1. Resort At Squaw Creek
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (530) 583-6300, (800) 327-3353
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: Everything about the Resort at Squaw Creek is delightfully discriminating—its location in Olympic Valley, surrounded by the magnificent jagged peaks of Squaw Valley USA; its lavishly appointed accommodations, offering the optimum in comfort and luxury; and the endless variety of year-round activities that are conveniently available just outside. When it opened in 1990, this resort set new standards of elegance for the North Shore Lake Tahoe area. And it has been winning prestigious awards for excellence from publications ever since, including Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet, and Wine Spectator magazines. All guest rooms have gorgeous views of either the snow-dusted peaks or the pristine mountain meadow. They also feature custom furnishings, original artwork, refrigerators, minibars, and spacious windows that open to the fresh mountain air. Of the 403 accommodations, 200 suites are available, some with fireplaces, sitting areas, and complete kitchens. But the stunning decor is by no means confined to the rooms—the public areas of this resort are simply gorgeous. The tasteful combination of wood, stone, and glass used to construct the buildings blends beautifully with the surrounding mountain terrain. In summer, the exterior areas are especially enjoyable; the stone terraces and pool area offer lovely views of the landscape, including the cascading waterfall that runs through the property. Winter activities at this premier resort include downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, sledding, sleigh rides, dogsled rides, and snowshoeing. Squaw Creek also has its own lift that gives skiers access to the lifts at Squaw Valley USA, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. (For details on winter activities at Squaw Valley, see the Winter Sports chapter.) Summer activities include golf on the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course (see the Golf chapter for more information), tennis, horseback riding, rafting, boating, hiking, mountain climbing, and biking. The resort also has a three-pool water garden with a 120-foot waterslide and the largest, most elegant spa in the Lake Tahoe area (recently renovated at a cost of $3 million). Additional summer activities are available at Squaw Valley USA. A variety of supervised children’s programs are also offered summer and winter. Dining can also be an exceptional experience at Squaw Creek, with four restaurants to tempt your palate. Six Peaks Grille offers family-style comfort food. Ristorante Montagna specializes in California Italian cuisine. Sweet Potatoes Deli serves delectable breakfasts and lunches and will even pack a picnic basket or backpack lunch for you to take along on a hike through the valley. Sandy’s Pub serves burgers in a lively microbrew atmosphere. If you’re arriving by air at Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Squaw Creek provides transportation to the resort. It also operates a free shuttle to Squaw Valley USA. And whether you’re booking winter or summer, inquire about packages because the resort offers a large assortment. Although you can easily spend your entire vacation right on the property, Squaw Creek is just 5 miles from Lake Tahoe. If you can afford to stay at the resort, it offers the optimum in elegance. But even if you can’t afford the rooms, drop by for a drink or dinner; you can still enjoy the gorgeous views. And don’t be surprised if you’re rubbing elbows with TV and movie stars, since the Resort at Squaw Creek is a well-known celebrity destination. The resort recently unveiled plans to convert the guest suites to luxury condominiums for sale. Many of these units would be available for rent as hotel accommodations. For information, check www.squawcreekliving.com or call (800) 905-2753.
2. Squaw Valley Usa
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (530) 583-5585, (800) 403-0206
Address: 1960 Squaw Valley Road
Description: This rental office can find you digs right at Squaw or anywhere else in the Tahoe area.
3. Squaw Valley Academy (Sva)
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Education
Telephone: (530) 583-9393
Address: 235 Squaw Valley Road
Description: The most prestigious school at Lake Tahoe, SVA is a boarding and day school that “provides a college preparatory curriculum in a structured environment” to students in grades 6 through 12. It boasts small classes and advanced placement courses. The coeducational school, which has 35 students and 13 teachers, administrators, and administrative staff, offers soccer, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and tennis as its extracurricular activities. It was founded in 1978 and is fully accredited. Although not a ski academy, the school attracts a lot of competitive skiers and boarders.
4. Resort At Squaw Creek
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Golf
Telephone: (800) 327-3353 (reservations o
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: This Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed course is everything you would expect from both the prolific designer and a Lake Tahoe resort course: beautiful mountain and meadow views and a challenging course set among existing wetlands and forested hills. The course has been honored by Golf magazine as one of the “Top 10 Courses You Can Play,” and by Golf Today as one of the top resort courses in northern California. It’s lush and plays like a links course, with tees, landing areas, and greens strategically placed to take advantage of the natural hazards. The front nine has narrow fairways and rows and rows of towering pines. The back nine has elevated wooden cart paths built over the wetlands and has a propensity for eating golf balls, so bring an extra supply. The signature hole is the par 5 13th, which is 500 yards long and requires at least a 200-yard drive off the tee to carry the wetlands. See the Winter Sports, Recreation, and Resorts chapters for more information on Squaw Valley. The course is usually open from April through October. Yardage: 6,010 Par: 71 USGA rating: 69.3 Slope: 125 Greens fees: $60 to $115 Reservations: 30 days in advance for nonguests; 3 months in advance for guests
5. Sandy’S Pub
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (530) 583-6300, (800) 327-3353
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: After a “hard” day of powder skiing at Squaw Valley, head into Sandy’s Pub, where you can relax with your favorite microbrew and watch a little sports action on the big-screen TV. Tucked in the lower level of the Resort at Squaw Creek, the pub’s casual lodge ambience provides a fitting background for the lovely mountain views seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The wide-ranging menu covers everything from spicy buffalo wings to crisp salads to juicy filet mignon. The large stone patio just outside is a favorite place for lunch in summer. You can also watch live action on the Resort at Squaw Creek championship golf course, with a man-made waterfall tumbling nearby.
6. Resort At Squaw Creek
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (530) 583-6300, ext. 6631, (80
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: Tucked in gorgeous Olympic Valley with the towering peaks of Squaw Valley as a backdrop, the 18 kilometers of trail at the Resort at Squaw Creek are scenic to say the very least. Although it’s one of the smaller cross-country resorts in the area, it gives you a chance to soak in the awesome beauty of this very special place without the hassles of alpine skiing at Squaw Valley USA. The trails are groomed for striding and skating, and you can also try snowshoeing. Because much of the terrain is open and relatively level, it’s perfect for novices. More-advanced skiers can also find some ups and downs, including several trails that wind up the mountain behind the hotel. Amenities include rentals, instruction, a ski shop, and twilight skiing. The trail pass is around $14. Since the Resort at Squaw Creek is easily one of the most exquisite resorts in the Reno/Tahoe area, I suggest you have dinner or an après-ski drink in the hotel after your day on the snow. (For more details about this resort, see the Resorts chapter. For more information on Squaw Valley, see the description of Squaw Valley USA in this chapter.) To reach the resort from Reno/Sparks, take I–80 west for about 30 miles to Truckee, and then CA 89 south about 10 miles. After turning into Squaw Valley at the main entrance, look for Squaw Creek Road and turn left. You can either have valets park your car at the resort or use the parking lot. From Tahoe City take CA 89 north about 6 miles. For information on shuttle service to Squaw Valley USA, call (800) 327-3353, (866) 769-4653, (530) 581-7181, or (530) 550-1212.
7. Resort At Squaw Creek
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (530) 583-6300, ext. 6802, (53
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: The outdoor skating rink at this elegant luxury resort has a classic Christmas-card view of Olympic Valley and the surrounding snowclad peaks. You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy all the top-of-the-line amenities here, so lace up those skates and luxuriate in the ambience of one of the country’s top winter resorts. (For a detailed description of Squaw Valley USA and the Resort at Squaw Creek, see previous sections of this chapter, along with the Resorts chapter.) The rink is open for daily sessions during winter from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for $10 per session for adults and $8 for those 16 and younger who have their own skates. Equipment can be rented for an additional $5. Instruction is available if you make reservations in advance. To reach the resort from Reno/Sparks, take I–80 west for about 30 miles to Truckee, and then CA 89 south for about 13 miles. From Tahoe City take CA 89 north about 6 miles. After turning into Squaw Valley at the main entrance, look for Squaw Creek Road, and turn left. You can either take advantage of valet parking at the resort or use the parking lot.
8. Squaw Valley Usa Olympic Ice Pavilion
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (530) 583-6985, (800) 545-4350
Address: 1960 Squaw Valley Road
Description: Perched midmountain, high above exquisite Olympic Valley, the outdoor Olympic Ice Pavilion at Squaw Valley USA gives you a one-of-a-kind skating experience with a breathtaking view. Adults can buy a transport/skate ticket year-round (which includes two hours of skate rental) for $27 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Termination hours vary with the season. Once on the mountain you can enjoy all the restaurants, shops, and watering holes provided at High Camp. (For more details about all the amenities offered at this world-class resort, see the description earlier in this chapter under “Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding.”) Because this part of Squaw Valley can get very windy at times, it’s wise to call ahead and get a weather report for the mountain. Also be sure to dress warmly, since you’ll be skating outside at 8,200 feet in elevation. To get to Squaw Valley USA, take CA 89 north from Tahoe City for about 6 miles. From Reno head west on I–80 about 30 miles to Truckee, and then go south for about 13 miles on CA 89.
9. Squaw Valley Usa
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (530) 583-6985
Address: 1960 Squaw Valley Road
Description: If you’re not busy skiing, you can browse the small cluster of quaint shops near the base of the lifts at Squaw Valley USA or the upscale boutiques just completed in the village. As you might expect, some of these stores are oriented toward skiing and outdoor activities. Since the business at the ski area is seasonal, some shops are closed during the summer months. While in Olympic Valley, check out the shops at the Resort at Squaw Creek, just off Squaw Valley Road as you enter the valley (see the descriptions of Squaw Valley and the Resort at Squaw Creek in the Winter Sports and Resorts chapters).
10. The Village At Squaw
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (530) 584-1000
Description: The newest development at Squaw Valley USA, the Village at Squaw boasts a collection of upscale shops along with its luxurious condominiums. Everything is conveniently located adjacent to the gondola and funicular. Although some old-timers decry the loss of parking and the size of the project, it has brought a new level of luxury to Olympic Valley. Shoppers can browse such stores as Tails by the Lake—A Pet Boutique, Edin Boutique, Gallery Keoki, and PlumpJackSport. You’ll also find a nice choice of eateries for either lunch or dinner.
11. Mountain Buddies Resort At Squaw Creek
City: Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (800) 327-3353
Address: 400 Squaw Creek Road
Description: Mountain Buddies is a year-round program for children 4 to 12 years old. Chaperones take the kids on hikes; supervise arts and crafts; take the kids swimming; and, during the winter months, take them sledding and ice-skating. This resort program always receives high praise from both parents and children. The cost for an all-day stay with lunch is around $90, and for a half-day stay, the price is about $50. A full day begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. Half-day programs go from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 5:00 p.m., and 6:30 to 10:00 p.m.