Resort Report: Diamond Peak, Incline Village, NV
Diamond Peak // tahoefabulous.com
After nine seasons of snowboarding in and around the Tahoe-Truckee area, I’ve gotten to ride at quite a few resorts. I especially love checking out the smaller, quirkier local resorts like Diamond Peak, located above the east shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nevada.
Diamond Peak Facts:
Diamond Peak is a community owned resort - it’s owned and operated by the Incline Village General Improvement District, so it tends to be one of the more affordable resorts in the Tahoe area.
It tops out at 8,540 feet, which isn’t one of the tallest peaks in the area, but it has a vertical drop of 1,840 feet - the 4th highest in the Tahoe Basin.
The longest run at Diamond Peak is 2.1 miles, and the resort has 655 skiable acres.
Diamond Peak has been in operation since 1966 (originally as Ski Incline) - more than 50 years!
Diamond Peak Ski Resort // tahoefabulous.com
Pros:
The view of Lake Tahoe from the top of Diamond Peak is incredible. While there are other ski resorts that also have lake views, like Heavenly or Alpine Meadows, I think that Diamond Peak might be my absolute favorite.
There are some really fun tree glades that hold snow well. And, since the mountain tends to be more family oriented, the more difficult terrain doesn’t get tracked out super quickly.
The mountain has a small town, down home feel! It’s not corporate, and you can tell that the people who work there care about their customers.
Food and drinks are cheaper here than most other resorts, especially the large ones owned by Vail or KSL.
The resort is very family friendly, and beginner oriented if you or people you ski or ride with are just starting out.
If you’re under 6 or over 80, you ski or ride for free!
Cons:
Since it’s a smaller resort, it doesn’t have the variety of terrain that larger resorts have.
Most of the lifts are older and aren’t detachable style. One even has a mini magic carpet for onboarding, which can make things challenging for snowboarders and newer skiers.
For snowboarders, there are quite a few flat-ish and narrow cat tracks that you need to use to get around the mountain.
There is less advanced terrain than other mountains.
It’s not a party mountain, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s much more local and family oriented.
Ticket/Pass Prices:
Adult Season Pass: $479 with no blackout days! There are deals for children, youth, seniors, and Incline Village residents. You also get quite a few free days at partner resorts all over the Western US.
Adult Value Lift Ticket: $89 (Opening day - December 21, midweek January 7 - March 17, March 17 - Closing day)
Adult Weekend Lift Ticket: $99 (Non-holiday weekends January 12 - March 17)
Adult Peak Lift Ticket: $109 (December 22 - January 6, Martin Luther King Jr Weekend, Presidents Day Weekend)
Beginner Lift Access: $49 - $69
There are also discounts for children, youth, and seniors
Diamond Peak // tahoefabulous.com