end of January, and it was incredibly slippery on the roads so please be careful if you're going to the area this winter season! Donner Ski Ranch is a little down the road from Sugar Bowl, if you're coming from the freeway exit! The parking was free but I should warn you, I hope you have your waterproof boots on already! Maybe it won't be a problem for you, but since it was lightly snowing during the day, and some snow from the past week, the roads were wet. They have snowboarding, skiing, and tubing for the family! Overall, it wasn't that busy on the Saturday afternoon. Come early since they close at 4PM. A lot of green level slopes, so it is very beginner-friendly. But don't be put-off if you feel like bunny slopes are limiting! I felt like the bunny slopes here were very wide and pretty long compared to Boreal. There was also chair lifts that take you beyond the peak of the hill, which give you amazing views of Donner Lake while you ski/snowboard. The chair lifts never really had a long line, so that saved us time going up the hills more. While I was there, my cousins and I got the beginner packages that came with an instructor-led class for beginners. This was my second time snowboarding but my cousins' first times. Although we arrived at 10AM, the 10:30AM beginner class was full so we had to wait for the 12:30PM class. It was a tad difficult to purchase tickets because the cashier kept asking for us to repeat things for her. Albeit, I know we had a big party of 7, so that contributed to the confusion. Ski classes were separate from the snowboarding classes, so I can't really say much about the ski instructors, but overall I felt like the snowboarding class was only helpful to an extent. It's good to know when to use your toes and heels, but in the end, you need more practice afterwards to get a feel for yourself. Overall, I would probably come back again because it is overall cheaper than Boreal and Sugar Bowl.. but I would not recommend this place for more experienced riders! It's a good first-time-going place. read more

What a great day! Friendly staff, bar and cafe open for take out to eat on the deck and watch the action.

Our family just spent another couple days skiing at DSR, and it was an even better experience than the last. The kids hated to leave. My husband and I had a lesson with Bill to try and get "more parallel, less plow." What a terrific instructor and all-around nice guy! We learned so much in those 90 minutes. We'd never have ventured to the top of Chair 1 on our own, but we trusted in Bill's expertise to help us navigate the terrain (and our own anxiety) in getting down the mountain. We ended the lesson feeling so much more confident. As my husband aptly put it, "I feel like I can call myself a skier now." Thank you, Bill! Here's hoping for some more snow and another trip to Donner Ski Ranch soon! read more

A good place to brush-up on skills, grab a lesson or 2 and learn/remember how to stand-up on skis or boards. We stop here after driving MANY HOURS (at least it feels like it) with 3 kids. The kids get to play in the snow-- remember what that's like- jump on their equipment- maybe grab a quick/cheap lesson. Maybe I grab a quick/cheap lesson & it was just a fun day instead of a planned SPLURGE. Everyone plays in our family of 5 for well under $100, whereas Northstar runs our family of 5 a good $450. And that works pretty well for us & our kids for now. We spend a day or 2 at Northstar, but this is a nice way to round out the trip at the beginning/end. As the kids grow older & insist on more challenges, this just might not cut it anymore, but as it stands, we get to stop & stretch our legs an hour or so earlier- Get the wiggles out- Get our mojo back and get ready to hit Northstar harder tomorrow. read more

My nephew and I took a lesson from Cody for snowboarding and it was WONDERFUL. The old school days make it affordable to ski if you can play hookie. Cody was such a patient and attentive teacher. "He's cool"- my nephew. read more

We booked private lessons for our kids, with Cody. He taught them a bunch of new stuff and really moved them along. We are staying in an AirBnB in the Condos, right on the property. What a treat! We break for lunch or just a quick 10 mins, everything we need is right there. We loved skiing at the Ranch, the ski parks were super fun! read more

My grandson and I went for his first time skiing. He had a two hour lesson, then we skied the rest of the day. The slopes were great and employees extremely helpful, especially Logan in the boot fitting department. I had a problem with boot fitting that he quickly diagnosed and resolved. We had a boxed carry-out lunch from the bar that was great. Due to Covid, there was no place to sit inside and eat or take a break. It was snowing off and on all day; cold and wet on the deck. The one thing I wish they had was some type of cover and outdoor heaters for the deck area. Other than that, it was very fun and I would recommend for a great ski experience. read more

Go there for the Pie.. Food and beer is Great too.. Donner is an rustic ski resort with lots of local and vacationers dropping in for nice food or and friendly atmosphere. Check their calendar for their summer events like the annual rock crawling. And yes their are cool rollovers, most in slow motion. But I must stress: ITS ALL ABOUT JANETTES PIES!!!! read more

Honestly I didn't have high hopes for this place, but after spending about 10 min there it's definitely a diamond in the rough. A friend took me snowboarding for the first time @ Donner Ski during the middle of the week & after an hour of falling on my butt I decided fat girl needed a break! I went up to the 'cafeteria' area to find out it wasn't open, but the bar was and they took the food orders and prepared the food. I sat down & was instantly greeted by the bartender (I'm so horrible for not remembering her name but this was back in January) even though she was in the middle of a conversation with a regular she stopped to say hi and asked if I needed anything. At that time I just wanted a bottle of water, but she was attentive & kind. After my break and another lesson my friend & I decided to go back to the bar for lunch & a beverage. Again the bartender was so nice & the 2 regulars, one of which apparently works there part time, struck up a conversation with us & everyone made us feel like we were regulars too. We ordered drinks, her a beer, me a dirty vodka martini - extra dirty & some chilli cheese fries. The bartender wanted to make sure she got my martini the way I liked it and gave me extra olive juice on the side if it wasn't the way I liked it (mucho points in my book!). The fries were heavenly, and not just because we were starving but they were really good! We didn't order anything else because I didn't want to weigh myself down with too much food, I dunno maybe I thought sustenance would make me a worse snowboarder (though looking back nothing would have made me better or worse for that matter). I saw others order burgers & such & it all smelled good & looked good. When it comes down to it I would be willing to eat &/or drink here even if I wasn't playing in the snow. I look forward to the next time I get to experience this friendly establishment. read more

Donner Ski Ranch - Inside the bar looking west - Ski Resorts Near Me - Norden, California

Waited forever at the cafeteria, high school kids in the kitchen :-( At least the food prices are reasonable. Half day ticket starts at 12:30 for $45, best in the area! Parking lot is right across the street, a short walk to the ski slopes. read more

Since Norm, previous owner, sold this mini-resort it become my favorite for price and people, and easy in/out., Ski Ranch has great people always helpful, accommodating, and utterly lacking the Sugar Bowl arrogance and attitude. Quick access to the slope, no stupid gondola and spending an hour to get to a decent run like in Sugar Bowl. Ski tuning on site while you wait - sweet , wait at the great fire place , though food is it still weak point there! .... . The North side runs like Vanishing Point have better snow than Sugar Bowl runs. especially in the afternoon when the shade lays in. I would give it 5 stars if they would keep the ski runs a bit more groomed during the week, but you get what you pay for , understand. read more

My eight year old daughter needed first time ski lessons. I had reservations at Squaw Valley but the traffic did not allow us to make the reservation. Driving home I checked in at Donner Ski Ranch for available lessons. We signed up for the 2:30pm to 4:00pm group kids first timers lesson for $79. The lesson was telling the kids to carry the skis themselves up to a people mover and then up a hill. Then my daughter was told to put on her skis and go down the hill. There was no instruction at all. My daughter needed help. She told the instructor that she couldn't ski down the hill. My daughter gave up 15 minutes into the lesson. She was told to carry all her ski gear back down the hill by herself. My daughter no longer wants to ski. I understand Tahoe Donner is a bottom rung resort but a little instruction would have been nice. read more

Had an awesome experience with our large group (60+). Diogo, especially, was super great at accommodating us with last minute changes. I loved that we had our own private room as well. Communication can be a little unclear at times, especially when DSR said they're unable to rent us helmets to private groups (are we not customers as well?) so we had to rent separately the day before, which was a bit of a hassle. We would've preferred to rent helmets at DSR (even if we couldn't get a group rate). Go to the lodge for lunch EARLY because getting food was chaotic (long waits, unorganized). Overall, we'd definitely come back! Thanks for a memorable trip. read more

Make sure to bring money with you if your planning a family trip here! Costs can rack up quick at the ski resort. When I went in January there were a few times when the ski resort was closed (the lifts and skiiing/snowboarding were stopped for the day). Haven't really had any staff interaction except to collect my money so nothing that I can comment beyond that. The area is beautiful and a great place to visit during the spring as well. Make sure to check the weather before you come here. read more

Bummer! This used to be a great little rustic resort with good grooming and great skiing. We skied yesterday and were disappointed to find out that most of the lift operators could not even speak English. This can actually become a safety issue! Also, there were no signs or indications that the backside had not been groomed. We took one of the group that was a beginner back there with us, expecting groomed slopes. She had a rough time and was very dissatisfied. Would've been different if there would have been a better warning. The lift prices have been raised and really... What you get is not worth what you pay for! read more

Pros: it's cheap. Parking is 10 steps away from the lifts. Cons: just two lifts. Limited amount of choices available for beginner skiers. Rude folks at the rental shop. The lifts are too low and lot of folks were having an issue getting on and off. Not sure if this was just for the weekend I visited (mid April) Not managed well. read more

The older guy that was working the lifts, was a real ass to my son. It was the third time going up the lift and when he was trying to get off the lift and the guy started yelling at him, instead of showing him how to get off the lift. Definitely not a place for beginners. Ruined the day for my older son because of the way his brother was yelled at by the older worker. read more

This place is conveniently located just a few miles off of hwy 80. It was easy to find and on the way to Reno from SF. I was attracted to this location for the convenience and the reasonable cost of tubing activity ($25 for 2 hours). The tubing hill does have belt service and inflatable tubs available included in the $25 charge. There's also an outdoor viewing area for those not interested in tubing. The first hour of tubing was fun, then it started to get boring. The hill is decent but has the same run every single time. People working in the area are not friendly and provides hardy any assistance. In fact, one gentlemen on the hill was very rude and showed no patience to kids. Overall, I had fun but will try a different place next time. read more

If you want to be treated like crap by a bunch of a-holes, then this is the place for you. The staff here is unbelievably rude, including the staff from Argentina. They all seem miserable in their jobs and take it out on the customers. Rather than be grateful for their customers during the COVID lockdown while others are out of work, they choose to treat their customers like sh*t...with the exception of one girl from Peru who was pleasant. The guy with the tattoos on his arms adjusting the rental equipment was the biggest jerk...telling my 4-year-old to hurry up and walk. I give 2 stars because the place is not crowded and the kids liked the tubing run, despite the jerk over there yelling at the little kids and parents not to stay within 10 feet of each other on the moving carpet. Yeah, put a 4yo on a moving walkway and make him stand there all by himself..,really smart. And don't dare step on the yellow line at the top of the moving carpet by accident or you will get yelled at by the jerk at the top. These people are so uptight. read more

Small and great for families with kids. It may not be the trendiest ski resort in the area (like Northstar, which is about 3 miles away), but there are rarely lift lines and it's damn cheap. Great option if you don't get around to purchasing season tickets to Northstar on time for the season. read more

Almost the best deal in the Sierra's. I have been snowboarding since 1989 when there were only 3 of us on the mountain and Heavenly only let us on the Nevada side. We were outcasts because we "ruined" the snow for skiers. I have boarded all over the Sierras, Alaska, and Idaho. My preference was back country, deep powder stuff. Fast forward to 2017 and I am no longer the punky teenager of years past. Snowboarding takes a lot of agility that this 42 year old is starting to lose due to my desk job. I have been dreaming of putting on the skis that I haven't worn since the tender age of 13. Since my old equipment is way past its prime I would need to rent. A work friend of mine told me about Old School Days as Donner Ski Ranch. $40 for a lift ticket and $20 for rentals. Wow, just like 1990!! This deal is good between Tuesdays and Thursdays. Overall, I had a fantastic time skiing again. This is a solid deal compared to the outrageously expensive mega-resorts around Tahoe. I spent most of the day on the easy hills, but I did venture to the top a couple of times and did go down some blue runs and even the backside. What impressed me most about this place was how friendly all of the employees are. Most of the lift operators look like they are from Peru or somewhere in South America. They are all super happy. I have never experienced this before. I am used to the hung over white dude that looks like he is pissed to be working instead of skiing. The lodge was pretty basic, but what do you expect for the price. My only complaint and the reason I deducted a star was because of the bathrooms. The toilet in the lodge smelled like a homeless camp and the outhouse in the parking lot was overflowing with poop and trash. It looks like the outhouse hadn't been cleaned in a month. Gross!!! Even though you could save a few buck renting down the road, the extra is worth the convenience of not having to transport the skis in your car and if you need an adjustment, they are right there. After we went here I did find a better beginner package at Sierra at Tahoe. I will be bringing my wife and daughter there next time and I will compare the two resorts from a beginners perspective. There, it is only $49 during select days for a beginner lift ticket, 2 hour lesson, and rental. Since almost all beginner always stay on the bunny hill, it may be a better deal, but we will see. read more

This is a great, unpretentious, family friendly ski resort - a throwback to simpler times 30 years ago. It is not much more expensive than Tahoe Donner or Soda Springs, but I think this is a much better resort than either of those places. Pros: 1. Even on New Year's Day, we were able to park very close to the bottom of the lifts. And we got in well after 10am. Try that at Northstar. 2. Lots of family friendly green slopes from top to bottom. 3. Magic carpet run is well done, it's close to the lodge and has good on/ off access such that the little ones could get on and off without help (by no means a given at other resorts). They allow parents not on skis to walk around and help out as well. 4. Reasonably priced. But you knew that already. Just bring cash. The front ticket office is cash only- no lines here. The inside office takes credit cards, but there was a line there. 5. Well groomed runs- unlike say Homewood (which is not a bad resort otherwise). Cons: 1. The lifts are fairly fast, and not particularly well landscaped. Kids with no poles will definitely need a helping hand to get from the "wait here" line to the "stand here" line. Little kids will need to be lifted onto some of the chairs. 2. There is not a whole lot of elevation. If you are looking for mile long rides to the bottom, stick with Squaw Valley. Food notes: 1. You are not allowed to bring your own food into the lodge to eat. But you could eat it on the tables outside. In practice I see lots of families eating their own cup-of-noodles and what not inside. No microwave ovens though, unlike say Tahoe Donner or Sugar Bowl. Lodge food is cafeteria fare. Don't expect portobello mushroom and arugula here. Notes on the Tubing hill: The tubing hill is a whole 'nother story. It's cheap. $20/2hr. It attracts quite a crowd. The first time I went down the hill I caroomed right into the mesh netting fence. I crashed into the fence posts hard and took out a few with my leg. The course is simply not well engineered. There is a useless employee at the bottom telling people to slow down. Hello? there are no brakes on an innertube. At one point two employees at the bottom held innertubes to stop tubing kids from crashing into other kids standing in line. But late in the day, these two guys disappeared. One teenage girl came within inches of my kids who were waiting in line, before crashing into a pile of tubes. When a 8 or 9 year old girl had to be carried off by her relatives (she turned out to be OK), I yanked my kids out of there fast. To be fair, both my kids had tons of fun. But for me the parent, this place is a poorly built, poorly run, over-crowded, accident waiting to happen. I was nervous the whole time. read more

Nice little place to get your turns in. Has a old school vibe that I really like. Prices Tuesday to Thursday only $25. Good for day trips, but there just isn't enough terrain to spend multiple days there. Employees have been pretty friendly; I just wish the lifties were much more diligent on getting the lifts going on time. Supposed to open at 9AM and the last time I was there they did not get them going till 9:20AM...And this was on a powder day. Come on guys... Just a quick note to say that I have been up to DSR twice since this review and the lifts were promptly open before 9AM. Way to go Donner. Much appreciated! Update: went up to DSR on Jan 15, 2016. DSR looks to be returning to their lackadaisical ways. No sense of urgency to open up the lifts on time. Extremely frustrating to get up early, pack the car, drive up the 3+ hours from the Bay Area, to arrive for first runs at 9AM on a bluebird powder day, only to have them just getting the area prepped for a day of skiing/riding at starting at 845AM or so. My wife asked customer service when they expected to open and they balked at the question. Not until she started to pry for more info did they respond with an answer of 10AM approx. We decided to go across the street to Sugar Bowl who had all operations running swiftly at 9. I really like the vibe at DSR, but I am only willing to give them one more opportunity to make a concerted effort to get the lifts running according to their posted operation hours of 9AM to 4PM. If not, they will lose a loyal customer who has been riding here for over 10 years. read more

We had a disappointing experience here with a private ski lesson on Saturday morning. Firstly, I understand that there is a 24 hour cancellation policy but there is zero flexibility when your child is not the perfect participant. It was also near white-out conditions which was challenging for a beginning skier, never mind a small child. We paid up front for a two hour private lesson plus a lift ticket, required for all private lessons, which was around $200 total. We brought our own rental equipment and saved time that way. Knowing that my five year old daughter does not jump right in when faced with new environments, we spent the day before going on bunny slopes together where she got the hang of pizza really quickly and was going down on her own. The next day, we were set up with a private female instructor. We couldn't find her for the first half hour after we checked in. My daughter started crying as soon as we tried to put her ski boots on. The instructor didn't try very hard to get her comfortable but offered hot chocolate inside the lodge. That is fine but I could sense the clock ticking. After a while I managed to convince my daughter outside and take the magic carpet with the instructor. They went together down once, and she took a tumble. She started crying again, and the instructor said we should probably take another break since she wanted her to have fun and not hate skiing. I can see that but she gave zero effort for being paid so much. We ended up finishing half an hour early. I wish the ski school could at least have credited us for another lesson or given us a discount for coming back. We are definitely not returning to this ski school. I would spend my $200 at SnoVentures in Squaw Valley where a family of 4 could spend a day on the magic carpet and beginner lift for the same cost. read more

This place is good for beginners or little kids but if you're an avid snowboarder, you'll get bored with this place fairly quickly. The runs feel extremely short and are not at all challenging. My little cousins and I took a beginner lesson and I did not like it at all. Our instructor was terrible and his tone of voice was very condescending and not teacher like at all. There was also only one instructor to 15 people so if you want a more personal experience, I wouldn't recommend taking a lesson here. It was supposed to be 1.5 hours long but the first half hour was spent on an introduction and him helping people strap their boots on. After that, all we did for the last hour was ride up the magic carpet and then practice going down a small slope. Overall I still had an okay time because I was with my family, but if definitely won't be coming back here again. read more

Bought a season pass for 16-17 season, had a lot of fun snowboarding here for the entire season. Pro: 1, No lines at all for the chairlifts, and trails are empty most of the time. 2, The mountain is bigger than it looks, there is front and back side. 3, Parking is free, and very close to the mountain. Con: 1, Old style chairlifts and they are slow. 2, Some of the trails are kinda short. 3, Traffic is bad on holiday weekends(This is more Sugar Bowl's problem). Other thought: Overall, great family own resort for beginner and intermediate skier/snowboarder, not as crowned as other big resorts. Would come back for sure. read more

Came in for a beer today and was greeted by Ann and Sophia, behind the bar. They were both very attentive and helpful in making sure my compadre and I quenched our thirst asap! Full pitcher, chilled glasses, cute, smiling bartenders; the Scranch has it all! I highly recommend Donner Ski Ranch Bar & Grill! read more

I totally agree with other customers on the lack of customer service. My husband told the cashier "2 adults and 2 children. One is 3 years old and one is 9 years old". He said it twice and the cashier still gave him 2 your tickets for ages 7-12. Then when waited online again to fix it, the cashier told him to get the manager himself to fix it. What?! I would blame just the cashier, but when I called from my cell, I was told that the staff, including the manager, was too busy to speak with me. Really?! When I went upstairs three cashiers were twiddling their thumbs. I've never had such customer service at a ski resort. And we weren't the only ones. The guy behind us was 70+ and showed his ID and the cashier charged him a full price. I'm thinking this is how they make their money. Either that, or they need to seriously review their customer service protocols. But looking at the other reviews, I think that the family that owns the business isn't interested in repeat business. read more

This is usually a great and affordable place to ski, but we were extremely disappointed at their apparent disorganization and lack of timely communication yesterday (Saturday). The four of us made a 2-hr trip from Sacramento to Donner Ski Ranch on Saturday just to find out at the ticket booth that only two of the most basic lifts were open. The young woman in the booth said this was because the majority of the slopes were not groomed and there was a risk of avalanche after a recent snow storm. This is not a problem in and of itself. However, they had to have known about the state of things the day before, on Friday, because the snow storm had ended on Thursday. I had in fact called them on Friday, inquiring if they would be open on Saturday. They assured that yes, they would be open and mentioned that we should come early to avoid the parking lot getting full. No warning whatsoever that operations would be limited. I also checked the website on Friday evening just be sure we get the latest news, and there was no mention of the limited operations either. It seems to me they had every opportunity on Friday to fully assess the extent to which operations would be limited because of the storm earlier in the week. They apparently did not, and/or failed to communicate about it. We would have absolutely not wasted a day to get up there had we known they would have such drastically limited operations. The failure to communicate this in a timely manner shows an absence of care for customers. Not even the parking attendant mentioned it, even though he talked in detail about where and how to park. We had to fully gear up and walk a good distance to the ticket booth before finally learning the true state of operations. What's worse, they charged the same full price. You would think they would have at least offered a discount on that day. We checked some other ski areas, but they were all full and also required that passes be purchased in advance online. Needless to say, we turned around and drove back, having wasted a perfectly good day. read more

DSR has been a favorite of my husband's, so on Wednesday, I decided to drive up to take my son snowboarding and to take advantage of the "Old School" pricing. I no longer ski, so I planned to sit in the lodge near the fire and read a book.I was disappointed with the experience. Fortunately, my son enjoyed the lesson and met a buddy with whom to spend the afternoon snowboarding. It is an older resort and funky which I usually enjoy, however, I did not enjoy that it seemed to be lacking maintenance and that it was unkempt. Noticing things like the large potholes in the parking lot, I figured the low to no snow winters had the owners scraping by. When we went inside to purchase tickets, there was a line and only one employee to help sell tickets and conduct purchase transactions for the small ski shop. After getting my son to his snowboarding lesson, I went back to the ticket sales, to question the charges. By then a second person had been added to help. I asked this second person about the charges, and he told me my understanding was wrong. I decided to take a photo of the banner and ask up on my local Facebook site. As my son took his lesson, I went upstairs to the fireplace area. It seemed dirty and drab. Regardless, I settled into reading my book. When I went to use the restroom, it was not very clean and the bathroom stall latches were broken. Periodically, I checked on my son, and he was having a great time. At 2:00 when he was soon to be finished with the lesson, I went to the snack bar and was surprised to see that the grill was closed and the sign on the counter instructing purchases to be made at the bar. I took 2 small bags of chips to the bartender and paid $4.25. Ouch! When I returned home, I posted my picture on a local FB page and the overwhelming response was that I should have been charged $20 for lift ticket and $15 for lesson, so yesterday, I sent the following email: Attn: Customer Service Representative After researching your webpage, I was excited to see your "old school" pricing. I packed my son up and arrived yesterday around noon. We had a short wait to purchase him a lift ticket and lesson. I asked for the old school prices and indicated my son had his own snowboard. The total amount I paid was more that what I expected ($20 for a lift ticket and $32 for a lesson); however, I was preoccupied with getting my son to his lesson, so I did not investigate right away. After getting him to the lesson, I went back and waited in line. While I was there, I noted the banner on the wall indicating the old school pricing. I reread Lift Ticket Child $20, Add a group Lesson $15. When I got up to the ticket sales, I spoke with an employee different from the one who made the original sale, and I politely said, "I believe I have been over charged for my son's lesson. On the sign on the wall it advertises Old School Pricing Lift Ticket $20, Add a lesson for $15. I was charged $32." Your employee told me, "Yes , that price is only if you purchase the package." I replied, "That is not the way the sign reads, I believe if that is the case the sign and your web site is misleading." I then asked about the difference if my son had rented equipment, and he replied, "$2.00." It actually cost me $2.00 for my son t o have his own equipment. At the initial transaction, this was never brought to my attention, I would have purchased the package. And the second employee who I spoke with was very curt and not accommodating in the least bit. I realize we came at a time the facility was busier than expected, the sales booths were understaffed, the ski shop had no help at all, and at 2:00 pm, I had to go to the bar to purchase chips as you no longer had the snack bar staffed, and I was patient with the staff. I am genuinely pleased that it is snowing again, so that resorts such as yours can stay open. However, I am disappointed in the experience I had with my son. I believe I was overcharged. I took a photo of the banner to which I am referring, and I have a copy of my receipt, should you consider the possibility of making good on your advertising and providing a refund or a credit for another lesson on our next visit. In the event,I do not hear from someone, I will take this as a sign that you do not need my business, and I shall go to one of the many other ski resorts nearby. Thank you for your consideration. **The following is the response I received later that day.** Joan, Our Old School offer is very clear. Please read the banner once more. A child ticket is $20. A child package is $35. A lesson can be added to the package for $15. Adding a lesson to the child ticket is not an option. It is not misleading at all. DSR is a simple happy place where people have fun. You are right. According to your e-mail you are not happy with anything about DSR. It is not for you so you need to try somewhere else where you pay twice as much, there will be more staff and you can be happy. Sorry, Marshall **** read more

Epic park and bar staff for amateur snowboarder and drinker! Great place to disc golf in the summer. Great food. Thanks!

My favorite place to ski! They have great rates, super friendly staff, beautiful views, and I've never been there on a crowded day! Very family friendly and just filled with good people and good times. Everything is very reasonably priced. I love that it's a family owned business instead of a corporately run mountain. Be sure to check out their old school days during the weekdays when the rates are even lower! read more

Well, at the time of writing, this is the cheapest place to rent & ski on the weekdays. $40 for both lift and gear!! Or just $20 for lift. Even the lockers are only 75 cents. And only $8 extra for lessons! I've been here 5 times so far, so I feel I've got this place down. As the other reviewers said, this is not for expert or world-class skiers. I would recommend this place for someone who has taken a lesson or 2 before, and is just starting to take on the green & blue runs. It's got several beginner trails to keep you busy all day, and the intermediates are friendly too. Some greens start at the top, so you get as great a view as from the black trails and it's a great thrill for a beginner to take the lift all the way to the peak. I have to drop a star due to the facilities, because there's hardly any facilities at all. Let me describe....so the parking lot ends right before where the lift lines begin. No buffer snow space. You could throw a snowball from the lift line and hit a car in the lot. The lodge is pretty tiny, and once you walk out the door from the rental space, you are right into the ski traffic or a lift line. I wonder if a beginner ever failed to stop in time and skied right into a parked car? There's not much space to hang out, in or outdoors. I imagine it might feel not-so-fun for the first-timer. But, we did end up saving on lockers, since it was just as easy to walk back to the car whenever we needed to stow or retrieve our belongings. The place has its charms, in that it looks like a ski resort from the 1950s. I only come here on weekdays or sundays, so it's always been especially sparse every time. I don't think this place is built to handle large crowds, so I imagine it could be unpleasant at peak times. If you break for lunch early around 11 -11:30, you should be able to score a table on the deck. The cafeteria is pretty limited and tiny. If you're cheap like me, ask for chicken strips and fries combo. It's not always on the menu, but they'll make it for you. For $6, it's guaranteed to fill any big appetite. So here's my advice. Come here early ready to ski, enjoy the views, then get out quick. There's no "ski scene" here. I do plan to return a several times until I totally outgrow the place. Dollar for dollar, you can't beat the value here. The employees are pretty friendly too. They hire a lot of kids from Brazil & Argentina to work all around the place. They are really cute in the rental area, but if you're not accustomed to slight foreign accents, it could be potentially frustrating when one of them is your ski instructor. They are super-friendly to families. Once our kid freaked out at the top and refused to come down, requiring the ski patrol to fetch us, another time they had to stop the lift because we lost our ski while boarding the chair. They were all very nice about it all. read more

Great little place on top of the mountain. We stopped in after hiking the tunnels. Chili was good. Nachos were good. Burgers were big and tasty. Definitely worth the stop for some food. read more

My family and I go to Sugar Bowl on a regular basis but thought given it was a holiday and we were getting there late we all agreed to try Donner Ski Ranch. Lift tickets were affordable but w that being said you get what you pay for sometimes. It was not a bad experience. The runs were decent, the staff lacked any knowledge, the food was mediocre and the blood Mary was fabulous. All in all it was an affordable fun ski day. Would I return again - sure. read more

The Ski School is a waste of time and money!!! I put my kids into ski school and it was the WORST experience we have ever had. The supervisor Rene is terrible. He is so rude and has no idea what he is doing out there. Everything was so disorganized, the lesson stated super late and my kids learned nothing. I will NEVER go back. If you're looking for a good place to learn, this is not the place. Go to Tahoe Donner, they will actually teach your kids how to ski and treat you with respect. read more

I stopped by this place on the way home from Tahoe. The two days prior I had been skiing at Squaw Valley and I had heard that Donner Ski Ranch was a nice low key place to ski so it was with the best intentions that I stopped by this little resort. I was, sadly, really disappointed and actually quite concerned about the conditions at this place. I have a feeling somebody is going to get in a nasty accident here. First of all the snow did not seem to have been groomed at all. It was essentially ice with a fine layer of powdery snow on top of it. After skiing on intermediate runs at Squaw with no problem for two days, by contrast at Donner Ski ranch I couldn't control my skis. I guess not surprising since it is somewhat hard to ski on hard ice. And there were rocks sticking through the icy snow. Seemed really dangerous and several people kept mentioning what a hard time they were having as beginners. I tried to explain to them that it shouldn't be this difficult and unpleasant. Secondly, the ski lifts were, can't think of any other word for it, just plain "scary". They don't slow down at all for people to get on, even on the beginner lifts. And so there are a fair number of accidents getting on to the lifts, I saw quite a few, including someone rammed in the head by the side of the lift chair as they turned around to see if it was coming. Thank goodness they were wearing a helmet. Also, the people manning the lifts seemed really inexperienced and unprofessional, didn't seem tuned into safety at all. And then at the top of the lifts one had about two feet to get off the chair and then there would be a sharp drop off. So I witnessed a lot of accidents there as well and also quite a few people who couldn't get off in time. I found the staff, including the owner, to be either totally spaced out or surly. It is true that the place is less expensive than the big resorts, but in my opinion, if you are going to drive all the way up to the mountains to ski, it pays off to fork out the cash and ski at a place that really is professional in the way it operates its equipment and grooms the snow for safety. read more