Lake Tahoe in winter: four mountains around one lake

Few ski regions in the world have a view like Lake Tahoe’s. Around one deep blue lake sit four very different mountains: one that crosses a state line, one built for families, one for deep snow and one with a village at its foot. Here is how to choose.

Lake Tahoe sits high in the Sierra Nevada on the California–Nevada border, and when the snow comes the whole basin turns into one of America’s great ski regions. What makes it special is the variety. Around the shore you will find a giant of a resort with lake views from the runs, a polished family mountain, a remote one for powder hunters and a classic with a village at its base.

Heavenly

Heavenly, above South Lake Tahoe, is the highest resort around the lake and spans two states, California and Nevada. Its numbers are big: 4,800 acres of skiable terrain topping out at 10,067 ft, 28 lifts, 111 trails and an average of 251 inches of snow a year. More than half the mountain is intermediate terrain, and many of those runs look straight down on the lake.

Beginners reach the mountain by the Gondola or start at California Lodge, where the Ski & Ride School is based. Experts seek out the steeps of Mott and Killebrew. Heavenly suits mixed groups and anyone who wants the lake in every photograph.

Northstar

Northstar lies in the Martis Valley, north of the lake, among quiet valleys and forest. It has 3,170 acres of terrain, 20 lifts and 100 trails, an average of 350 inches of snow, 10 terrain parks and a longest run of 3 miles. Sixty per cent of its terrain is intermediate, which makes it a natural choice for families.

The Village is the heart of it: an outdoor ice rink with music and hot cocoa for the après. The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, in this guide, sits mid-mountain at Northstar with ski-in, ski-out access in winter and the lake a short drive away.

Kirkwood

Kirkwood, south of the lake, is the remote one, and its fans like it that way. Its base sits at 7,800 ft, the snow averages 354 inches a year and there are 2,000 feet of vertical across 2,300 acres, from gentle groomed runs to cornices and cliffs. A fifth of the mountain is expert terrain. Expedition: Kirkwood runs clinics, private guiding and backcountry awareness courses for skiers ready to go further.

Ski from California into Nevada, with the lake below you all the way.

Palisades Tahoe

Palisades Tahoe is the resort in Olympic Valley, north-west of the lake, with a pedestrian village at its base for dinner and a stroll after the lifts close. It is also a summer mountain: when the snow melts, its lifts and trails open for hiking.

Planning the trip

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is the nearest airport, and the guide’s Tahoe hotels give you a choice of base: The Ritz-Carlton at Northstar, Everline Resort & Spa and The Landing Tahoe Resort & Spa. Winter storms can affect mountain roads, so check road conditions as well as each resort’s own site for lift status before you set out.

In spring the lake changes again. Emerald Bay State Park and D. L. Bliss State Park on the west shore, both in this guide, are the summer side of Tahoe, when Vikingsholm opens for tours at the water’s edge.

Our advice: choose your base by the kind of skier you are. Heavenly for the views and the big mountain, Northstar for families and an easy village, Kirkwood for deep snow and steeps, Palisades for a village scene. Book lessons and rentals online before you arrive, and keep a spare day for storms.