Northstar is located in Truckee, CA. If you are flying here, Reno, NV is the closest airport (40 miles away). Northstar is an approximately 3-3.5 hour drive from San Francisco. Please see the Travel page for more information on getting to the resort.
Northstar is a full resort with a pedestrianized village center. There are hotel rooms in the village and cabins for rent throughout the property. Check out the Travel page for our discount link for onsite lodging. For those not staying at Northstar's lodging, there is parking near the Village for trips in/out.
There is a complimentary shuttle for our guests to travel around the Northstar property to the cabins, village and other amenities. The resort is also served by Uber/Lyft, as well as public transit (Truckee Area Rapid Transit). Shuttle can be call in advance to schedule pick up services: 530-562-2257 Alternatively, they have developed an app - "Northstar Transportation" - which can be downloaded for free in the app store, but calling is the most reliable way. We have extended shuttle service for onsite guests for the night of the wedding. Shuttles will pick up in the lower lot of the Village (follow signs for shuttle stop) at the following times: 10pm, 10:30pm, 11pm, 11:30pm, 12am, 12:30am.
The wedding ceremony and cocktail hour are located outside on the mountain ridge at 8000'. The reception will be indoor at Zephyr Lodge next to the ceremony site. Guests will need to pick up lift passes at the Big Springs Gondola in the Village. From there, guests will take that gondola to mid-mountain and switch to the Zephyr Express (either open chair lift or gondola) to get to the top. All guests must take the gondola cabins down the mountain. The ride can take up to 45 minutes, so make sure you leave enough time to get up to the ceremony site (budget extra time if you are taking the Village shuttle). Please note, guests may want to wear sensible shoes to walk between the gondolas, and especially, if taking the open chair lift, and take a jacket for when the sun sets.
We are happy for the littles to join the Welcome BBQ on Friday night. However, we politely request that the wedding be an adults-only affair. We hope this gives you an excuse to let your hair down and party with us on Saturday! There are a few babysitting services that come to the resort/hotel. Check out - http://www.allaboutkidstahoe.com/ We are happy to connect folks if they want to share a sitter!
Northstar is a massive mountain biking resort in the summer. It also has a private fly fishing pond, golf course and several running and hiking trails on the property. In the village, there is a spa, yoga studio and movie theater. Guests can also enjoy live music, food and drinks in the village by the roller rink.
Northstar is approximately 8 miles to King's Beach - the closest town on the lake - and can be reached by car, uber/lyft and public transit. Check out our Explore Lake Tahoe page for some of our favorite things to do/see around the lake!
We expect the weather to be high 70s/low 80s during the day, but it does cool down quite quickly at night (especially at that elevation). Make sure to bring a shawl or jacket for your ride down the mountain!
Guests will want to wear sensible footwear. The village has a mix of cobblestone and concrete and the area between the gondolas changes from a paved path to stones to grass. There is a paved path from the Zephyr Express lift to the outdoor ceremony site and both the deck and the lodge have flat flooring.
The Welcome BBQ will be located at the Northstar Golf Course at Martis Valley Grille. The complimentary shuttle will take guests staying at the resort to and from the restaurant. Shuttles can be called up in advance or can be reserved through the shuttle app - "Northstar Transportation" - which can be downloaded in the app store. For those driving, parking is available at Martis Valley Grille.
Please note, our after party (or après party) has moved to the Alpine Club in the Village. It is located within walking distance of the Big Spring Gondola on the upper level of the village past the skating rink. Signs will be placed to direct guests. The club is on the second floor of the building.