Shipping Your Skis to Lake Tahoe Resorts
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Shipping skis to Lake Tahoe means your skis arrive ahead of you and wait at your hotel in Olympic Valley or at the FedEx Office in South Lake Tahoe. The drive up is a car full of people, and the shuttle from Reno is you and a carry-on. No roof box at the R-2 chain checkpoint at Kingvale, and no ski bag in the Sunday crawl on US-50. LugLess books the FedEx or UPS shipment from drop-off to delivery.
Where Your Skis Go at Lake Tahoe (Not the Lift)
You can't ship skis to Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly, Northstar or Kirkwood. You can ship them to your hotel or rental on either shore, to the FedEx Office at 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe, or to The UPS Store on Donner Pass Road in Truckee, and carry them to the lift from there.
Lake Tahoe has 15 ski areas, with two-thirds of the lake in California and one-third in Nevada. Your resort decides your shore. North Shore: Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley), Northstar (Truckee), Sugar Bowl (Norden, on I-80) and Mt. Rose (Nevada). South Shore: Heavenly (base straddling Stateline, Nevada, and South Lake Tahoe, California), Kirkwood (Highway 88) and Sierra-at-Tahoe (Twin Bridges, off US-50).
| Resort | Shore | Nearest town | Ship to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palisades Tahoe | North | Olympic Valley | Lodging |
| Northstar | North | Truckee | Lodging or Truckee UPS Store |
| Sugar Bowl | North | Norden/Truckee | Truckee UPS Store |
| Mt. Rose | North (NV) | Incline Village/Reno | Lodging |
| Heavenly | South | South Lake Tahoe/Stateline | Lodging or South Lake Tahoe FedEx Office |
| Kirkwood | South | Kirkwood (Hwy 88) | Lodging |
| Sierra-at-Tahoe | South | Twin Bridges | South Lake Tahoe FedEx Office |
South Shore counter: The FedEx Office at 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Suite 29, South Lake Tahoe, offers Hold at Location. It is the only FedEx Office in the basin. South Lake Tahoe has no UPS Store, only a CVS Access Point (3471 Lake Tahoe Blvd) and an authorized outlet, Mtn Postal Pack & Ship (1034 Emerald Bay Rd).
North Shore counter: The UPS Store, 12030 Donner Pass Rd, Ste 1, Truckee. Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Olympic Valley and Incline Village have no FedEx Office or UPS Store, so ship to your lodging there.
Hotels: Everline Resort & Spa (400 Resort Rd, Olympic Valley; $55 resort fee; shuttle to Palisades), the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe (13031 Ritz-Carlton Highlands Ct, Truckee; ski-in/ski-out to Northstar), the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe (111 Country Club Dr, Incline Village), the Marriott Grand Residence Club (1001 Heavenly Village Way, next to the Heavenly gondola, no resort fee) and Marriott's Timber Lodge (4100 Lake Tahoe Blvd). None publish a package fee. Ask for the package fee and the label format when you book.
Vacation rentals: Confirm the manager accepts packages. If not, use the Truckee or South Lake Tahoe counter.
Label it: guest name as booked, arrival date, "Hold for guest," and the street address. Ship to arrive two to three days before you do, and track it.
If you want your skis carried to the hotel ski valet by a courier who hands them over in person, that's our sister service, Luggage Forward. LugLess ships by FedEx and UPS, so your ski bag goes to your hotel, your rental or a hold-for-pickup counter in Truckee or South Lake Tahoe, and you carry it to the lift.
- Home
- FedEx or UPS (booked through LugLess)
- Hotel package desk, Truckee UPS Store or South Lake Tahoe FedEx Office
- Ski valet
- Lift
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Chain Controls Are the Reason for Shipping Skis to Lake Tahoe
Most Tahoe skiers drive. From the Bay Area, the lake is about three and a half hours; from Sacramento, about two. From Reno airport to Lake Tahoe is about an hour to either shore. San Francisco to Lake Tahoe on the North Shore runs I-80 over Donner Summit (7,240 feet). The South Shore route is US-50 over Echo Summit (7,377 feet).
Tahoe chain controls come in three levels. In Caltrans's words:
- R-1: "Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels."
- R-2: "Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels."
- R-3: "Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions."
Check QuickMap or call 800-427-7623 before you leave. Palisades Tahoe advises carrying chains and knowing how to use them. For Nevada roads, check NV Roads.
- R-1
- "Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels."
- R-2
- "Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels."
- R-3
- "Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions."
A roof box changes your car's height, fuel use and handling on the same day you're fitting chains at the checkpoint. Skis that went out by FedEx a week earlier don't.
Flying in: Reno-Tahoe International handled a record 4.9 million passengers in 2025 with 11 airlines. The South Tahoe Airporter runs Reno to South Lake Tahoe and the Stateline casinos for $32.75 one way ($59.50 round trip); its counter is behind National Car Rental near Door B. The North Lake Tahoe Express goes to the North Shore and Truckee in one to one and a half hours; reserve 24 hours ahead, and fares are quoted at booking. Pickup is outside Door D, per RNO ground transportation. Neither shuttle publishes a ski bag rule, so tell them how many ski bags when you book.
Airline ski bag fees: Delta, American and Southwest each count one ski bag plus one boot bag as a single checked item. Over 50 lb, the overweight fee applies. American and Southwest waive oversize fees; Delta won't accept an item over 115 linear inches. For United and Alaska, check the current rule.
If you live in the Bay Area or are about to, our Moving to San Francisco guide covers the move itself. If you're weighing another West trip a flight away, see Shipping Your Skis to Park City.
Getting Around the Lake With Skis Once They Are Here
North Shore: TART buses are free on the Mainline, Highway 89, Highway 267 and Truckee routes, linking Tahoma, Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Incline Village, Northstar and Truckee. Carry-on parcels are limited to two per rider. TART publishes no ski rule, so check before you board with a ski bag.
South Shore: Lake Link is a free on-demand shuttle, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays). It covers the Stateline casino corridor, Round Hill and Zephyr Cove to Lodi Ave, and its vehicles have ski racks.
Tahoe ski storage overnight:
- Northstar: Big Springs Ski & Board Valet is $10 per pair per night, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., first come, first served.
- Palisades Tahoe: overnight storage is $20 a day in Olympic House, with no boot storage. Day lockers are not for overnight use.
- Heavenly: limited valet storage at its rental shops, no published price. Across from the gondola, Tahoe Powder House offers valet storage at $80 for the season.
Dates That Move the Shipping Calendar
2026-27 opening dates, all conditions dependent:
- Heavenly and Northstar: November 20
- Palisades Tahoe: November 25
- Sugar Bowl: November 27
- Kirkwood: December 4
- Mt. Rose and Sierra-at-Tahoe: check the resort.
Palisades Tahoe closed May 24, 2026, at the end of last season. It says it has the longest season at Lake Tahoe. For scale, the Central Sierra Snow Lab on Donner Pass recorded 677 inches in 2022-23, the second-snowiest winter since records began in 1946. The record is 812 inches in 1952.
LugLess advises 5 to 10 business days during winter peaks. Christmas week and Presidents' Day are the two to pad.
- Nov 20OpensHeavenly, Northstar
- Nov 25OpensPalisades Tahoe
- Nov 27OpensSugar Bowl
- Dec 4OpensKirkwood
Palisades Tahoe closed May 24 last season.
How to Ship Skis to Lake Tahoe with LugLess
- Pack: Use a padded ski bag or hard case, bindings secured, tips and tails padded. Boots and outerwear can share the bag. Shipping a board instead? See ship a snowboard.
- Pick a size: Skis up to 45 lb and 76 x 9 x 8 inches; Large Skis up to 90 lb and 76 x 15 x 9 inches; snowboards up to 50 lb and 67 x 14 x 7 inches. A boot bag usually ships as a carry-on.
- Get a quote: On the LugLess calculator, enter your destination (lodging on the right shore, or the Truckee UPS Store or South Lake Tahoe FedEx Office), your bag count and a delivery date two to three days before you arrive.
- Ship and track: LugLess compares FedEx and UPS rates and sends digital labels. Drop the bag at any FedEx or UPS location or book a home pickup, then track it from drop-off to delivery. Value protection is optional. More on how it works.
New to packing a ski bag? Read our guide on how to pack skis for shipping.
If you drive, add up the roof box, the rental car and the fuel. If you fly, add the airline ski bag and the shuttle. Then compare.
FAQs
Can I ship skis to Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly, Northstar or Kirkwood?
No, not to the lift or the resort itself. Ship to your hotel or rental, to the FedEx Office at 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe, or to The UPS Store at 12030 Donner Pass Rd in Truckee. Then carry your skis to the lift. Hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe (ski-in/ski-out to Northstar) and the Marriott Grand Residence Club (next to the Heavenly gondola) put you close to the snow. Ask your hotel for its package fee and label format when you book.
Is there a FedEx Office or UPS Store at Lake Tahoe?
Yes, one of each. The FedEx Office at 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Suite 29, in South Lake Tahoe is the only FedEx Office in the basin and offers Hold at Location. The UPS Store at 12030 Donner Pass Rd, Ste 1, is in Truckee. South Lake Tahoe has no UPS Store, only a CVS Access Point and Mtn Postal Pack & Ship. Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Olympic Valley and Incline Village have neither, so ship to your lodging there.
Should I ship my skis to North Lake Tahoe or South Lake Tahoe?
Ship to the shore where you'll ski. Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Sugar Bowl and Mt. Rose are on the North Shore; use your lodging or the Truckee UPS Store. Heavenly, Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe are on the South Shore; use your lodging or the South Lake Tahoe FedEx Office. If you plan to ski both shores in one trip, ship to where you're staying and use TART or Lake Link to get around.
What are R-1, R-2 and R-3 chain controls?
They are Caltrans's three chain control levels. R-1 requires chains on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. R-2 requires chains or traction devices on all vehicles except four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. R-3 requires them on all vehicles, no exceptions. Check QuickMap or call 800-427-7623 before you drive I-80 or US-50.
How far is Reno airport from Lake Tahoe?
About an hour to either shore. The South Tahoe Airporter goes to the Stateline casinos for $32.75 one way ($59.50 round trip), with its counter behind National Car Rental near Door B. The North Lake Tahoe Express reaches the North Shore and Truckee in one to one and a half hours, with pickup outside Door D. Reserve it 24 hours ahead. Neither publishes a ski bag rule, so tell them how many ski bags you have when you book.
Where can I store skis overnight at Northstar or Palisades?
At Northstar, Big Springs Ski & Board Valet charges $10 per pair per night, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., first come, first served. At Palisades Tahoe, overnight storage is $20 a day in Olympic House, with no boot storage, and the day lockers are not for overnight use. Your hotel may also have a ski valet or ski room, so ask when you book.
How early should I ship skis to Lake Tahoe?
Plan for the skis to arrive two to three days before you do. LugLess advises 5 to 10 business days in transit during winter peaks, so send them earlier around Christmas week and Presidents' Day. Set your delivery date on the LugLess calculator, then track the shipment until it's at your hotel, rental or the counter. If you're coming for opening week, Heavenly and Northstar open November 20, conditions permitting.
Ship your skis to Lake Tahoe Resorts
Enter your ski bag, your Lake Tahoe hotel, rental or counter address and your delivery date to compare FedEx and UPS rates.