Cross country ski resort guide

Cross-Country Ski Resorts

• Tahoe Donner

• Getting There: Donner Pass Road off I-80. Drive time 3:15. www.tahoedonner.com

• Royal Gorge

• Getting There: I-80 east to Soda Springs exit. Drive time 2:45. www.royalgorge.com

• Trail Pass: Adult $27 (half-day $22); 13-22 $21 ($16 half-day); 60-69 $21 (half-day $16).

• Terrain:65 trails, 195 kilometers.

• Reason to go: It reopens this season and is managed by Sugar Bowl. Summit Station is renovated.

• Northstar

• Getting There: I-80 to Highway 267, 6 miles. Adjacent to Northstar downhill area. Drive time 3 hours. www.skinorthstar.com

• Trail Pass: Adult $27 (half-day $20); 5-12 $15 (half-day $10); snowshoeing $15 (half-day $14).

• Terrain: Nearly 40 kilometers of cross country and snowshoe trails.

• Reason to go: The cross country, telemark and snowshoe center features sundeck and larger teaching area.

• Tahoe Cross Country

• Getting There: I-80 to Truckee, south on Highway 89 to Tahoe City. East on Highway 28, two miles. At Dollar Hill, take Fabian Way to Village Drive to Country Club Drive. Drive time 3:30. www.tahoexc.org

• Trail Pass: Adult $23 (half-day $19), 10-17 $19 (half-day $15); 60-69 $19 (half-day $15).

• Terrain: 65 kilometers.

• Reason to go: Ski anytime on Tuesdays for $12 (non-holidays). Dogs are welcome Monday through Friday (non-holidays).

• Kirkwood

• Getting There: Highway 99 to Eight Mile Road (north of Stockton) to Highway 88 through Jackson. Drive time 3:10. www.kirkwood.com

• Trail Pass: Adult $22 (half-day $19); 13-18 $17 (half-day $15); 11-12 $8 (half-day $6); 65-69 $17 (half-day $12).

• Terrain: 80 kilometers of groomed trails.

• Reason to go: 80 kilometers of groomed trails at 7,800 feet offer spectacular scenery and exciting terrain.

• Dodge Ridge

• Getting There: Highway 108 to Pinecrest exit 32 miles east of Sonora. Drive time: 1:45. www.dodgeridge.com

• Trail Pass: Free.

• Terrain: One mile ungroomed loop trail.

• Reason to go: Crabtree and Gooseberry systems, which begin a half-mile from Dodge, offer ungroomed but extensive trails.

• Badger Pass

• Getting There: Yosemite National Park (take Highway 120), Glacier Point Road. Drive time: 2:45. www.yosemitepark.com

• Trail Pass: Adult $42 (half-day $32.50); 13-17 $37 (half-day $30); 7-12 $22 (half-day $18).

• Terrain: 25 miles of machine-groomed track and 90 miles of marked trails.

• Reason to go: Cross country track and skating lanes are groomed from Badger Pass to Glacier Point (21-mile round trip). Great for the novice and expert.

• Bear Valley

• Getting There: Highway 4 east of Murphys. Drive time: 2:15. www.bearvalleyxc.com

• Trail Pass: Adult $25; 13-17 $18; 9-12 $10; 60-69 $18.

• Terrain:Extensive 35-trail system covering 3,000 acres, all carefully groomed for track and skate skiing and snowshoeing.

• Reason to go: Trails carefully groomed for track, skate skiing and snowshoeing. Sledding and tubing also available.