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May 2023 by B Silverman
Wonderful community of ski & outdoors enthusiasts -- the club goes back almost 100 years -- run by a group of volunteers with the grandchildren of the founding members still very much-involved. Family-friendly, unpretentious, reasonably-priced, lockers so you can stash your gear year-round. Individual rooms, shared men's/women's bath. Great place for kids and adults alike!
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April 2023 by Val V.
Great hidden gem for skiers and nature lovers. It is under the gondola to Sugarbowl Village. A lodge with a lot of history and tradition, welcome to single skiers and families. We love the communal aspect and have met so many people our first season and ended up skiing or X-country skiing together.
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March 2017 by Gareth Gabb
Really fun hike during the summer. Kinda tough at the early part so be prepared. Also very narrow in some areas. But a fun hike with great views at the top.
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March 2017 by Brian McFarlin
A pretty place to visit and have a picnic.
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March 2017 by Henk DeGraaf
Great easy hike. The view from on top of the summit is awesome!
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October 2016 by Evelyn L.
The Oakland Ski Club has a venerable 2 story lodge built 1937-1940 (I think) on the summer dirt road which historic hwy 40 (parallel to the paved Old 40), proudly maintained by volunteer members and a paid caretaker/cook in the wintertime. I've been a member for about 10 years now, and really love being able to drive right up Hwy 80 in the winter, stop short of Donner Summit (take the exit for Soda Springs/Sugar Bowl), park, and walk into our snug lodge with fire going in the Franklin stove, and then walk/drive around the corner to Sugar Bowl or Donner Ski Ranch the next day. In the summer, we mountain bike around the Summit, sometimes going to Long Lake (beyond Kidd Lake and the 2 Cascades) for a swim. A couple of years ago, we backpacked from Echo Lakes on Hwy 50 to the lodge over the Pacific Crest Trail. Highly recommended. We keep our costs down by having each member/guest who stays the night pitch in for a chore -- nothing technical -- such as washing dishes, cleaning the bathroom. Understandably, the weekend "house mother" has to enforce the program, or wind up doing it all himself/herself. If you come up, you'll see that the lodge is quite welcoming. Kids can let loose on Foosball and air hockey in the "rec room" or do their homework in the "polar club." You can't beat the convenience, amenities, and the price.
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September 2016 by Nancy N.
A great home away from home for a great price, with fun people and lots to do in every season. I love the summer wildflowers, the great food cooked by our caretaker for all of us and that I can ski to Sugar bowl and avoid parking. All of us love kids. We have been known to have UNO TOURNAMENTS. So check us out, and Join us for a hike and meal. We are not fancy, but OSC has lots of personality!
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April 2014 by jp c.
I've been a member for 2 years now. I joined more for the location than the skiing. Since I ride both mountain bikes and road bikes (I just crossed the Mojave Desert by MTB last weekend!), this is a fantastic location for cycling, hiking, triathlon training -oh, and skiing too of course (downhill and cross country!). There is Royal Gorge nearby as well. The location is impossible to beat. The lodge itself is kept in great condition by dedicated members. I've joined for several work parties and events and often bump into new members on weekends and visits. The people are friendly, social and generally great people. I think families really get a benefit as the kids will often play together and parents will often take turns having snowball fights with the kids to give each other a break, etc. They have some good basic rules to keep things under control (kids in bed by 9, etc, no noise at night, etc) and people have to chip in to do chores, etc. Don't join thinking it is a hotel - go there like it's your home too and you'll have the right expectations and have a fantastic experience.
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October 2012 by Rick R.
Great old mountain lodge going back 60+ years that has been continuously updated and expanded, near Norden, old Donner Summit and Sugar Bowl. Member rates are quite reasonable and with a very simpatico group. Good base for winter skiing and summer excursions in the area. Web site - The negative review here seems out of character.
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September 2012 by Patricia C.
We've been members here for 9 or 10 years. We joined when our youngest child was about 10 and have had a lot of fun in both summer and winter. Great skiing, hiking, camaraderie at summer work parties. Due to communal atmosphere, there are reasonable rules (bedtimes, quiet hours, movie choices for kids). Has rec room for kids and plenty of space for adults.
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December 2011 by Cindy F.
Our experience with the Oakland Ski Club goes back a few years, but some people asked us about it recently, so I thought I would share our experience. Time has passed, but many of the people we met are still there. This organization puts themselves out as being very family friendly and community oriented. What we found was quite the opposite. As part of the membership application process, my husband, five-year-old daughter, and I attended a summer pool party, a fall work weekend, and a winter weekend. We met some very nice people, several of whom were very encouraging concerning our membership. The facility is simple but comfortable (small bedrooms with bunk beds, somewhat rustic common area), and we were very impressed with how clean it was. There are rules for kids concerning bedtime, television watching, etc., but they were all in line with our own discipline policies, so that was fine with us. Members share in chores during stays--again, fine with us. The following winter, we filled out an application to join and were completely surprised to hear that our application had been turned down. When I inquired as to why, I was told that at least two people at one of the weekends thought that our daughter's behavior had been unreasonably disruptive during a group dinner. She had been eating with at a table with some other kids and had been roughhousing (in a good-natured way--I could hear the laughter across the room) with an older child. I was across the room at the time (a little nervous about meeting new people, trying to make a good impression) and didn't see it. Someone else had to break up the incident. It was an isolated incident. At all other times, my daughter played with other kids well, made some nice friends, and abided by the rules. At no time during our visit did anyone mention to me that there had been a problem. If they had, I would have been happy to deal with the issue and would have apologized to anyone who had been offended. We don't find the type of behavior described to us as acceptable. A year later, I offered my apology to the membership officer, pointing out that my daughter was now a year older and certainly capable of better behavior. However, she pointed out that what people also objected to was my parenting (or lack of it, it would seem). She then encouraged us to reapply the next year. Seriously. I responded that we were looking for a family atmosphere in which my daughter could grow up and be part of and where we feel relaxed and supported as parents. If that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest looking elsewhere and not be fooled by what appears on the surface to be a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. It's not.
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December 2011 by Michael S.
Small friendly hostel, including chores and company
