Have some free time before picking up your keys at Hauserman Rental Group, or want to throw in just one more little Tahoe adventure? Just off the back parking lot of The Cobblestone is one of Tahoe City’s fine little gems: The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park.
Located at The Clubhouse of the Tahoe City Golf Course (with an entrance across the street from Swigard’s Hardware on North Lake Blvd.) the Winter Sports Park includes:
Three kilometers of groomed trails that wind through the trees and across open fairways, providing views of Tahoe City and Lake Tahoe. The trails are groomed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and allow dogs. There is also a loop walking trail on the snow (walkers are requested to use this trail only, and not to walk on the ski trails). The trails are relatively flat and short, perfect for a first time cross-country skier.
A sledding hill is located just a few feet from the restaurant, bar and fire pits, making for a lovely place to hang with the kids, while enjoying a hot toddy.
Ski and snowshoe rentals are available, and your sledding fee includes use of the Sports Park sledding discs.
Season passes are only $49 (until December 24th, when the price goes to $69). Day passes are just $10 (unless you are a dog, in which case you only have to pay $2…of course the problem is, you have no pockets to keep the money) and rentals are $15.
The Sports Park is open all season from Friday-Sunday, and seven days a week between December 20th and January 5th.
Every Saturday the Sports Park is open until 8 pm. Enjoy a lovely night time excursion via the lights of the nearby ballfield, a few solar lights and the ambiance of downtown Tahoe City. It’s bright enough to find your way around, but dark enough to still see the stars.
The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park is a community partnership between the Tahoe City Public Utility District that owns the land, the Tahoe City Golf Course, which runs the restaurant and bar, and Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area, which conducts the skiing operation. As a community service, even on days when the Sports Park is not open, the trails are groomed for folks to ski. If you would like to assist in the cost of grooming, you can make contributions into the donation box at the trailhead.
“The Winter Sports Park has been a well-received addition to Tahoe City,” says Kevin Murnane, manager of the park and Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area. “It provides visitors and locals with excellent recreation options right in town. We are excited to be entering our second season here at the golf course.”
For information on the Park, and updates on events, go to www.wintersportspark.com or www.tahoexc.org/tcsportspark.