Rainbow Lodge Room 17, near Sugar Bowl/Royal Gorge

Experience nostalgic accommodations at the historic Rainbow Lodge! The lodge name comes from past days when visitors caught rainbow trout from the banks of the South Yuba River. The Rainbow Lodge is located in the Sierra Mountains within Tahoe National Forest along Old Lincoln Highway 40. The setting offers pristine mountain views & the entire lodge is full of charm & character while retaining the allure of the past! Guest rooms are unique & common areas are decorated with historical pieces. The space Room 17 is on the second floor and is accessed by a flight of stairs. Room 17 has a potential for noise from other guests since the room is located at the top of the stairs, where all other guests will walk by as they come up the stairwell. Room 17 is furnished with a king size bed and has a bathroom with small shower stall. All water faucets inside the lodge are supplied by great tasting mountain spring water! The window view in Room 17 faces the front of the lodge. In an effort to preserve the rustic nature of the lodge, rooms are not equipped with televisions, telephones, coffee makers or microwaves. However, there is a microwave and drink station (coffee, tea, hot cocoa) available in the Sierra Room for guests to use. The lodge also offers free WIFI. Guest access Common areas of the lodge are available to all guests and the TVs in the common areas are available on a first come, first serve basis. The common areas offer a variety of historical photos and antiques for guests to visually enjoy. A microwave and drink station (coffee, tea, hot cocoa) is available for guests to use in the common area called the Sierra Room. Other things to note Located on 114 acres along the South Yuba River, the Rainbow Lodge has provided guests traveling in the Sierras with a place to stay for 150 years. Travelers making the journey west to California in the mid-1800s, whether by horse or covered wagon, found shelter and camaraderie at the Rainbow Lodge. The Lodge was built on a popular camping spot where trekkers would water their horses, fish in the mountain stream, and rest up during their arduous journey. The Lodge got its name from the numerous rainbow trout that visitors would catch from the banks of the river and have prepared in the lodge’s kitchen. The Rainbow Lodge was built in 1869 from local granite and the same hand-hewn logs used to build the Trans-Sierra Railroad. The original lodge was a stagecoach stop for those journeying through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It was located near a well-traveled area of the Emigrant Gap where a number of trails originating in Independence, MO merged. The popularity of the Gold Rush no doubt necessitated the construction of the lodge to provide respite for the adventurers and fortune seekers. One of the most notable groups of the western migration, the Donner Party, spent its infamous winter of 1846-1847 ten miles away. The Lodge was expanded in 1930 and the beams and wood used in construction were taken from the snow sheds that still line the railroad tracks running through the Sierras. Shortly thereafter, the Lodge offered one of the first ski hills in the area. In the late 1930s a J-Bar lift was installed and later a gondola was added. The house behind the lodge was originally the ski lift house. When the ski hill was closed, the lift house was converted into a residence and still stands today.