Ski Resorts at Lake Tahoe

The Nitty-gritty on Lake Tahoe’s Ski Resorts & Ski Areas

Heavenly Valley Ski Resort

  • Highest summit elevation of Lake Tahoe Ski areas at 10,040 feet
  • 4,800 acres of ski terrain
  • Famous Heavenly Gondola ride climbs 2.4 miles in 12 minutes, providing dramatic views of Lake Tahoe
  • Largest and longest Gondola ride in California—with 138 cabins that each carry 8 people
  • 34 lifts86 runs
  • Longest run: 5.5 miles
  • Biggest drop off: 3,500 feet (record for the entire west coast)
  • Adventure Peak Snow Park
  • Adult private ski lessons, ski school and snowboarding lessons
  • Kids ski school and snowboarding lessons
  • Rated as one of top 20 ski resorts by Ski Magazine
  • 360 inches of snow per season
  • Lots of snow-making equipment
  • Snowboarding permitted
  • Address: 3860 Saddle Rd., South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 800.243.2836 or 530.586.7000
  • Visit the Heavenly Mountain Resort website

Alpine Meadows Ski Resort

  • Summit elevation: 8,637 feet
  • 15 lifts
  • 2400 acres
  • 100 possible ski runs
  • Kids & Adult ski and snowboarding programs
  • On-site Ski and snowboard equipment rental and repair
  • Separate adult and kids’ terrain parks with jumps, table tops, spins, lifts
  • Address: 2600 Alpine Meadows Rd., Tahoe City, CA
  • Phone: 800.441.4423
  • Visit the Alpine Meadows website

Boreal Mountain Resort

  • Summit elevation: 7239 feet
  • All-mountain terrain park with funboxes, jumps, rails for all levels
  • Kids lessons
  • Night skiing
  • Snowboarding permitted
  • The Western Ski Sports Museum is located at Boreal Resort
  • Address: 19455 Boreal Ridge Rd., Soda Springs, CA
  • Phone: 530.426.3666
  • Visit the Boreal website

Camp Richardson Resort

Diamond Peak Ski Resort

Donner Ski Ranch

  • Small resort with lots of beginner runs
  • 6 lifts
  • 45 runs
  • Longest run: 1.2 miles with 750-foot drop
  • Address: 19320 Old Hwy. 40/Donner Pass Rd., Norden, CA
  • Phone: 530.426.3635
  • visit the Donner Ski Ranch website

Granibakken Resort

  • Smallest ski area, founded as training area for Olympic ski jumpers
  • 1 run
  • 300 foot-drop
  • Learn-to-ski packages available
  • Name Granibakken means “hill sheltered by fir trees” in Norwegian
  • Address: 625 Granlibakken Rd., Tahoe City, CA
  • Phone: 800.534.3221
  • visit the Granlibakken Resort website

Homewood Mountain Resort

Kirkwood Ski Resort

Mount Rose Ski Area

Northstar-at-Tahoe Ski Resort

  • 17 lifts
  • 1 gondola
  • 2,420 acres
  • 70 runs
  • Longest run: 2.9 miles with 2,000-foot drop
  • Address: Hwy 267 and Northstar Dr., Truckee, CA
  • Phone: 800.468.2463
  • visit the Northstar at Tahoe website

Resort at Squaw Creek

Royal George

  • Cross-country ski resort specializing in Nordic skiing
  • 90 trails
  • Base elevation: 7000 feet
  • 9000 acres of terrain
  • 4 surface lifts
  • 10 warming huts
  • Address: 9411 Hillside Dr., Soda Springs, CA
  • Phone: 530.426.3871 or 800.500.3871
  • visit the Royal Gorge Resort website

Sierra-at-Tahoe

  • Peak elevation: 8,852 feet
  • 2,100 acres of terrain
  • 46 runs
  • Snowboarding permitted
  • 6 terrain parks for snowboarders
  • Address: 1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe Rd., Twin Bridges, CA
  • Phone: 530.659.7453
  • visit the Sierra at Tahoe website

Soda Springs Winter Resort

Spooner Lake Cross Country Ski Area

Squaw Valley USA

  • Summit elevation: 9,050 feet
  • 100 possible runs
  • 4,000 acres of terrain
  • 34 lifts
  • Most expensive & busiest place to ski at Lake Tahoe
  • Address: 1960 Squaw Valley Rd, Olympic Valley, CA
  • Phone: 530.583.6955
  • visit the Squaw Valley USA website

Sugar Bowl

  • 12 lifts
  • Almost 90 runs
  • Longest run: 3 miles long with 1,500 foot drop
  • Base elevation: 6,883 feet
  • Snowboarding permitted
  • Walt Disney was one of Sugar Bowl’s co-founders
  • Address: 629 Sugar Bowl Rd., Norden, CA
  • Phone: 530.426.9000
  • Visit the Sugar Bowl website

Tahoe Cross Country

  • 15 trails
  • 65 kilometers of terrain
  • Dogs permitted on some trails, during select times
  • Address: 925 Country Club Dr., Tahoe City, CA
  • Phone: 530.583.5475
  • visit the Tahoe Cross Country website

Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area

Tahoe Donner Cross Country

Getting to Lake Tahoe’s Ski Resorts

Traveling by Air

Lake Tahoe is accessible by plane primarily from 2 major airports, the closest being the Reno/Tahoe International Airport. Over 200 flights depart and arrive daily.

  • Reno/Tahoe International Airport—RNO—is located 20 miles east of Lake Tahoe, about 30-minute drive by car.
  • Sacramento International Airport—SMF— located about 112 miles west of Lake Tahoe, a 2-hour drive by car.

Traveling by Car

If you’re driving from the San Francisco Bay area, Lake Tahoe is located 200 miles northeast of San Francisco.