Northstar sits on Mt. Pluto, an extinct volcano above the Lake Tahoe basin, and opened in 1972 on a former tree farm. Pass access for 2026/27: Epic Pass, unlimited, unrestricted.
Key takeaways
- Northstar has 97 km of marked pistes, 1,283 hectares of skiable terrain, 695 m of vertical and 20 lifts.
- Epic Pass 2026/27: Unlimited, unrestricted.
- Our estimate: about 3 days to ski every marked run; plan 3 to 5 ski days.
Northstar at a glance
- Marked pistes
- 97km[1]
- Skiable area
- 1,283ha[2]
- Vertical drop
- 695m[2]
- Top elevation
- 2,624m[2]
- Base elevation
- 1,929m[2]
- Runs
- 100[2]
- Lifts
- 20[2]
- Season: November 20, 2026 to April 11, 2027[1],[3]
- Nearest major airport: Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), about 45 minutes by road[4]
Our take
- Time to ski every marked run: about 3 days, at the 35 km of piste a confident intermediate covers in a full day.
- How long to stay: 3 to 5 ski days, enough to cover most of the mountain without repeating yourself.
- Data for the trip: a United States eSIM covering about 7 days, the ski days plus a travel day either side. Lift apps, trail maps and avalanche bulletins all need it.
More resorts near Northstar
Frequently asked questions
Is Northstar on the Ikon Pass or the Epic Pass?+
How big is Northstar?+
How many days do you need to ski Northstar?+
When is the 2026/27 season at Northstar?+
What is the nearest airport to Northstar?+
Will my phone work at Northstar?+
Methodology
How we did this comparison
Mountain statistics come from each resort's own facts page where it publishes one, otherwise from Skiresort.info's trail-map data, and every figure links to its source. Pass access for the 2026/27 season comes only from ikonpass.com and epicpass.com, read on 26 October 2026; check the operator's page before you buy, because access and blackout dates can change.
Days to ski every marked run, how long to stay and how many days of data to buy are our own estimates, not resort figures. We assume a confident intermediate covers 35 km of marked piste in a full day, lifts included, and add a travel day either side for the eSIM. North American resorts publish skiable acreage rather than piste length, so where we rank them we rank by skiable area.
Sources & references
We verify carrier and regulator pricing directly from primary sources before publishing. Pricing is current as of the article's last update — always confirm rates on the carrier's site before you travel.
- Ski resort Northstar California Resort (skiresort.info) — Skiresort.info
- Mountain Information & Fun Facts | Northstar California Resort — Vail Resorts
- Is Winter About to Show Off? Vail Resorts Announces 2026/27 Opening Dates (press release, 2026-08-18) — Vail Resorts
- Getting Here | Northstar California — Vail Resorts
- Northstar California (Wikidata, coordinate location P625) — Wikidata
- Epic Pass 2026/27: Northstar — Epic Pass
🇺🇸 Planning a trip to United States?
- United States eSIM plans and travel guide
- Where to eat in United States: 222 restaurants on one map
- Snowmass on the Ikon Pass 2026/27: Mountain Stats, Days to Ski It All and Trip Planning
- Mammoth Mountain on the Ikon Pass 2026/27: Mountain Stats, Days to Ski It All and Trip Planning
- Best Epic Pass and Ikon Pass Resorts in Colorado 2026/27, Ranked by Size
- Steamboat on the Ikon Pass 2026/27: Mountain Stats, Days to Ski It All and Trip Planning
About the author
Lotsotravel Team
The Lotsotravel editorial team writes hands-on guides for international travelers. We test eSIMs on real devices in real destinations, monitor Canadian and U.S. carrier pricing weekly, and compare coverage across local network partners before we recommend a plan. Every comparison post is updated when carriers change their rates so the numbers you read here match what you would pay today.
Last updated: October 26, 2026