Activity Donner Summit, Truckee

Royal Gorge Cross Country

An activity in Donner Summit, Truckee, moderately priced ($$) and worth about 3 hours. Best time to go: Midday.

Why go

Large cross-country ski area on Donner Summit, with groomed classic and skate trails and snowshoe routes.

It is one of 8 curated places we feature in Truckee, alongside 2 activities, 2 sights and 1 place to eat. The closest of our other picks is Sugar Bowl, 2.9 mi away as the crow flies.

Type: Activity · Adventure
Neighborhood: Donner Summit
Price: $$
Time needed: 3 hr
Best time: Midday

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Truckee, measured as straight-line distance.

1
Sugar Bowl
Ski resort on Donner Summit, opened in 1939, that gets some of the deepest snow in the Sierra.
Activity · 2.9 mi straight-line
2
Donner Lake
Mountain lake just west of town below Donner Pass, ringed by snowy granite peaks in winter.
Outdoors · 6.7 mi straight-line
3
Donner Memorial State Park
Park at the east end of Donner Lake with the Pioneer Monument and a museum on the Donner Party and the railroad.
Sight · 7.9 mi straight-line
4
Truckee Depot
Downtown train depot where Amtrak's California Zephyr stops, with a visitor center and a caboose outside.
Sight · 11 mi straight-line
5
Moody's Bistro Bar & Beats
Downtown restaurant and bar in the Truckee Hotel building, with live music most nights.
Food · 11 mi straight-line
6
The Truckee Hotel
Victorian-era hotel in downtown Truckee, steps from the depot and Commercial Row.
Stay · 11 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Royal Gorge Cross Country is a stop on our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee
Sierra ski days around a deep blue lake
6 daysStop 3 of 3Best Dec – Mar

More things to do in Truckee

Another curated activity in Truckee. See the full Truckee guide.

Northstar California
Family-friendly ski resort south of Truckee, with long groomed runs and an outdoor ice rink in its village.
ActivityNorthstar$$$$

When to go

Average daily highs in Truckee run from 36°F in December to 85°F in July; December is usually the wettest month. For Royal Gorge Cross Country itself, we suggest: Midday.

Modelled monthly averages for Truckee from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Truckee weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Royal Gorge Cross Country, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Coordinates: 39.31338, -120.38917
Destination: Truckee, California