Lake Tahoe is one of the top ski and snowboard destinations in the United States. With several resorts to choose from and gorgeous scenery featuring the sparkling blue lake, it’s easy to see why skiing enthusiasts flock here every winter. However, due to its immense popularity and high quality, lift tickets in the Lake Tahoe area are not cheap. (I looked into a few of the resorts in the area and they’ll run approximately 3x what we paid when we skied in the Alps.) What if I told you that there was a way to ski for free at Lake Tahoe? Gather ’round and I’ll tell you the little-known deal that will get you on the slopes at one of three premiere resorts for $0.
Four ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area offer free or discounted lift tickets for travelers with same-day boarding passes ending at the Reno-Tahoe Airport. Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, and Sierra-at-Tahoe all provide free lift tickets, and Mt. Rose offers a big discount. All you have to do to get one of these is present your boarding pass and photo ID. This was the perfect deal for someone like me who only had an afternoon to ski anyway (I had to spend the rest of my week at work), but it’s also great if you’ve booked a resort stay but didn’t want to pay for a full day of skiing on your travel day. You could also use it as a way to sample another ski resort if you’ve booked one for most of your stay but want to check out a different one before settling in.
My free lift ticket for Squaw Valley
I chose Squaw Valley as my ski destination due to its history as the site of the 1960 Olympics and I was not disappointed. Upon arrival at the resort you’ve selected, head to the ticket office and present your boarding pass and a photo ID. If you have a mobile boarding pass, you may need to email them a copy.
The free lift ticket deal doesn’t include gear rental, so you’ll either need to rent or bring your own. I own my own skis, so I brought mine with me for a truly free skiing experience. Gear rental will likely run you more than $50, so I’d bring your skis or snowboard if you have them. Since my airline status allows me free checked bags, I really did get away with just paying for food.
The drive to Squaw Valley took a little less than an hour, and getting there in mid-afternoon meant that I was driving opposite a steady flow of traffic. When I got close to Squaw Valley, there were signs saying that the parking lot was closed, but the massive amount of cars that appeared to be leaving made me think that I’d have a decent chance of finding a spot. I went ahead and turned down the road for parking and found plenty of spaces. By the time I got all of my ski gear on in the parking lot (putting your snow pants on before your ski boots is a good start) and lugged my skis and poles up to the lift area, I was down to about two hours until closing time.
Skiing at Squaw Valley
I’d been a bit nervous about my prospects when I arrived because I’m not exactly the greatest skier. Despite having learned as a kid, I haven’t done much skiing outside of southern Michigan landfills. Fortunately, I found a lot of great terrain at Squaw Valley for beginners and intermediate skiers, so I had an awesome time. The snow conditions were perfect and the skies were blue. I’ve returned two more times on free lift tickets since my first visit and I’ve never had a bad experience.
The walk back to my rental car with my skis was hard on my tired legs, but my two-hour free skiing adventure was so worth it. My constant business travel isn’t always easy, but moments like this remind me of how very lucky I am to have opportunities like this.
You can find out more about the free lift ticket offer at the Reno-Tahoe airport here.
Check out these other great Lake Tahoe tips:
- Squaw Valley for Beginners
- Ten Best South Lake Tahoe Restaurants
- Hiking Your Way to a Spectacular View of Lake Tahoe
- How to Use the LimeBikes in South Lake Tahoe
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Kris is a girl whose suitcase never rests. Follow her adventures around the United States, abroad, and to her beloved Disney parks. Traveling the world, camera in hand, and sharing all of her best adventures is her ultimate dream.
wow, it’s really great to get it for free! and only boarding pass and photo id in return? i’ve never been to america before but heard a lot about this lake tahoe from the movies. it looks really fantastic, i suppose i’ll have to put it in my bucket list since i’ve never seen any snow before! *tropical girl problem lol 😛
What a super scheme! How did you find out about this one? It is always worth looking out for stuff like this when you fly (free stopover tours etc) but free skiing definitely sounds like the best one I’ve heard of. I think I’ll need a few lessons before I even attempt the Gold Coast runs (I’ve never skiied). Maybe I’ll just have to stick to one of those yummy crepes!
That marshmallow and chocolate chip crepe looks so delicious! I thought it was a kebab or something at first. 😀
It is such a great tip, save a lot of money! I had no idea such thing was possible and so simply. Lake Tahoe looks like a stunning place, it makes me want to go skiing now ahah.
Oh my gosh, what a great tip! I’m not a skier, but my family enjoys it, so I’m all for getting a break on the cost. I’ll just sit at the bottom with one of those marshmallow and chocolate crepes! 😀
I’m not a huge skier but I’ve wanted to visit Lake Tahoe! Your photos are gorgeous and I think I’ll need to check out your post about the hike, more my style 🙂 Such a great tip for fellow skiers!
Admittedly, I’m not a skier. But this is wonderful information for anyone who is! And who knows, maybe one day I’ll become one. And then I’ll be really happy that I know how to ski for free 😂
That’s a great tip for free skiing — I’ve taken advantage of discounted passes before, but never found anything like this. And skiing for two hours is still so worth it; in fact, it would be great to leave the ski slopes not completely exhausted!
My husbands been talking about a ski trip! Thanks for the tip about the free lift tickets!
I always immediately look at the food, damn that looked so good hahaha! But I love the content of this article and the tip about the free lift tickets is also a really good one!
These travel hacks are great! Most people wouldn’t know the boarding pass trick so thank you for sharing this info! 🙂
This is so awesome! Does it work the other way around? Like can you get a free lift ticket for the day if you fly out that night?
I had NO idea you could do this! I want to book a flight over just to be able to do this. This is awesome! Sounds like an amazing slope
This is great information!! I would never have guessed mountains would offer something like that, considering the price of lift tickets these days! Thanks for sharing.