Lake Tahoe is our favorite place to be during the winter! From hiking with the pack to playing in the snow, we always have the best time here! Every year, we rent a huge, pet friendly cabin with a large backyard for the pack to run around in. We subsequently come up during the winter season on smaller trips and stay at pet friendly hotels. They always have a great time! Our favorite parts of Tahoe are the North Shore, Truckee, and West Shores of Lake Tahoe.
Donner Memorial State Park in Truckee is a place we discovered just this past year! The entire trail was covered in snow after the storm, so we parked our cars in the nearest lot, and hiked the trail to the lake front. On the way, we saw people cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and fellow hikers. Rosie has grown to enjoy walking in the snow, so she walked almost the entire way there and back! The huskies enjoyed running around us in circles as we trudged through the snow. Once we reached the lake front, we stopped for some photos, let the dogs run around for a bit, enjoyed the view, and then headed back to the warmth of our cars. Overall, it is an easy, fun hike that anyone would enjoy, just make sure to bundle up!
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We’re always looking for new places in Lake Tahoe to take the pack! During our next trip, we stayed on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. Not knowing the area well, we searched and searched for a pet friendly area with access to the lake without any luck. During a trip to the ski resort, we rode the ski lift with a woman and her son who knew of a place! It was not specifically on a map, so she gave us directions there!
Here it goes. The closest mapped place to this area is called West Shore Market. Once you reach it, you must park in the parking lot and walk along the fence to find the entrance that leads to the park. If you have trouble finding it, enter the market, and the friendly employees will help you with the directions. Once you’re there, you’ll see this beautiful view!
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For the avid snowboarders and skiers out there, we’ve got you covered! It just so happens that we love the fresh powder just as much as the pack does! Here is a list of our favorite ski resorts!
At the top of our list is Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows! It is a huge resort with a beautiful village. We love coming here to ride the mountain, eat their sugary Belgian waffles, and walk around the village. Disclaimer: With the rising lift ticket prices ($130 for adults if purchased in advance) this place is not the most budget friendly. Worth it if you spend the entire day shredding though!
The village (shopping center) itself is extremely dog friendly, and you’ll often see the squaw dogs running around in the snow and greeting everyone!
PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn is a great dog friendly hotel located right on Squaw valley grounds. It is located steps away from the lifts, and although it is a little pricey, the rooms are very well kept and did we mention free continental breakfast?
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Our next place is a smaller family owned mountain, Tahoe Donner Ski Area in Truckee. The mountain is smaller, but great for beginner and intermediate level riders. Perhaps the most budget friendly places at $59 for a full day ticket and $49 for a half day ticket. The trails are beautifully covered in snow and it’s never too crowded. There is plenty of room to ride here and enjoy the snow-capped mountains!
Tahoe Donner also offers Cross country skiing with your dogs! They have 7km of dog friendly trails and dogs are allowed off leash, or even attached for skiijoring! A day pass is only $5 (without equipment rental) and although there are some restrictions on certain days and times, it’s not easy to find a place that allows skiing with your pups!
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Last but not least, on the west side, we have Homewood Mountain Resort! Lift tickets range from $49 to $85 depending on how early you book online, so the sooner the better. This is the most picturesque resort we’ve ever been to! Going up the ski lift was amazing, because the view of the entire lake and snowy mountains as far as the eye could see engulfed us in it’s beauty! There are trails for all skill levels and acres upon acres to explore here.
For our accommodations, we stayed at the Tahoma Lodge. It was conveniently located only 10 minutes away from Homewood. They were able to accommodate our pups at $10 per dog per night. The lodges were all separated but on the same property, so they had a very cabin-like feel. We stayed in the Spruce Apartment, which was the largest and hosted our group of 6 (plus 3 dogs) completely fine. The inside was just renovated and very well kept! Our lodge had a little kitchen complete with pots, pans, and utensils. There was a little floor-level balcony with a BBQ, and we even had our own little parking space right outside the doors! Overall great stay and very nice management.
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Another pet friendly accommodation is The Inn at Truckee! We came here to go cross country skiing and snowboarding at Tahoe Donner in April. The room itself was small but cozy, with a mini fridge and microwave. Of course pets were allowed (at $25 per night), but they are not allowed to stay by themselves in the room, even if they were crated. Continental breakfast was complementary, 24 hour coffee, and a spa/sauna on site. Warning though, they do not have hair dryers, so be sure to pack your own! There was a little patch of grass behind the hotel near a river so the dogs got to play a little on their potty breaks. The staff was very accommodating and even offered to place us in the room next to our friends!
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That’s all for now! Please subscribe to us for updates! We love finding places to share with you all! More to come soon! :]
Rosie & the Huskies 