Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort

Miles of beautiful trails and forest to snow shoe around. I rented the snow shoe equipment from this location and it wasn't as nice as Tahoe XC's gear rental, but was still pretty good. I went during the weekday and I only saw a few other people out.

Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort offers an unmatched Nordic skiing experience in a stunning high-altitude setting. With over 120 miles of groomed trails, it’s the largest cross-country ski resort in North America. The breathtaking scenery includes panoramic mountain views, pine forests, and alpine meadows. The high elevation ensures excellent snow conditions throughout the season, perfect for classic and skate skiing. Trails cater to all skill levels, from gentle loops to challenging climbs. The peaceful atmosphere and lack of crowds enhance the experience, making it a top destination for Nordic skiing enthusiasts.

Had a great day snowshoeing with a friend. We were there on a Friday morning and had the place to ourselves. Great place for food also with vegan options. Recommend!

Royal Gorge is THE place to go for a super homey cross-country experience (or skating /snowshoeing) you’ll love the chill vibes, the homemade paninis made to order, the wonderful staff who have been there for decades, and the easy-going salt-of-the-earth clientele. Don’t expect a 5-star resort, but do expect a lot of heart and people who want you to fall in love with cross country skiing.

Beautiful cross country ski resort! Plenty of trails that were well groomed when we were there. We were actually snowshoeing this day, but this didn’t take away from the stunning views out on the trails. Afterward we ate at the cafeteria, delicious meal and friendly staff.

Well maintained trails. Probably the largest cross country resort trail system I know of in the Tahoe area.

Wide open terrain, but they should have a reduced rate for the snowshoe people, and have more signs of the snow snowshoe trails being they don’t groom the snowshoe trails

Great place for cross country skiers from beginners to experts. Equipment is easy to rent. Miles of groomed trails in a beautiful setting. Snowshoes also available to rent. There's a lot of snow up there now (end of March 2019)

We decided to try snow shoeing at this resort.  I think it's a hidden gem.  It's only about 1.5 hours from Sacramento if the weather is good. We went on a weekday morning and there were probably about 25-30 cars in the parking lot.  The resort is so huge that we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.  We only saw 1 other person on all the trails we took.  We have never gone snow shoeing before, but the staff was really nice and walked us through everything.  They have nicely marked trails and we did a 3 mile loop and had a wonderful time.  The scenery was beautiful and it was just so peaceful and nice.  I think most people go to this place to go cross country skiing, but the snow shoeing was fun and a good workout!

Good cross-country area with a huge variety of trails! My partner and I took lessons in the morning and were able to to find plenty of trails to fill the day. We also rented a pulk (for towing our 16-month-old behind us), but there is a limited supply of these and we did have to wait an hour or two for one to become available. We did find there was a wide range of difficulty levels just within the beginner/green trails. Some were truly flat, others had a decent amount of elevation and difficult sections. For the more advanced skiiers, the warming huts further out on the trails sounded nice! Despite covering a lot of acreage, it's a small enough place that we did run into our more advanced friends at lunch back at the lodge without even coordinating.

Last winter I decided that I wanted to take up cross country skiing- it's hard to live in a mountain town without doing SOME sort of winter sport! I'm so glad that I "discovered" Royal Gorge and know that I'll be a repeat visitor for years to come. It's the perfect place for naturally socially distanced fun. The trails are great and the scenery is beautiful, but what makes this place stand out in my opinion is the staff. Every single person I've spoken to has been super nice and helpful. Everyone is generally laid back and I never feel rushed when asking questions (and I usually go on weekends when I assume they're probably the busiest). The staff will ask how my experience has been going, and will usually offer some helpful tips when they can see that I'm struggling. The lesson I had at the beginning of the year was really helpful and even though it was a "group" lesson, it ended up being a one-on-one. When I went today most indoor operations were closed due to COVID and the trails were only open to pass holders. Rentals will be done in advance, so if you're someone that doesn't have your own skis, plan ahead or pick up some skis from a place in town, and bring your own food/drinks.

Since I've never X-C skied before, I have no frame of reference on which to critique this facility. The parking lot was a little small....and I don't know if there was additional parking elsewhere because the snow was piled so high you couldn't see beyond the parking lot. The lot was also pretty full but we did find a parking spot. We rented equipment ($30 skis/boots/poles). The resort pass cost $35. Unlike alpine (downhill) resorts, there were few people inside the lodge...guess they were all off skiing already. The rental office is downstairs, but you pay for everything upstairs. Equipment pickup was quick. Nice staff! My buddy was experienced at X-C skiing and felt I didn't need a lesson... so off we went. I didn't know that xc skis didn't have an edge and down I went...twice in the first 15 seconds! But after a little while, I was beginning to understand the skis. He also took me on the long trek out to Mariah Point and back (appx 8.5 miles r/t). This "black" route meant climbing a dozen or so times...again, with no sharp edge, this was challenging and difficult at times. But the routes and the view point (at the end) were beautiful to behold. Being my first time on xc skis and on black routes, it was an extremely physical demand...I was a pool of sweat head to toe by the time we got back to the lodge (3:30 r/t). My camelback was essential! I've run marathons...the level of exhaustion at the end was very similar. But I think most of that tiredness came from working out hard at 7000 ft. I love a good workout and definitely want to do this again!

This is a fabulous place for cross country skiing. It's an hour and a half from Sacramento, and it's an easy drive (as long as the weather & traffic is okay!)...no steep, winding roads. I was surprised at the low cost of their beginner's package...lesson, equipment, and trail pass for $105. There's lots of beautiful, well-maintained trails. The weather was perfect for skiing....blue skies and fresh snow from the previous day's storm. It was not crowded at all. There were many times that I didn't see another person on the trails for a long time. The absolute best part of Royal Gorge is the staff. Andrew at the registration area was so much fun and really nice (thanks for the cookie!)....he was a great start to the day. I took a group lesson with Alan and learned so much. He is very patient and encouraging, and taught in a way that the lessons stuck in my head. One person in our group was feeling the effects of altitude sickness and the staff gave her something to help her feel better. I've previously done downhill skiing and have never encountered such friendly and helpful staff at a ski resort. Ski at Royal Gorge!

Had a fantastic experience at Royal Gorge. All of the staff were friendly. The lodge has a nice vibe. And the trails are pretty good, especially given the local terrain.

What a delightful trip I got to take today with my son's Boy Scout Troop. I was so intimated by the fact that I had zero skiing experience and none of our boys had either. The weather conditions could not have been more perfect! The snow was powdery all around us and the trails were freshly carved into the snow. It was truly a beautiful day to be outside and commune with nature. We rented our skiis and equipment and then got a group lesson. I really love how they did it. Kids were in one group with an instructor, and adults were in another. We had the two best instructors I could ever imagine! Gordon was a God send. He got all four boys working and doing an amazing job getting down to and from the tracks. We got to practice half way down a trail and come back again. Even though the boys were working at different speeds, he kept them together as a group in such a loving, kind manner. It was special watching him in the distance. I felt I could breathe for a bit, knowing my kid was in good hands while I got to enjoy my own mini lesson. For the adults we had an instructor named David. I was so impressed with how easily he glided and showed us how to move across the tracks like a professional. Now it will take me many, many more trips before I can strive to be as good as Dave. But I love how he brought the best athlete out in me and I felt like I could do anything on those skiis by the end of the lesson! It was such a fun time, I can't help but laugh thinking back upon it. Afterward, the whole group enjoyed such a yummy lunch up at the lounge. They had food for vegetarians, sweets for your sweet tooth, kid friendly selections, and adult size portions to everything. It was quite perfect for our group. All the while sipping hot chocolate and looking out the beautiful view of the snow covered patio. Then it was time to get back out on the trails. And we went for a nice easy path around Big Bend. That was enough for our group of boys who were too young and inexperienced to want to venture much further. The only tricky part is coming and going of the rental room with all the pieces of equipment. But they always seem to have staff on hand to either help you put things on or take them off again. So it went as smooth as it could go. I was appreciative to all the staff. Everyone from the person who first greeted us at the door, to the man who took our skiis and placed them in a bucket was a kind hearted, fun person to interact with. I felt so happy that we braved the cold and came out and had a grand adventure! Which by the way, once you start moving, you quickly warm up. So you don't need as many layers on top as you'd think. I hope to be back again soon. Looks like there's plenty of places to lodge nearby if you want to make a weekend of it. I feel empowered today to discover a new sport that is both easy to do but completely invigorating. Plus, it was just gorgeous out near the woods. I feel like it was the perfect little getaway and we still had time for a mini snowball fight when it was all said it done. Thank you Royal Gorge Ski Resort for making our trip a success!

So grateful to Royal Gorge for an excellent two-day first-time cross-county skiing experience on an early March weekend. Conveniently located near Soda Springs (yay! a lot closer than my usual near-Tahoe City destinations), this resort has miles of gorgeous trails: trees, water features (well, streams and ponds) and meadows. We were four women, one with lots of experience, two with long-ago experience, and a newbie (me). We decided to just give it a try rather than do a lesson. After we paid (we got a "pouring rain" discount on day 1) and fitted out (thanks for your patience, boot guy), we tackled the trails. The juggler + instructor (yes--he juggles while he skis) gave me a quick rundown and tips (fall forward! it's mostly balance! enjoy yourself!) which was sufficient to get me going. Great guy and great tips. Turns out that unlike downhill skiing, it is possible to muddle through and give it a go without too many falls. Despite the rain (my gear is much less waterproof than I thought), two thumbs up. The first day it was raining quite hard--the advantage was the snow was 'slow' rather than icy. We did a big loop out to an unheated hut (tissues and napkins and water + a couple of porta-potties) then back. Maybe 8 km. Very few (3?) people on the trails with us. The second day we woke up to a huge dump of snow and had an epic wander around other trails followed by lunch at the lodge. Again, we saw just a few people, which gave us that "we're the only ones here" feeling. Terrific friendly staff, rustic but clean and nice lodge, affordable prices, and beautiful trails: We couldn't have asked for more. I'll be back to take a lesson one of these days.

Royal Gorge is truly a destination Nordic Ski resort! There are more Kilometers to cover than a person can cover in a single day. The folks who live nearby likely don't realize how lucky they are to have such a great XC Winter retreat so accessible. The landscape, views and the overall experience are quaint and unparalleled. The warming huts are a welcome site and respite after crossing many KM. We rented a home nearby from Castle Peak rentals and were very pleased with the accommodations. The folks at Royal Gorge were friendly and accommodating. I would recommend this place to novice and experience skier alike

Went there to try skiing. Nah, not for me..too much work...LOL! But the area was great. The people working there were also great and accommodating. Lots of rental skis, shoes, etc. The kids enjoyed it and we can write skiing off our bucket list. If you are like us who want to try skiing, this is the right place when it is in season. Just be ready with loads of warm clothes, pain relievers and a lot of butt-hurting from all the falling. We had so much laugh though...

Great place to xc ski, low key, lots of runs! Good rentals! We went to try first time at xc and had a good time and amazing workout! Harder than downhill!

Excellent instruction, located right on the Sierra crest where Tahoe gets the most snow! My wife and I signed up for skate skiing lessons. She has been an intermittent skate skier since high school, and I am a newbie. With 3 of us in the lesson altogether, Dave provided excellent instruction for all of us and gave us each individual attention and assessment throughout, even with varying skill levels. Dave clearly has many years of teaching on his resume. His presentation about skate skiing technique was very articulate, concise, and helpful. He obviously enjoys teaching the sport, and his enthusiasm is contagious, which is essential for any bumbling beginner. Cross country skiing is one of the best calorie-burning, full-body workouts you can do during this time of year. And the winter wonderland surroundings at Royal Gorge can't be beat. A lesson with Dave is highly recommended!

If you are looking for a laid back, old school, cross country ski experience, seriously consider Royal Gorge Ski Resort. Located at the end of a neighborhood road, the Summit Mountain Station has XC rentals (SNS boot/binding systems), friendly/personable staff, and a big indoor map that is updated each morning to inform you of which trails are groomed. Though the crew is small, they have two snow cats and I think they get out there pretty early in the AM for us. The lodge is cozy. Two floors of indoor seating and a deck to have lunch. Main floor has a modest Cafe that sells giant cookies for $3. I was at Yuba Hut at 11:30am or so when some ski patrol rolled up in a snowmobile and a sled carting hot drinks and more of the giant $3 cookies. I was surprised to find a small stove also heating the place. If you have the stamina to do a 2 hour green trail (Palisade), you can make it to the hut. Happy to say it only took me an hour on green to get back (Yuba). I'm a beginner, and after doing green trails at Tahoe Donner, I would say Palisade has some moderate blue sections. I don't have children, but I thought it is also cool that you can rent a covered sled to pull toddlers along the trails. The rental department was terrific in finding the hear that fit me well, and I was surprised to find how comfortable and warm the boots were. (I only grew up downhill skiing with equipment that did not insulate well). I also noticed whenever it snowed heavily, snow removal equipment would cruise the neighborhood at 4-5AM clearing the roads. Was really impressed with that too. The main reason I wanted to write this review however is because the place has terrific staff. They were welcoming, knowledgeable, and didn't mind stopping whatever they were doing to say hi or answer a question. I am looking forward to coming back here for years to come.

Just came back from a weekend of skiing and snowshoeing at Royal Gorge, our last trip for this skiing season and another fantastic experience! Unlike the long lines at the equipment rental in most ski resorts, the equipment rental at Royal Gorge is super quick. But what's really amazing is that everyone is super friendly and helpful. The trails are well marked, so even though I have no sense of direction I had no problem navigating my way around miles and miles of gorgeous trails. This trip I finally made it all the way up to Lyle's Lookout, which was truly spectacular. I highly recommend Royal Gorge for fun snow adventure. Don't fear the cold; once you start moving you warm up fairly quickly. Thank you Royal Gorge Ski Resort for making our every trip a success! We'll be back....

Excellent xc ski resort: all the amenities, plus great staff: Bill and JoJo, Sharon, Thomas, Leslie, Olivia (and sorry if I missed other staff!!) -- all professional and friendly. Great place for families or couples with plenty of trail choices for all levels of xc skiers. Thank you for your work, RGSR staff! Regards, Daniel warblerwatch.com

This is the largest XC ski resort in the US (according to Royal Gorge). There's a vast network of groomed trails here and it's also possible to skate off trail if you want to go at a brisker pace. The nice thing is that it's more or less crowdless and you feel like you're just exploring the snowy woods and all of the quiet that they have to offer on your own. Tread carefully over the icy steps near the lodge before you head in though. I fell down them. Hello tort lawsuit. It was kind of like that scene in Witches of Eastwick after the opera where Felicia Alden's strand of pearls comes undone and each one falls to the ground in painstakingly slow motion and then she slips on them. Falls down some stairs. Injures herself. Suffers from delusions about Jack Nicholson as Daryl van Horne. Except in the instant case there were no pearls. Just a breach of duty of care and gross negligence in their stead. I was in some excruciating pain (thought I had broken my tailbone). Fortunately for Royal Gorge it was nothing serious though and I wasn't feeling very litigious that day anyway.

NOROVIRUS CENTRAL When conditions are right the cross-country skiing here can be pretty sweet. However, it would be hard to convince me to return. Three members of my family contracted an intense gastro-intestinal infection after eating lunch in the little restaurant. Hard to say whether it was unwashed lettuce in the Tacos of Doom, improperly stored juice that had overstayed its welcome and had become a vibrant bacterial culture, or just bad hygiene by a sick staffer who didn't wash her hands after taking a dump. But that's a quick way to spoil one's vacation, vomiting and s**ing all night. I might return for the skiing someday, but we're going to bring our own lunches.

Well, Royal Gorge used to be the premier destination for Nordic Skiing on the West Coast. Unfortunately, those days are gone. It's still a decent enough destination, and its wealth of groomed trails means it will still get a premier share of the apparently dwindling Cross-Country Skiing public. But it is no longer my first choice for Nordic Skiing in the Tahoe region. We visited there this past Monday. After failing to get through to anyone on the phone calling the previous week (I didn't have the patience or skill to navigate their voice-messaging system) I relied on their web site for information. This proved accurate enough but sometimes you just want to speak with a real person. The resort owners have chosen to keep the place closed Wednesdays and half-days Tuesdays, except during the major holiday season. This is bad for us, as we are mid-week skiers. Staff were friendly but there was some confusion as to the open-closing schedule (we got different versions from different staff). The ski shop seemed poorly stocked..., but this is still pretty early in the season. Still, there was an air of neglect and/or half-heartedness about the place that has not been true on previous visits. Snow conditions were good and I have no complaints about the skiing. This place seems to have been declining ever since the Wilderness Lodge burned down 4 years, 5 years ago? I will be visiting other resorts on my next trip up. This hasn't dropped entirely from my Nordic Skiing radar, but its definitely lower priority now that it has been in the past.

We have skied at different resorts over the years and they are all ok. What makes e difference between them is details... We had an incident with our trail passes today and while the staff here could have just said:"Sorry, we cannot help you", they actually took the time to sort things out, which is what I really appreciate. Thank you, guys.

You'll be hard pressed to find a better Cross-Country ski experience in the Sierras. Royal Gorge has 200 Km of trails, and close to all of them were groomed the Saturday we went skiing. The trails are all lined with lovely trees, and you pass a lot of meadows and snow-covered lakes on the way. We only explored a small percentage of the trails, but the conditions and trail maintenance were solid. The lodge is standard, small gift shop, counters for buying tickets, a cafe, and a rental shop. We brought our own skis, and got a pass for the whole day for about thirty bucks. It was snowing out and cold, and so we started off down toward one of the small lakes (Kilburn Lake) and a warming hut. The MOST impressive thing about the whole place was how well marked every trail was. Even with lots of freshly fallen snow there were visible signs at every trail junction, and lots of large maps posted at trail junctions as well. All of that signage makes for a much better time because we knew exactly where we were in the resort, and had no problem taking the right trail back to the lodge at the end of the day. The warming hut was exactly as it sounds. A small log cabin with a fire going that made for a nice place to have lunch, and rest a bit. The food offering at the hut were pretty basic, but it was cozy and there was a nice sense of camaraderie by all the skiers. The place was quite beautiful, and it's great not to worry about downhill skiers for a change!

This was our first experience cross country skiing. We arrived late on a Thursday for a 3pm private lesson with Steve. He was a wonderful, patient teacher and in an hour had us with enough knowledge to enjoy ourselves on Friday. The people here are so friendly and helpful. We hardly ran into anyone on the trails...it's beautiful and peaceful. When we came back in with our skis and my wife asked about snowshoes, they let us go out with shoes for no charge and gave us a suggested route for a great view.

I had never been on ski before. Today, I tried XC skiing lessons and the teacher, Zini, was amazing. She was patient and made me feel confident. I did not hit any of the trails, but the bunny slope looks good. Inside the resort is nice too and they offer fresh food. Definitely coming back!

Winter is my favorite season thanks to Royal Gorge XC Ski Resort. Fantastic trails, wonderfully groomed for both skate skiing and striding. Gorgeous vistas and lookouts. Feels like I am in the middle of nowhere surrounded by snowy mountains, trees, and endless views everywhere. No long lines, no obnoxious pricing. Just great exercise in beautiful surroundings. Suitable for beginner to expert level. Both of my daughters have had ski lessons there with great results. As a bonus, the food for purchase at the lodge is impressively health-minded and fresh. No frozen junk food here at all. Lastly, the rental skis are good quality, both skate and striding styles. So skip the ridiculous lines and crowds! Get some real challenging exercise and try out Royal Gorge!

I have been here too many times where many trails are closed/ not groomed. It is starting to feel like false advertising that they have "so many kilometers of trails". In past years, it was due to lack of snow - not much you can do there. But this year, we went up on Sat 1/16/17, after a week where they had gotten lots of snow Mon - Thurs, and presumably had Fri to groom the trails. We started from Summit Station. There are a ton of green trails which are fairly flat. We wanted to do more blues and blacks, but starting from Summit Station so little was open/ groomed. These trails that we had hoped to go on were all either closed or ungroomed: Little Dipper, Mountain Hideout, the whole second half of Killy's Cruise (first half was open), Lyle's Lookout (we went there anyway, but ungroomed so we took off our skis and hiked in). The only groomed blue/black trails we had were the first half of Killy's Cruise, and the short Crosscut and Gold Rush trails. Those three short sections were all great and really, but they were really short. The rest was all a bunch of Greens. The map shows tons of other trails, not sure how to access them (may just be a longer day leaving from Summit Station, or maybe there are other entrance points). I'm also not sure how many of them were open/groomed - we kept being surprised at every intersection that most of the choices weren't opened. It's too bad, because this place has the potential to be awesome - so many trails. Please groom and open more!!

Wow. this place rocked. great start to cross country skiing. not that many people either (a huge plus for my, um, vocal fear of even the smallest hill) soft fluffy snow and these really cool tracks too! I think the map was a bit crappy, but only if you wanted to use it to find someone/get back in time...

Royal gorge is a pretty good cross country ski place. It's a little expensive with rentals, but cheaper then downhill.

I've been coming here for many years and have watched it evolve from a diagonal only place to a great place for skating. It can be crowded right at the rental lodge where the starting points of many trails converge, but 10 minutes or less of skiing gets you totally away from the crowds. The Wilderness Lodge was great, but the fire there kinda screwed that up. And now there are new owners and the fate of the whole place is in doubt. Best of luck to the previous owner, John, wherever he is...

Just a few words: "North America's Largest XC Ski Resort!" And that definitely translates to best as well. A little bit of old world charm with hundreds of kilometers of groomed to perfection trails with loads of off-trail snowshoeing as well. Why cross country ski at a giant resort when you can go to this quaint spot and slid through tall, snow-covered pines with gorgeous vistas of the Tahoe region and Royal Gorge (over 4,000 feet deep). Whether it's your first time or your hundredth time, Royal Gorge is the right place for everyone. This was my first time cross country skiing (I personally am a hardcore snowboarder) and this was a fabulous place to start learning. And they have loads of different skill level trails that run all over their huge property. Everything from trails around lakes and meadows to up and down rolling hills. I will definitely make a point of return when I in the area again.

Great experience for my first time EVER on skis! Thanks JoJo and Gary for taking the time to orient this newcomer to everything I needed to know. A special thanks to Robin, my instructor for the class. Cheerful! Energetic! Patient! She has a talent for describing things in analogies that are unforgettable. So I'll remember the suggestions and directions easily on my next outing. Thanks to all of the employees for providing a WONDERFUL first day of skiing!

It was my first time cross country skiing. I signed up for the group lesson with Steve and I was the only person in the group. After one lesson, I felt empowered to explore on my own. It was so beautiful, and several times on the groomed trails I was the only person around. No crowds, no lines, good food at the snack bar. I was longing for comfy chairs in the snack bar, but I won't deduct a star, because the place, the people who run it, and the people who show up to ski there were all fantastic.

I took my boyfriend and his family cross country skiing for his birthday. None of them had ever been before so we all decided to take the lesson. We had David as an instructor. He was the biggest jerk I've ever met. He was condescending arrogant and had no patience for beginners. He over complicated the process and wasted over an hour of our time with about 10 minutes of useful information. He even yelled rudely at skiers passing by the trail saying that they were pissing him off for skiing in a ski school zone when there was no marking or signage indicating it was. I meant to complain to the management before I left but forgot. The trails are lovely and when I go back next week I will definitely say something. We all deserve an apology for his rude and unprofessional behavior.

Wonderful cross country ski trails but the trail signage is awful. Better know where you are going! Even worse signage for snow shoeing. Some trails end with no warning and no signs to orient to a destination.

We have been skiing at Royal Gorge for over 20 years and were very happy to find it much improved this year. As previous reviewers have noted, the resort was purchased by developers and subsequently fell into bankruptcy. The good news is that it was purchased by the Tahoe-Donner Land Trust in 2012 and is now being operated by Sugar Bowl. The new manager is doing a MUCH better job maintaining the trails, and we've found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Although single day trail tickets are expensive, you can purchase a $19 pass that entitles you to $10 off the daily rate. If you ski more than two days in the season you are money ahead. They have a way to go to bring the resort back to its glory days, but they're on their way.

Great skiing today. Trails groomed but no tracks for classic or striding - wish I knew before starting out!!

The thing that I like best about Royal Gorge is that it's really not that hard to get to from SF. It's literally only about 90 minutes on the other side of Sacramento. It has endless cross-country, telemark and back country trails. The trails are really well groomed for those of you that like to ski in the tracks. And the trails have a lot of variety in difficulty from almost flat to really steep black diamond trails...and yes you can do a bit of down hilling with x-country ski's...if you know what you're doing! They offer really excellent lessons at their ski school as well as various clinics too. It's really the perfect place to go get lost in the back woods...and to make it even more fun they have a ski in lodge and mini lodges that have food and hot beverages along the trails. I can't wait to get lost there again soon!

The trails are great, being that it is the largest xc place in the country. As far as services, they are lack luster. The food that they offer isn't good and the staff are just OK. I prefer Spooner for xc.

First, I love cross country skiing. I'm from Ohio, and the cross country skiing our way is WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY different than cross country skiing at Royal Gorge. This really was like downhill skiing on pretty steep icy hills, or trying to get the heck up steep hills. Like the previous reviewer, there is a steep hill right outside the rental place, and I fell down really hard on the icy hill and i'm pretty sure I fractured my tailbone also. It still hurts like a son-of-a gun and it's been over a week. Anyway - I'm giving this 4 stars because even though it was really hilly (I took off my skis more times than I can count going up-hill and sometimes going downhill if it was too stepp). It was so, so, so beautiful and so peaceful (for the 4 hours we were out skiing we only ran into about 3 other people), and the warming hut was fun - even though we were super warm from skiing - we sat outside at the picnic tables and enjoyed the water they provided and the fiber 1 bars and Nutella to Go that I had brought with me. Other than my lingering injury, this really was a fun activity. Just use better judgement than I did at the beginning - if you think the hill looks too steep, just take your skiis off and walk down... Enjoy!! NOTE: we went snow-shoeing at Northstar on their Cross Country ski trails and this was more like what I was used to - gently sloping, rolling hills, and this also was very beautiful and not at all crowded - and for the same price you ride up a gondola to the ski rental area. Also very fun!

Man does not live by downhill skiing alone. I like to hit Royal Gorge on the way out of Tahoe. This is an amazing complex of trails that seem to go on forever. This is most fun to do as a group with a picnic lunch on a sunny spring day. They are not open this year due to fire damage but the Wilderness Lodge might be the most romantic get away in Northern California, if you are into that type of thing...

Quite good; lots of miles of beautifully groomed trails. However, it's expensive - $29 per day on weekends. There are a number of "warming huts" - places with a heater, hot pot for tea, and free tea - along the trail that can be really nice on cold days.

This place is awesome. Tons of great trails, gorgeous scenery, easy access from the bay area, reasonable prices, and no crowds. It is a nice, relaxed, low key, and very family friendly atmosphere. Such a nice change from the crowds and chaos at most downhill resorts. They were also great with the kids - my daughter has taken private lessons or done the kids camp each year since she was 3. The instructors are very patient and great with the kids. My daughter even ran up to give her instructor (Melissa) a hug when she ran into her the next day! And the family room upstairs is great when the kids just need to unwind and warm up for a while. My only complaint is that they require you to come pick up a trail pass sticker each day. We were staying in a house with ski on access, and it would have been nice to be able buy a multi-day trail pass that allowed you to hit the trails direct from the house without having to stop by the lodge for your sticker.

Awesome facility for those of us who love Nordic skiing. Lots of trails, interesting options for views, difficulties, and workouts. They have all the necessary equipment available as rentals, and have classes for skate and classic skiing. My only complaint is that the weather in Tahoe is too warm, making the conditions less than ideal at times. Not much that they can do about this, but it's worth noting that you should check the weather before heading up.

Went cross country skiing for the first time on Presidents weekend. I smelled cinnamon rolls in the morning upon arrival. I thought about them all day while I was skiing! The skiing was great and the staff were very friendly! I ate at the small cafe and really enjoyed the black bean chili , it was to die for! The best chili I ever had. They also had a rosemary potato quiche that looked really good. The menu is very vegetarian friendly! For desert I couldn't help myself and had a very decadent piece of chocolate cake,that was also the best cake I have ever had! Yumm it was still warm! I highly recommend skiing and eating at the cafe .The prices are very reasonable.

Sugar Bowl has taken over the operation of the resort and they are doing a great job. Devil's Peak was open last weekend and the skiing was stupendous. The Wilderness Cafe was open as well. No the lifts are not all running, but this is a Nordic resort!

Hands down the best most beautiful cross country ski resort. Gorgeous mountains, lakes, trails, forests, and meadows. And... its a bargain price! skis for rent, baby sleds, snow shoeing, and lessons. A true treasure right off of hwy 80. Solo much better than the crowded and expensive downhill places.

I have been skiing here for about 15 years! I would definately recomend this place to anyone, novice or a pro. The trails here are well groomed and the staff is amazing. My kids love to ski here too! I can not wait for the 09-10 ski season to begin.

X country skiing is fantastic here! Albiet I don't have much to compare it too, but for our first time, I don't think we could have had a better experience. The class they offer for beginners was great. I felt confident after it was over, and I am not good on snow! I have tried both downhill skiing and snow boarding and am just too chicken to enjoy it. But the trails at Royal Gorge offer so much diversity, that both my snowboarding expert husband and I could enjoy them. The trails are so long and abundant that you truly do get the sense that you are out there by yourself.

We had such an awesome experience at Royal Gorge. This was our first time taking a xc ski class. Our instructor Jim was helpful, funny, and informative. The staff inside were nice as well. We will be back again. Thank you Royal Gorge for a perfect day in the snow.

Sad, very sad. It is like losing a good friend. Unfortunately Royal Gorge isn't what it used to be - ridiculously high trail passes, many, many trails no longer being groomed and closing mid-week (Tuesday & Wednesday) all make for a lousy ski resort. One really would be better off elsewhere, like Tahoe Donner or even Northstar. I used to go to Royal Gorge every year for decades but no more - it just isn't worth it! It has become that bad! Sad, very sad.

I love cross country skiing and this area is beautiful, but have to agree with the earlier review about false advertising. Last year with the lousy snow I could understand not having all the trails groomed, but this year it's getting to be very clear that Toyal Gorge/Sugar Bowl has no intention of grooming whole sections of trails and that they are mostly focused on beginner trails. If they aren't going to groom the full network of trails, then they should drop the price and make the real trail system clear on their maps and other materials. It used to be that you could spend days at Royal Gorge and feel like you couldn't possibly cover everything. When I go back to the mountains in a couple of weeks I won't spend more than a day at Royal Gorge. Too bad. The scenery is spectacular and the potential is tremendous. Ramping back up and at least including a couple of the longer runs- maybe Snow Mountain and Kidd Lake- would bring my rating up to 5 stars.