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Northstar at Tahoe
45 reviews
4.29 of 5
Plenty of trails from beginner to expert. Popular trails include Meander, which is a smooth, intermediate singletrack, Flameout, which is an advanced, technical singletrack, and Woods, which is also an advanced, technical singletrack.
Village run is an easy fireroad the runs alongside of meander, but is very rough. It takes a good downhill rig to go through it comfortably.
TFT is a trail that's not on the map, but is marked. It comes off of boondocks, and is an expert run. Very steep, and filled with 6" deep loose pumice and large rocks through the whole thing.
You can stay within the ski resort in their condos, or anywhere else in the area. (There are a lot) Best Western is only 3 miles away, and there are numerous other motels along 267 by the lake.
Interstate 80 to Highway 267. Pass through downtown Truckee, turn left to continue down 267 for 5 miles. Turn right into the resort. Go to the website for better directions.
Summary: This review is more about the way they run the place than the trails. If you plan to rent a bike and/or gear you r are in for agreat deal of frustration and dissapointment.
They only have a limited number of bikes, so get there early. I was there at 8:30am, shop opens at 9:30, there were 10 people already waiting. By 9:30 there were probably 40+ people in line. There is no official line, so it's kind of a mad dash when the doors open.
Their process for getting the paperwork filled out and collecting your money is terrible. Very slow, if you get there at 9:30 expect to spend close to an hour in line.
The bikes are WORKED, very poorly maintained. The body armor never gets washed and is nasty with the stank of many who came before you.
Recommended Route: Livewire, Boondocks
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Summary: OMG This sucked. The reviews for this resort are hit and miss. Those who recommend full gear and a fully suspended bikes are spot on. My experience comes from trails all over the country, but i am a repeat rider at extreme Colorado trails, bay area California Trails, New Melones Reservoir trails, and Mammoth Mountain. I am always talking about how awesome mammoth is, and planned a trip here with my friends to try something new.
I learned several new words while at the resort, including "Gnar". Which is exactly what these trails are. "LiveWire" and the "2six jump park" are the only maintained trail, which "LiveWire" is watered multiple times during the day to keep it soft and dust free.
The rest of the trails are the same difficulty regardless of their blue, black and double black rating. They all contain huge boulders and rock gardens. If you like cruising smooth trails, some of the black and double black trails are better. They are more curvy and contain less rocks.especially compared to some of the blue trails. However the black trails contain many more jumps.
If you love huge jumps and have full body gear(which is necessary) this is the place for you.
If you have a family I recommend mammoth, or other local trails in your area, unless you plan on sticking to the fire roads which is in over abundance. Norhtstar has more fire roads, labeled as trails, then there are actual single track.
Most of the riders I noticed while I was at the resort are kids. And a majority of the riders came to experience Livewire(jumps). The rest claimed bragging rights for injuries or completion of the unmaintained horrific single track trails.
I still had a good time, because I came with friends, and rode trails with jumps, but i will never pay to come here again.
Recommended Route: LiveWire(the only reason to pay for this resort)
Other recommended trails in the same area: anything in Tahoe is better and free
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Summary: Had a blast at my first bike park experiance.
the freeriding is great and i left with a smile on my face.
the resort has trails for a skill types and families too.
Recommended Route: livewire to upper-mineshaft
gypsy to upper-mineshaft
upper-minshaft to liftline to lower-mineshaft
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Summary: Went to this trail park for the first time. I have been riding all my life and love Bay Area trails within Corte Madera, Saratoga Gap, and Wilder Ranch. Drove up to Northstar to see what it was like to ride up a gondola and bomb down the trails.
Wasn't up to the expectations I had. Thought the trails were really rough and rocky. Not having a full-suspension bike made it difficult to ride. Noticed that the blue and green trails were not as well maintained as the black diamond and double black diamond trails. When I did ride on the black diamond trails they were much smoother and well maintained.
Live Wire seemed to be the only trail worth taking. Had a ton of jumps and starts out with a wicked jump to give you an idea of what to expect.
All in all I wouldn't pay $39 just to take a gondola up to an unmaintained trail. I only had a helmet and noticed that everyone else had full on motocross gear (full face helmets, knee and elbow pads, and skeleton armor). The resort and amenities are really nice. Staff was super friendly, and I had fun. Just wish there were more trails available and they were all as well maintained as the black diamond trails. Huge disparity in trail conditions from green to black.
Northstar is for the rider who wants jumps and nothing else.
Recommended Route: Tryumph to the woods.
Livewire if you like the jumps.
Summary: Oh Northstar, how I love you. Summer is spent in Tahoe and every moment not spent with the wife at the beach is spent here. They have everything for every talent. I would suggest having at least an all mountain bike.
Livewire is great when it's busy, they wet it down in the morning and mid-day. Helps to keep that tahoe dust down, for almost an hour. The trail crew had out down themselves in the 08 season. The Woods was manicured and beautiful. The whole park is really becoming something of ledge, watch out Whistler!
The village has this burrito/burger place, awesome! Better then food at the main lodge. There's enough to see and do there for the non-riding others in your life.
Downside is hikers, not that I really mind, but they can do some dumb stuff. Occasionaly, an unleashed dog wants to chase you into a bush... Or they walk down a single track bike trail. Stay on the fire roads or hiking trails. Bikers pay, they don't.REPRESNT!
Recommended Route: God...so many to choose from. Flameout, Karpial, Pho Dogg, Gypsy are all great for those who have some downhill skillz. You need a 'z' sometimes. Manure Pile is great, fast with a little rock garden. I love riding Flameout to Karpial, hitting Speed Control riding to Manure Pile and then taking The Woods down to the Village. A great long ride, hitting technical DH and some great jumps.Then do it all over again!
Hit Livewire for some great flowly jumps and huge berm riding.
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