Thousand Trails Snowflower — Hotel in Truckee

Snowflower may have its quirks, but we had a fantastic stay and are already planning to return next season. It’s one of those parks that proves the experience isn’t about flashy amenities - it’s about the people, the setting, and the quiet moments that stick with you.

We lucked into a great pull-through site with plenty of space for our toddler and pups to play. Nice shade, easy setup, and far enough from the dump and trash stations that we didn’t get any of the smell, while still being close for convenience. It wasn’t a private site, but spacing was generous enough that we never felt cramped.

The check-in process was top-tier, thanks to Collette and frankly, the heart of the place. She helped us find the right site for our family, especially considering we have a toddler who’s quick on his feet. She was attentive and went out of her way to ensure we and everyone was well cared for. By the end of the trip, Collette felt like family - the cool aunt who always shows up with snacks and a smile. Snowflower is lucky to have her, whatever they’re paying her, it’s not enough - especially with all the assigned site 'fallout'.

The park is big, beautiful, and clearly well maintained. Even early in the season, the sites were cleared, roads were tidy, and signage made navigating easy. The drive in is a little bumpy and some interior roads are unpaved, which does kick up some dust, but nothing that would keep us from coming back.

The lodge has that classic vintage ski-lodge charm - definitely old-school, but clean and cared for. The kiddie corner and playground could use some love, and the pool was closed during our stay, though it looked like it was in the process of reopening.

We did visit the lake, which is absolutely gorgeous. We fished, floated, and even caught an amazing moment when an eagle swooped down and grabbed a fish just feet from us. Didn’t catch anything myself, but honestly, I’ll take that kind of wildlife show over a tug on the line any day.

Restrooms were generally okay - the pool area restrooms were decent, though the ones in the Fawn area needed more attention during our stay.

No dog park, but lots of good walking terrain if you keep pups leashed. We’d love to see a small off-leash area added in the future - there's definitely space for it.

Overall, the vibe was quiet, peaceful, and easy. AT&T service worked well, we felt welcomed, and by the end of the trip, we were already talking about our return. This place is exactly the kind of mountain escape we love - and with a little more kid-friendliness and a few small updates, it could easily become a favorite in the whole TT network.

Stay Summary & Scores

Restroom & Shower Facilities: ★★☆☆☆ Pool area restrooms were okay, but the Fawn area needed attention during our stay.

Lodge Amenities & Common Spaces: ★★★☆☆ Vintage charm, clean and functional. Kiddie corner and pool were out of action but showed signs of being reopened.

Overall Cleanliness & Maintenance: ★★★★☆ Well maintained, especially for early season. Sites were cleared, roads clean, and signage helpful.

Recreational Activities & Family Engagement: ★★☆☆☆ No scheduled activities during our stay. Playground and kiddie areas were underwhelming.

Staff Hospitality & Park Culture: ★★★★★ Collette made our stay. Helpful, kind, and a joy to work with. By the end, she felt like family — Snowflower’s cool aunt. They’re lucky to have her — and whatever they’re paying her, it isn’t enough.

Lake & Waterfront Quality: ★★★★☆ Small but beautiful. Great for relaxing and wildlife watching. Highlight of our trip.

Pet-Friendliness: ★★☆☆☆ No dog park, but plenty of walkable space. Leash-only area for now.

Site Utility Functionality: ★★★★★ Everything worked without a hitch. Easy dump station access.

Traffic Flow & Accessibility: ★★★☆☆ Unpaved roads add a little dust, especially with fast drivers. Otherwise, easy to get around.

General Atmosphere & Community Vibe: ★★★★☆ Quiet, peaceful, and laid-back. A great place to unplug...

We stopped by this campground twice to see if we wanted to become members of Thousand Trails RV Parks.

We have a large rig and some areas in the mountains are too tight to fit in. Our first visit to Snowflower was on a Memorial Weekend. The website for this campground said it was "open". We drove an hour up Hwy 80 to get there and found it was closed and they wouldn't allow us to tour the area. We met a really lovely woman who I think was running the facility, she apologized for the oversight and invited us to come back up for a tour in a couple of weeks. She was extremely inviting, and we left the entrance of the campground feeling warm and fuzzy because the employee was so welcoming.

We decided to take another drive on Saturday, Father's Day weekend to check out the park again. We pulled in and the parking lot was empty and dead. I went into the registration office and it was empty and very dated on the inside. No t-shirts, drinks, souvenirs, or anything was for sale that people normally purchase as a remembrance of their vacation. No one was at the counter to greet the customers, but there was a bell on the empty countertop. When I rang the bell, a woman who was the assistant manager of registration I think, Collette, promptly said she'd be right there. I told her we'd like to tour the park and see if this was somewhere we'd like to stay, and that we tried to tour the park once before on Memorial weekend, but the park was closed. She told me this was a "Private Park and it was Members Only". I told her, "I knew this," and again repeated, "We tried to tour the park on Memorial weekend and it was closed". She became very triggered and defensive and told me "She had water damage from the winter and she had to stay closed because it wasn't safe for the public!" My reply was, "How is someone to know if you want to become a "Member" if you can't tour the park?" She started to walk away as if we weren't worthy of being members... I thought, WOW, we just wasted our time and gasoline, now twice to tour this campground. I was getting a little upset with her attitude. I think she realized she was a bit out of line, then decided to give me the pass and said to me, "So you have a map if you've been here been here before and told me she needed my Driver's license. No, I didn't have a map and eventually, we did get the pass and code to drive through the campground.

As we drove through the campground, we found the "Cliffs" was like an asphalted parking, behind the Bluffs. This particular area reminded us of an old PG&E staging area.

The pool wasn't far away from the Cliffs. No one was swimming or laying out by the pool on this day. All the chairs and lounge chairs were stacked up like they were ready to be stored away for the season or never unpacked. We then found our way to the large pond/lake it was clean. The Lodge was extremely dated, the other areas of the campsites were tight, and the cabins we drove by looked clean. The structures are dated and in need of updating. We live in the mountains and know what the weather will do to structures.

This place needs some personality & updating. It sucks to have your first meet-and-greet or face of an organization that has no customer service skills. I know this because I was a career business owner, your people will make you or break you....

This was our second time here in our 28ft motorhome and once again had a nice relaxing time. Special shout out to Dustin for just being friendly and helpful and the manager who helped us change sites to one that better suited us. ||Campgrounds - There are three major areas at Snowflower: Upper/Middle/Lower Fawn, The Cliffs, and Tahoe/Sierra. The Fawn campsites are closest to the lake and mostly back-in, but the roads are gravel and hilly. There are also trees along the roads so some of the spots are tougher to get into with a longer RV or trailer and impossible if you’re new to towing. That being said, I think this is the prettiest area to camp. The Cliffs is the area for bigger rigs or those who are ok with paved campsites/parking lot style. Near the swimming pool, playground, pickleball, and rustic (read older) lodge, The Cliffs are also closest to the dam for fishing and not too far from the lakeside. Tahoe/Sierra is on top of the hill and it seems a bit of a trek to get there. I have not been up there but I did chat with someone who had been. They said the views were beautiful but getting to the lake required a drive down to be convenient. There’s plenty of parking near the lake, but it was not ideal for families with kids who may go back and forth. It seemed like a better choice if you like to hang out at the campsite or just planning on exploring the Tahoe Donner area nearby. This definitely would not have worked for us as we don’t have a toad. ||Lake - We love Snowflower as the lake is calm and refreshing. It is shallow for a good distance making it easy to hang out in the water and the temperature is cool but not freezing. Several kayakers and paddle boards too, but it never felt crowded even on a Saturday in July. ||Getting there - Be aware CalTrans has several off ramps and on ramps closed in this area due to construction. If coming from the west (i.e. through Sacramento) you will need to pass the usual exit at Yuba Gap and go to Eagles Lake to approach from the east. If you are heading east to leave, you must first head westbound one exit and then head east. Obviously this inconvenience is not under Snowflower’s control. ||Other thoughts - Snowflower is similar to other Thousand Trails campgrounds in that it is older, sparse (no real store so bring what you need), and could use some freshening up, but none of that really bothers me. If more modern feel/amenities is what you want, you might be disappointed. Also, there were few staff around (we were told several new hires didn’t show up), but those who were there were friendly. I could see how low staffing might affect the upkeep of the campgrounds overall though. ||Like other reviews we were unhappy with the assigned sites which is a problem with Thousand Trails corporate, not Snowflower. The system is odd in the fact your confirmation does not include site assignment so you don’t know what you are getting until you get there. You can try to contact them ahead of time, but unfortunately like most campgrounds it’s hit or miss to reach them in the office. I did receive a text, but when we arrived the system had us elsewhere. Staff also seems to struggle with the software to make changes. However, they were able to move us so it all worked out. ||Hope this review was helpful and maybe we’ll see you when we go...