Living in one of these Reno neighborhoods that are close to snow means you can enjoy your favorite winter activities without all the shoveling. Take a quick drive up the hill to ski, snowboard, cross-country ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, and more. At the end of the day, you can head home and leave the snow where it belongs—on the mountain.
Want to live close to all the joy the snow has to offer without all the maintenance and preparation it requires? Then check out these seven Reno neighborhoods that are minutes from the mountains.
8 Reno Neighborhoods Minutes From Snow Activities
Arrowcreek
If you want to be close enough to enjoy a blanket of glistening snow on a winter morning, but not so close that you have to invest in a snowplow, Arrowcreek is a good choice for you. Because of its proximity to the Sierras, this recreation and resort community gets just enough snow to make winters beautiful. For outdoor enthusiasts, Lake Tahoe is only 18 miles away and features world-class four-seasons recreation.
Damonte Ranch
This master-planned community with diverse residential choices is close to almost everything. Whether it's downtown Reno, Meadowood or Summit Sierra malls, grocery shopping at Sprouts, north Lake Tahoe and its surrounding ski resorts, Damonte Ranch is within a quick drive to any kind of shopping or recreation you can imagine.
Galena Forest
Located off of Mt. Rose Highway, Galena Forest offers the best location for those who enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, being close to Lake Tahoe plus the close conveniences of the Reno area. With the beauty of Galena Creek and nested in the trees of Galena Forest and bordering the Toiyabe National Forest, this community provides the ideals of mountain living along with the gorgeous custom homes and homesites – the majority of which are one half acre to one acre in size.
Montreux
Located in south Reno along the Mt. Rose Highway, Montreux combines the best of Tahoe’s scenic beauty, tall pines and mountain vistas, with the close proximity to city amenities and conveniences of Reno. Mount Rose Ski Tahoe, the local’s favorite, is only 15 minutes away. Or, for even more adventure, the shores of Lake Tahoe and four-season recreational opportunities in the Tahoe Basin are all an easy 25-minute drive over the Mt Rose Highway
Northwest Reno
Northwest Reno is one of the snowier Reno neighborhoods, but it still gets less precipitation than those areas around the lake. Be prepared to dig out your car and shovel the sidewalks on snowy winter mornings. But Northern Nevada’s 300+ days of sunshine a year means the snow usually melts by midafternoon on most days. The upside is the quick access to I-80 and North Shore/Truckee ski resorts.
Saint James Village
Nestled into the foothills, Saint James Village tends to get more snow accumulation than even Northwest Reno as it's close to the base of the Sierras. Access is quick to Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe and snowshoe trails.
Southwest Reno
Southwest Reno has one of the more temperate microclimates in Northern Nevada, and there typically is less accumulation when it does snow. It’s also centrally located within 10 minutes from downtown Reno and has quick access to Interstate 80 for heading up to Squaw Valley USA or to 580 to travel south to head up to Heavenly.
Somersett
Photo courtesy somersett.com
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills a few miles east of the California-Nevada state line, Somersett offers direct access to Interstate 80. Historic Truckee, California, 13 world-class ski resorts, and four-seasons recreation around Lake Tahoe are 30 to 45 minutes away. Exciting Downtown and the very hip Midtown Reno are an easy 15-minute drive.
Winter Activities Near Reno Neighborhoods
Here are a few options for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and downhill skiing and their approximate distances to the aforementioned neighborhoods:
| Location | Miles to Damonte Ranch | Miles to Galena Forest and Montreux | Miles to Northwest Reno | Miles to Saint James Village and Arrow Creek | Miles to Southwest Reno |
| Chickadee Ridge
Hiking and snowshoeing are popular at Chickadee Ridge but the real draw is the chickadees that will eat birdseed from your hand. | 29 | 12 | 34 | 28 | 31 |
| Heavenly Ski Resort
Heavenly offers the most epic views of Lake Tahoe of any area ski resort. | 50 | 42 | 65 | 43 | 62 |
| Mount Rose Trail
The Mount Rose Trail 11.8-mile trail that offers some gorgeous vistas. Beware: This trail is rated difficult. | 18 | 10 | 32 | 26 | 29 |
| Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe
Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe is the Reno locals’ favorite ski area with the closest proximity to the city. It also offers the tallest base of any ski resort at an elevation of 8,260 feet. | 16 | 8 | 28 | 24 | 26 |
| Tahoe Meadows
The Tahoe Meadows offers winter fun for sledding, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. | 20 | 12 | 33 | 28 | 30 |
| Squaw Valley USA
Squaw Valley USA was the host of the 1960 Winter Olympics. | 56 | 40 | 4 | 66 | 43 |
