Ski Tahoe

Lake Tahoe from the slopes of Heavenly Ski Resort 1

Tahoe...known practically the world over for its spectacular scenery and the pristine blue lake after which the region is named also boasts one of North America's premier ski areas. And no wonder. With over 17,000 acres (8,880 ha) of skiable terrain at more than a dozen resorts, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains become a winter wonderland. Add to this mostly blue bird days—when Mother Nature isn't decorating her mountains with over 450 in (12 m) of annual snowfall—and it is easy to see why thousands of snow enthusiasts flock to the area each winter. The Rockies of Colorado are widely considered the capital of US skiing, but the many choices and mild temperatures of Tahoe (rarely does it dip into single Fahrenheit digits) rate Lake Tahoe's resorts a close second.

	Scroll over skier icon to view resort name

ORIENTATION
Lake Tahoe straddles the California / Nevada state line and ski resorts basically fall into two regions – North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe. Most are in California but their proximity to Nevada means that skiers or riders who want to play long after the lifts close can trade the corduroy of the slopes for the felt of the gambling tables at night.

GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
The Reno/Lake Tahoe airport serves most of Lake Tahoe and is approximately 45 minutes from the lake depending on visitors' destinations. By car, North Lake Tahoe is accessed by Interstate 80, which runs from San Francisco and Sacramento to Reno with Highways 89 and 431 leading to the north shore. For the south shore, Highway 50 runs from Sacramento directly to South Lake Tahoe and onto Carson City and Reno in Nevada. Tourists can also visit Tahoe via Amtrak, which provides rail service to the town of Truckee along its California Zephr route.

The Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) runs a public bus service to and from many of the ski mountains and several of the main resorts featured here operate free shuttles to and from their mountain bases to the closest towns and main hotels.

NORTH LAKE TAHOE
Over 10 ski areas are scattered around the northern end of Lake Tahoe, the four largest being featured in this article. Despite the number of choices, the north shore of the lake retains a quiet and rustic charm. Tahoe City is a small upscale town on the north shore with all the services and amenities visitors might require for their stay. The resorts of Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley USA are close to Tahoe City while Northstar at Tahoe and Sugar Bowl call Truckee home. Truckee is a picturesque mountain town with a good selection of shops and restaurants in its historic downtown.

Squaw Valley USA — host of the 15th Winter Olympic Games 2

Squaw Valley USA is North Lake Tahoe's largest ski resort and perhaps the most well-known in Tahoe, mostly due to it being the host of the Winter Olympic Games in 1960. Today, Squaw Valley USA is a four-season resort that in winter boasts 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of terrain and 30 lifts, including North America's only cable car and funitel.

Winter enthusiasts of all persuasions can find something to do at Squaw. The mountain offers open bowls, steeps and nearly 3,000 ft (915 m) of vertical drop for those who hunger for a challenge, and half-pipes, terrain parks and night-skiing for those wishing to play.

For visitors who like to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground, or at least not strapped to a pair of planks, the village features several shops, restaurants, bars and spas and the cable car runs to the High Camp, home to the Olympic Museum, a restaurant and bar, the Olympic Ice Pavilion and the outdoor Swimming Lagoon & Spa. And for those who have not yet mastered downhill sports but are not content with retail therapy, Squaw offers snow tubing, dog sledding and sleigh rides as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing from its Nordic Center.

Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, just a few miles down the road from Squaw, is considered a locals' favorite. Little known outside of Tahoe, this resort is ranked among North America's best ski mountains and, true to its 'mild & wild' claim, is known for its challenging terrain and laid-back atmosphere. With limited amenities and no onsite village as such, Alpine's draw is its friendliness and value-for-money terrain. The ski area can be deceptive and its 2,400 acres (970 ha) requires a bit of exploration to fully experience all of its groomers, bowls, glades and chutes, including the quiet backside of the mountain.

	A skier tricking it up at Alpine Meadows 3

For those wanting an adrenline hit or some untracked powder, skiers and riders can take a short traverse from the summit chair to access a bevy of extreme chutes and two additional patrolled bowls. For those less energetic, a large, exceptionally family-friendly day lodge sits at the base of the runs and non-skiers can relax on sofas in front of a large fireplace or toddlers can run about in a separate children's play area. For parents with small children, Alpine Meadows does not offer child care services but sells parent interchangeable tickets for the price of one adult.

Northstar at Tahoe is only a few miles off Interstate 80 between Reno and Sacramento and has recently been developed into a four-season destination resort. The newly-built village consists of several tiers and winding, cobblestoned pedestrian walkways lined by shops and overlooked by second-story suites and rooms, giving the resort a winter buzz and a real village feel.

The resort features a wide selection of intermediate runs and reputably the best terrain parks in the area — no fewer than six adventure parks offer every level of skier and rider a whole range of natural and artificial jumps, rails, slides, bumps and pipes.

When the young (and young at heart) are finished practicing their tricks, the village awaits with an all-you-can-eat buffet of cafes and bars for all tastes and budgets, as well as several outdoor gear stores and upscale boutiques ready to deliver the newest look on and off the slopes. The resort has a well-earned reputation for family-friendliness, from offering interchangeable parent tickets and parent/child lessons to skating at the ice ring in the center of the village as well as a tubing center, bungee trampoline and arcade.

The mountain slopes of Sugar Bowl 4

Sugar Bowl, while sometimes not considered a Tahoe resort for its location west of Truckee, is included here for its proximity to the area. Co-founded by Walt Disney, the resort resembles nothing of an amusement park and everything of a premier ski mountain with up-to-date lift systems and facilities. At the summit of Mt. Lincoln, skiers and riders are afforded spectacular sweeping views of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada that match any lake shots from other resorts.

Advanced skiers can delight in an abundance of challenging terrain down chutes and steeps or intermediates can opt for several blue runs and bowls available, including Rahlve's Run, named after former US Olympian Daron Rahlves, who calls Sugar Bowl home.

At the bottom, two bases offer a host of amenities and activities including sledding, snow bikes, airboarding and dog sled tours. Ongoing investment in the resort is creating upscale ski-in/ski-out condos and a base village which will elevate the ski mountain to a full-scale resort. However, Sugar Bowl has thus far been successful in creating a good balance between maintaining a low-key, friendly atmosphere with exceptional skiing and riding.

Several other smaller ski mountains offer good skiing and fun in the area. Boreal Mountain Resort is located directly off I-80 between Truckee and Sugar Bowl and is popular for its terrain parks and night-riding. Homewood Mountain Resort, a quiet ski area on the west shore of the lake, should not be overlooked for its unrivaled views of Lake Tahoe and good beginner / intermediate terrain.

Of the North Lake Tahoe resorts, only two are in Nevada. Diamond Peak is an uncrowded, family-friendly resort above Incline Village, also offering close-up views of the lake from the slopes and low-key casinos in town. Mt. Rose, boasting the highest summit elevation in North Lake Tahoe and just 25 mi (40 km) from downtown Reno means visitors can stay and play at the gambling dens in the city and in less than an hour be atop a mountain peak with some of the best snow around. And, true to its Nevada locale, visitors can even be 'The King' for a day when skiers and riders trade Burton jackets for white suits and sideburns to take part in Elvis Day, held annually every January.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
South Lake Tahoe refers to both the southern area of the Tahoe region as well as the main town on the south shore. Only three ski mountains are located in the area but all three are large, well-known resorts and where the north shore is considered upscale and quaint, the south shore is its boisterous, somewhat tacky cousin. In California, the town of South Lake Tahoe becomes Stateline at the Nevada border and home to flashy, high-rise casinos. The south shore is popular with young people and the numerous pubs and clubs emphasize that many of the area's visitors come as much for the nightlife as for the snow. The ski resort of Heavenly is located on the shore of the lake while the peaks further south play host to Sierra at Tahoe and Kirkwood.

Thrill-seeking off the slopes 5

Heavenly, with 4,800 acres (1945 ha), is Tahoe's largest ski mountain and draws visitors from the world over. Rising from the shore of the lake to a summit elevation of over 10,000 ft (3050 m) and straddling the California/Nevada state line, Heavenly offers jaw-dropping views from a network of nearly 30 lifts and over 80 named runs, the longest being a five-mile (eight-kilometer) descent from summit to base. Skiers and riders of all abilities can criss-cross the mountain on gentle beginner slopes, long intermediate cruisers or the challenging chutes of Mott Canyon.

Like its large counterpart on the north shore, Heavenly also brings the usual food and fun of mountain bases up the slopes to the top of its Adventure Gondola. Skiers or non-skiers can dine, tube, sled, snowshoe or snowcycle to their hearts' content at this earthly-bound heaven above Lake Tahoe. Sundown brings no fewer options – the mountain may close but casino resorts such as Harrah's and Caesars Tahoe are quick to pick up providing entertainment and thrills where the slopes leave off.

Sierra at Tahoe is 15 mi (24 km) from South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50 and has earned a reputation as a friendly, laid-back resort with first-rate parks and diverse terrain. Featuring six terrain parks, a boardercross track, one super pipe and two half-pipes, it is not difficult to understand why US Olympic Medal Winner Hannah Teeter is among the thousands who frequently trick it out on the resort's slopes and pipes.

There is no on-site lodging at the base but the resort offers various dining and retail establishments and especially caters to families, offering kid-specific adventure areas on the slopes, tubing facilities and child care for those not on skis. The resort prides itself on delivering a value and service-packed experience at the mountain and its 'Winter of Love' slogan reflects the low-key atmosphere and the love of everything white at Sierra at Tahoe.

	Another blue bird day on the lift 6

Kirkwood Mountain Resort, south of Sierra at Tahoe, is Tahoe's most remote mountain and, with the highest base elevation of any California resort at 7,800 ft (2375 m), averages an annual snowfall of over 600 in (15 m). This combination equates to a secluded and scenic winter playground and skiers and riders of all abilities will find something to love at Kirkwood.

Steep chutes await the adrenalin-seeking advanced skier or the USA Today recognized beginner area is ideal for those just starting out. Those in between the greens and blacks are perhaps the luckiest of the bunch with 50% of the terrain being classed as intermediate.

The resort has been ranked among the country's best skiing destinations and has much to offer visitors of all ages and interests - everything from ice-fishing and snowmobile tours to spas and slope-side rooms can be found at Kirkwood.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In addition to the non-skiing activities mentioned above, there are several miles of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails around the Tahoe area, as well as tour companies offering snowmobile rentals and guided trips. Cat-skiing is also popular in the greater Tahoe area with a handful of businesses offering back-country packages which include lodging and guide service. And for those visitors content with a good book and a cozy fireplace, Tahoe's towering forests are home to a legion of luxury lodges with stunning lakeside views and enough creature comforts to tempt even the most dedicated skier or rider to stay indoors for a day.

1. Lake Tahoe from the slopes of Heavenly:, South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
2. c/o Wikipedia; Olympic Sign at Squaw Valley; North Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
3. Weppler, S; c/o World Web Technologies; A skier hitting a jump at Alpine Meadows; North Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
4. Barta, G; c/o Sugar Bowl Ski Resort; The Mountain Slopes at Sugar Bowl; Truckee, North Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
5. Gambling in a South Lake Tahoe casino; South Lake Tahoe, NV, USA
6. A blue bird day on the lift; Lake Tahoe, CA, USA