Sugar Bowl to Squaw Valley hike

Lake Tahoe / Truckee

Hike of the Month

Sugar Bowl to Squaw Valley

Beautiful vistas, wildflowers, and rock formations abound on the hike along the Pacific Crest Trail from Sugar Bowl ski resort to Squaw Valley ski resort.

This hike is about 15 miles. It follows the ridge of the mountains on the Pacific Creast Trail between Sugar Bowl ski area and Squaw Valley ski area. This is a one way hike, so normally you would have to leave a car at Squaw Valley and then drive in another car to Sugar Bowl to begin your hike. However, we were creative and met my wife for dinner at the Auld Dubliner in Squaw Valley for good, hearty food at inexpensive prices. After dinner she drove us back to our car at Sugar Bowl. The Guinness draft at the Auld Dubliner tasted delicious after a long hike! Their potato leak soup is superb so order the bowl, and the “boxys” are quite good. There is a Starbucks in the village opposite the Plump Jack restaurant.

The trail starts at the Pacific Crest trail head at Donner Summit right next to Sugar Bowl ski resort. To get to the trail head, take old Highway 40 from the west end of Donner Lake. Go over Rainbow Bridge, and wind around until you are at the top. To your left will be a ski school just before you get to Sugar Bowl ski area and Donner Ski Ranch. Turn left into the ski school parking area and follow a small road at the far end of the parking lot until you come to parking in the dirt on your right. The trail head is to the left of the dirt parking.

Enjoy the photos that follow.