Our family’s review of Diamond Peak Ski Resort! We couldn’t have asked for an easier, more family friendly ski resort than Diamond Peak when we went to Tahoe this year. Read this review to find out what to expect before your next family trip to Diamond Peak. Skip the giant resorts next time, and opt for this quaint family oriented ski resort, we are so glad we did.

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What to Bring & Wear to Diamond Peak

Dress warmly and in layers! I know that’s obvious, but when we went to Diamond Peak, it was windy! So a nice thick warm ski jacket and pants are key. We also forgot gloves for Henry… So don’t forget the gloves! (Also don’t forget to bring your friends with kids, because they had gloves for Henry. Life saver.)

You can rent all the ski gear there, including helmets and goggles, but those might be worth bringing because it almost costs as much as renting (if you use it twice, it will cover the cost of renting). (Pro tip: Order them on Amazon Prime and have it sent to your hotel or Airbnb so you don’t have to worry about bringing it.)

Other Essentials to Bring to Ski Resort:

• Warm hat – we love these that have animal themes because Henry will actually keep them on
• Chapstick
• Sunscreen (poor Andrew got so red.)
• Extra change of clothes for the kids
• Any specific cups they like to drink out of (to pour in milk or hot chocolate in)
• Favorite snacks for bribing… I mean keeping the kids happy 🙂
• The usual – diapers, wipes, sanitizing wipes, bottles, nursing covers, etc.
• Hand warmers

Chilly day at Diamond Peak!

Snacks & Food Options at Diamond Peak – Lodges

When we went, we only got to check out the Base Lodge, which is at the very base – and all the slopes end up here! Very convenient for finding each other.

They have easy, kid-friendly things to eat like burgers, pizza, and hot dogs along with other vegetarian options. The environment is a lively vibe for post-ski and snowboard relaxation and fun. It has a full bar that has seating wrapped around and plenty of tables inside and outside (with heaters) the lodge for eating. When we went, we had to wait for a few minutes to grab a seat, so maybe a family member can be on the lookout while another orders.

They also have another lodge, the Snowflake Lodge, at the top of the Lakeview Quad – which offer BBQ fares, hot cocoa, and adult beverages. (We didn’t go to that one.) They have other places to grab food like LIghtning Grab-N-Go on the weekends and peak periods on the deck of the Base Lodge, or Upper Deck Snack Bar. For more info on these options, check out Diamond Peak’s website here.

Parking at Diamond Peak

When we went, it was one of the busiest weekends in Tahoe, President’s Day weekend. The parking lot was packed. We got there around 9:45am, and since all of us (a group of 3 families) had kids in their ski school, one parent dropped off the ski-school kid and parent, and the other one went to go find parking. (Mostly because we were also running super behind on our school schedule….)

There is a big area, where you can park for 5 minutes to load and unload. We seemed to have gone at the peak time, but we didn’t have any issues finding a 5 minute stop. After that, there is regular parking, which by noon, people were starting to go out of. If you can’t find parking there, there’s overflow parking (which is still not that far), where they offered shuttles. They came frequently and carried a lot of people at once.

Checking in on a busy weekend wasn’t so bad!

Ski School at Diamond Peak

Diamond Peak kids’ ski school start from age 3+ (7+ for snowboard). Henry just turned 3 a couple of weeks before our trip, so it was perfect! So we thought… As you know, you never know what to expect with kids. He got an ear infection a few days prior, and although he was feeling much better, he just couldn’t take the cold and wind that day. As soon as he got out of the car, he was like “nope”. Luckily, the ski school was so nice about it, and they let us choose another day to come back and do a lesson.

Henry’s buddies, also around the same age (a month or so older) did the lessons and they did great! One of his buddies even went down a hill by the end of the lesson!

The ski lesson package includes all of the ski gear rentals, but helmet and goggles are separate and is an extra $15 or so. I was told that you could get a ski helmet for kids for around the same price, and it’s true! So, if you think your kid will go skiing more than once, might as well just buy a helmet before you go.

The Ski Lifts at Diamond Peak

As I mentioned before, we went on probably one of the busiest weekends in Tahoe, President’s Weekend. BUT the longest Tony waited to get on the lift was 5 minutes! Isn’t that amazing? They are so efficient there.

Another reason why Diamond Peak is so family-friendly. Kids 6 & under ski FREE! If your kids are older, they have special family packages at a great discount.

If you also have kids that aren’t great skiers are you are, then they also offer interchangeable parent lift tickets so you can take turns.

The Ski Slopes at Diamond Peak

When we went, only a couple of slopes were open because it was a dry day. The slopes were perfect for a dad, who is a pretty good skier, that hasn’t skied since Henry was born, 3 years prior. He had a blast!

Besides the slopes having a great range of easy to black diamond, the views of Lake Tahoe and the mountains are gorgeous from up above!

Tony and another dad met people from Massachusetts and Georgia there – so people travel from all over the country to come to this family-friendly ski resort! They were loving it because the snow, even though it was dry that day, was so much nicer compared to the icy snow in the East Coast.

This was our first visit to Diamond Peak, and we can’t wait to make this a yearly tradition!

Have you been to Diamond Peak? Tell us what you thought about it!