Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort - Pinecrest

My favorite resort! It has a very inviting atmosphere. The staff is friendly and does an excellent job of maintaining the resort. I learned to ski here and I keep coming back for the enjoyable, well-groomed slopes.

One of my kids lost her sunglasses and couldn’t attend the lessons. Instead of losing the money we spent, they generously provided me with a gift card for the total amount, which was great for spending on ski lifts, lessons, and more at the resort. Overall, we had a wonderful day at the resort, and the kids had a blast. Plus, I enjoyed some excellent wine!

My daughter learned to snowboard at Dodge Ridge after a friend recommended it to us. We found Tahoe to be too far, expensive, and crowded. Staying overnight in Sonora and then driving an hour to Dodge Ridge was the perfect choice. I reached out to the reservation line and spoke with Natalie Morse, who was incredibly patient and helped me with three different reservations. She provided excellent instructions on how to avoid the morning rush and the chaos of equipment rentals. Natalie truly stood out with her exceptional customer service – she even remembered my name when I called back to make changes to my reservation! The resort is very kid-friendly. If you're planning on taking lessons, keep in mind that the equipment rental is in a different building, which helps you bypass the busy general rental area. Arriving early is also a good idea, as it allows you to find a parking spot close to the entrance.

The rating is for adult Level 1 ski lesson. We signed up for the lesson online. They charge a change fee of $20-60 if you don't change the lesson date three days in advance. We arrived 45 mins before the lesson. The check-in was at the lodge. The rental shop gave us shoes without any instructions to wear them even though we told them it was our first time skiing. We struggled with the boots and didn't wear them properly. The ski poles were not measured for our height. They didn't recommend we get the helmet for safety even though the helmet is included in the lesson package. The instructor, Mark, was condescending, from the start to the end of the class. He didn't give clear instructions. He paid more attention to the students who had skied before. He didn't teach the basics of how to get up after falling. A lesson with Mark will shatter your confidence. After two hours I didn't learn anything because Mark left me and another student alone. We heard other instructors yell at kids who were taking lessons in the same area. Dodge Ridge DOES NOT care about guest experience after they take your money. The lesson is very expensive for beginners as it includes a chairlift ticket which was never used after the lesson ended at 3 pm. The resort closes at 4 pm. There are many good YouTube ski lesson videos for beginners. Save your money and time and learn from the videos instead of the uncertified and unkind instructors at this resort.

Dodge Ridge is the resort where I learned to ski as a kid, so it has a special place in my heart. It is still the resort where I bring beginners to learn, their lesson+rental+lift ticket package for beginners is a great value, and their mountain is beginner friendly.Nowadays I'm more of an Advanced/Expert level skiier, searching out steeps, slackcountry/off piste, pow, etc, and Dodge Ridge is really not the place for that. There's some decent terrain in spots, but it's a small mountain with slow lifts, I spend far more time waiting than I do sending it down the mountain. Still, not a bad place to go though by any means, far better than the cheaper resorts in Tahoe.Nice little disc golf courses they recently added, too. Can't wait to come back and play more this summer!