These are the nearest public or permitted snow-play options our sources name, with the agency or operator for each one.
Snow-play areas, with sources
Each spot below is named by the public agency or source linked in its card. Anything the source does not say is marked "Not stated by source".
Tamarack SNO-Park
Sierra National Forest, south side of Highway 168, about 10 miles east of Shaver Lake
- Drive from downtown
- About 4 hr 20 min, 192 miles, with no traffic or snow (routing estimate from OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads). Snow-day traffic can double it.
- Cost or pass
- SNO-Park permit required Nov. 1 to May 30: $15 a day or $40 a season, per California State Parks
- Parking
- First come, first served. Cleared lots are not guaranteed every day.
- Rules
- Shared with snowmobiles and cross-country skiers. Ask the forest which slopes are open for play.
- Call ahead
- Not stated by source
- Source
- California State Parks, Tamarack (checked October 28, 2026) SNO-Park permits (checked October 28, 2026)
Search on Google Maps
Echo Lake SNO-Park
Eldorado National Forest, north side of Highway 50 at Echo Lake Road, near Echo Summit
- Drive from downtown
- About 4 hr 12 min, 201 miles, with no traffic or snow (routing estimate from OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads). Snow-day traffic can double it.
- Cost or pass
- SNO-Park permit: $15 a day or $40 a season, Nov. 1 to May 30
- Parking
- No parking on the entry road (Johnson Pass Road), per State Parks
- Rules
- Listed activities include snow play. No snowmobiles.
- Call ahead
- Eldorado National Forest: (530) 644-2324
- Source
- California State Parks, Echo Lake (checked October 28, 2026)
Get directions
Adventure Mountain Lake Tahoe (private tubing, Echo Summit)
Echo Summit, Highway 50, under a Forest Service permit
- Drive from downtown
- About 4 hr 12 min, 201 miles, with no traffic or snow (routing estimate from OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads). Snow-day traffic can double it.
- Cost or pass
- Paid. The business lists a $20 per-vehicle entrance fee that covers parking and snow play, with tubing sessions extra. SNO-Park permits are not accepted.
- Parking
- Included in the entrance fee
- Rules
- The business says sledding is not allowed. Tubing only.
- Call ahead
- Not stated by source
- Source
- Adventure Mountain Lake Tahoe (checked October 28, 2026) Eldorado NF (checked October 28, 2026)
Search on Google Maps
When snow usually arrives
Our sources do not give snow dates for these areas: Not stated by source. Mountain snow comes and goes with each storm, so call the number on the card before you drive.
Chains and road conditions
Caltrans uses three chain control levels, R1 to R3. Carry chains even with 4WD. Caltrans chain controls (checked October 28, 2026) Check Caltrans QuickMap before you leave, and do not park on shoulders where it is not allowed.
Winter parking permits (SNO-Park)
California State Parks says: "A SNO-Park permit is required for each vehicle parked at a SNO-Park site from November 1 through May 30 of each year." It lists day permits at $15 and season permits at $40. (California State Parks OHV, SNO-Park Permits, checked 2026-10-28) Oregon's DMV page lists Oregon permits separately. Not every snow-play area on this page is a SNO-Park, so check the card's source.