Diamond PEak

I know what you’re thinking: “A hidden gem ski area, in Tahoe? Everyone knows about Tahoe!” Well you’d be right, and while lots of folks have hit up the mega resorts in Tahoe, I guarantee that most of you reading this article have never skied or snowboarded at Diamond Peak Ski Area. How do I know this? Because their lift lines are so small, it’s just a statistical improbability!

Now when explaining what makes Diamond Peak a “Hidden Gem Ski Area”  let me be perfectly clear, if you’re looking for the steepest or the deepest place in the Tahoe Basin, this may not hit the mark. But what Diamond Peak lacks in gnarly steeps and deep snowpack, they more than make up for with awesome groomers, small lift lines, amazing vibe, affordable lift tickets and arguably the best and most stunning lake views of any Tahoe ski area.

Take it from a Tahoe local, I’ve spent 8 years living in Stateline, Nevada and almost always maintained a Diamond Peak Pass (in addition to my Epic Pass) just to escape the massive crowds at Heavenly and have a quiet ski day once in a while. 

Now when I say Diamond Peak isn’t the steepest, I mean it’s not scary steep, but they still have their fair share of honest black diamond rated terrain trails both on and off-piste. But what they’re really known for, at least by those who know, is for one of the most breathtakingly beautiful ski runs anywhere in the World, Crystal Ridge! After taking a chairlift by the same name (Crystal Express) to the summit of Diamond Peak, a gentle right hand turn from the top of the chair rewards visitors with one of the most awe-inspiring ski runs ever to be found. Crystal Ridge is an honest blue square run that’s reasonably wide and slowly winds down the ski area with a forward facing view of Lake Tahoe the whole time.

For those wanting a more challenging run, it’s easy pickings all along the Crystal Ridge run, as most of the ski areas black diamond terrain is directly skier’s right off the run, with quality tree skiing and several steep groomers. Crystal Ridge is just one of two skiable ridges at Diamond Peak, the other (on lookers right) is accessed by the Lakeview chair and has its own set of diverse runs and one of the coolest ski lodges around!

Snowfall

Diamond Peak has one of the best and most powerful snowmaking systems in the Tahoe area and benefits from 325 inches of natural snowfall each season.

Terrain

Diamond Peak has a base elevation of 6,700ft and tops out at 8,540ft for a vertical rise of 1,840 feet! With 40 named runs spread out over 655 acres, there’s plenty of terrain to explore, and the division of difficulty is 18%, 46%, and 36%. 

Lodging

Diamond Peak does not have slopeside lodging for rent, however Airbnb home rental options exist just down the hill in Incline Village as well as a hotel and motels can be found in nearby Kings Beach, CA. (15mins West) and Reno, NV. (45mins Northeast).