Diamond Peak

A small mountain with big views. That’s how one might summarize Diamond Peak, Tahoe’s only northeast-shore ski area. This Nevada mountain will impress many visitors with its aesthetic, but its terrain and amenities are no match for the region’s better-known destination resorts.

Located just over lakeside Incline Village, Diamond Peak directly overlooks Lake Tahoe and offers stunning views from upper mountain areas. The top-most reaches of the resort also peer down into Carson Valley, with some spots offering views of both the valley and the lake at the same time. The valley is approximately 1,500 feet lower than the lake, making for some mystifying vistas. Those who have never visited Tahoe before will find these views incredible. However, a select few competing resorts offer even better lake perspectives.

Diamond Peak is an exceedingly narrow resort. Its footprint essentially comprises two distinct areas: the upper mountain, which offers decent vertical but only stretches a few trails wide, and the lower mountain, which offers more trails but a very short drop.

Very little green terrain exists, even compared to what one might expect. Beginners will have to stick to the lowest resort areas for the only three green trails at the resort; advanced beginners may find a few lower-mountain blue runs suitable, but they’re not much. Novice visitors may find themselves disappointed that the runs at this level fail to provide all-that-impressive lake views.

Intermediate terrain options are also limited in quantity. However, a number of circumstances help these runs stand out. Diamond Peak employs very strong grooming operations, making for smooth, consistent cruises across their blue runs. Additionally, the upper-mountain Crystal Ridge trail offers some of the best lake views at the resort. That being said, there are really only two intermediate routes down from the upper mountain, and only a handful more are scattered around the lower mountain. The average intermediate will likely hit all these runs quickly and become bored after a few laps. Most blue runs are traditional on-piste trails, but Golden Eagle Bowl, a very short intermediate glade run (which is actually marked as a black on resort signs), can be found at the top of the mountain.

The majority of Diamond Peak’s small footprint is really best for advanced skiers and riders. The mountain’s excellent grooming carries over to some black-diamond runs, allowing visitors to gain some serious speed if so desired. Other runs stay ungroomed, making for demanding mogul terrain. As long as snow conditions suffice, all of Diamond Peak’s upper mountain is skiable as glade terrain. However, the off-piste lines are not regularly patrolled, and hidden obstacles such as rocks exist across these zones.

Solitude Canyon—a relatively expansive glade zone just off the Crystal Express chair—offers the most technical terrain at Diamond Peak. This area takes months to accumulate enough snow to open, but once good to enter, it features steep, narrow lines across numerous obstacles such as rocks and cliffs. Most of Solitude Canyon can be directly lapped via the Crystal lift, but a few of the upper-most lines require a brief hike.

Diamond Peak actually delivers a fairly competitive freestyle experience for Tahoe. Boxes, rails, and jumps ranging from small to large exist across three closeby areas, with the largest jumps outclassing those at most other Tahoe parks. The areas, collectively known as the Village Terrain Park, are also easily lappable via a dedicated chairlift.

Diamond Peak’s best lake views are in the upper-mountain areas. Unfortunately, the bottom of the resort doesn’t feel quite as special. The resort begins unspectacularly at a small base surrounded by large, imposing condo developments and very little interesting scenery. Lower-mountain lifts mainly service trails that overlook built-up Tahoe hills—and the uninspiring Diamond Peak parking lot—rather than the lake itself. However, vistas of the lake do exist while riding the Lakeview Quad (if looking to the right) or while sitting at the Snowflake Lodge.

Diamond Peak is one of the few resorts where it takes a slow, fixed-grip lift to reach a high-speed one. A series of fixed-grip quad lifts hold down most of the resort’s lower-mountain areas, while a double chair services the bunny hill. The resort’s one high-speed quad—the Crystal Express—provides access to the upper mountain and most of the terrain with lake views. Thankfully, most visitors of sufficient skill will just find themselves wanting to lap this lift all day.

Unfortunately, Diamond Peak’s snow consistency falls short of even its other, already-somewhat-fickle Tahoe competitors. The resort’s lower elevation results in higher temperatures and lower snowfall than other areas surrounding the lake, and while snowmaking generally keeps on-piste conditions decent, glade terrain quality varies substantially depending on the natural conditions.

However, during powder days, Diamond Peak becomes somewhat of a hidden gem. Thanks to its lack of crowds, the resort retains fresh snow—especially in the trees and in Solitude Canyon—much longer than destination Tahoe resorts. Good-quality powder rarely gets skied out, often remaining across several areas until a freeze-thaw cycle rolls through.

Despite generally modest temperatures across the winter season, Diamond Peak does offer a few options for those looking to stop in for a break. The mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge, while small, provides food and beverage service with pleasant lake views. Diamond Peak’s base lodge offers plenty of space with both indoor and outdoor seating as well as food services. Unfortunately, no facilities exist immediately off the Crystal Express chair, meaning that getting back to the upper mountain after any sort of break mandates a ride up one of the slow lower-mountain lifts as well.

Lodging

Diamond Peak offers no lodging directly onsite, but a number of options exist very close by in the town of Incline Village. Options range from modest inns to ultra-luxury mansions; all are on the expensive side due to the area’s close proximity to Lake Tahoe. The resort is also 45 minutes away from parts of Reno, many of which offer much cheaper accommodations.

Aprés-ski

Diamond Peak doesn’t have a traditional base village or much to do directly on site, but a wide variety of activities can be found in close proximity to the resort. Incline Village, just a short drive from Diamond Peak, boasts some of the best bars and restaurants in Tahoe. Standouts include Alibi, an ale house that hosts live music on weekends, the Paddle Wheel, a divey cocktail bar, and Bowl Incline, a lively bowling alley. A series of casinos can be found at the California-Nevada border just a 10-minute drive away. The town of Kings Beach, which offers a beautiful public beach and plenty of dining options, is just slightly further.

Verdict

So Diamond Peak is much more of a good local mountain for Incline Village residents than a destination resort. Sure, the lake views are great, but other nearby resorts offer substantially more terrain for a similar price. Day ticket prices—north of $100 for adults—are truly absurd for the experience; however, season pass prices are much more reasonable. Ultimately, those looking to travel to Tahoe can get a lot more out of a ski vacation by going elsewhere.