Diamond Peak Review

Diamond Peak, Nevada

Diamond Peak is the smallest of the 10 Tahoe resorts that made our list.  This review is based on multiple visits over about 10 years under generally good conditions.

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Stats and Rating

Real Vertical ? 1,840′, Rank: 80
Size 655 Acres, Rank: 88
Annual Snowfall ? 300″ claimed / 300″ actual, Rank: 47
Lift Pods ? 3, Rank: 91
Distinct Trails ? 29, Rank: 99
Review Date April, 2002 (multiple visits from 2001-2010)
Number of visits 4
Our Rating (1-5) ★★
Resort website https://www.diamondpeak.com

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Diamond Peak Review: Overall

Diamond Peak resort is only 33 miles from our house in South Lake Tahoe. Although it is close to us, there is only one reason we ever go there, which is to save money.  They had really good deals on lift tickets for kids when ours were younger. And their adult lift ticket was cheap too (not so much now though).  We would also recommend our friends/family to take ski lessons there, if they didn’t want to spend a lot skiing in the Tahoe region.

The Mountain

The ski resort is small and caters mostly to families.  Still there is actually some pretty great terrain on the upper mountain served by the Crystal Express lift to keep Mom or Dad interested while the other parent watches the kids.  Crystal Ridge is the main blue run off the top.  Most of the rest are bumped-out most of the time, but they always groom Crystal Ridge.

The Lifts

The only high-speed lift is the Crystal Express.  The 2 non-beginner lifts on the lower mountain are short and slow. However, that area is actually north-facing and fairly shady which retains the snow quality a little better than anywhere else.  There are 7 or 8 blue and black runs off of 2 lifts on the lower mountain which are entertaining.

Diamond Peak Upper Mountain - March 2014

Diamond Peak upper mountain – March 2014

The good

  • The most notable thing about Diamond Peak is the lake view.  The lake is visible from most of the runs.
  • There is a lot to like about the low prices for lift tickets and lessons.
  • The lack of crowds distinguishes it from most of the other Tahoe resorts.

The bad

  • The biggest problem is that Diamond Peak is in the least snowy area of Tahoe, and along with the low elevation (8540′ at the peak), the snow is either very thin or icy a lot of the time.
  • It is the smallest of the Tahoe resorts so there just isn’t that much variety available.

Don’t Miss

Take a run down Crystal Ridge and marvel at the lake view.

The bottom line

Diamond Peak is a small family style resort that is still independently owned with reasonable prices for day tickets and lessons.  This makes it a valuable resource for locals and visitors just looking for a fun place to spend a day or 2 with the family.  There is even some challenge there which makes it a great place for groups of different ability levels.

Diamond Peak lower mountain - March 2014

Diamond Peak lower mountain – March 2014

2 thoughts on “Diamond Peak Review

  1. Ron Thompson Post author

    OMG, Thanks for the correction. I live here and I can’t believe I made that mistake!

    Reply

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