Mountain Review: Homewood
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
7
Snow:
4
Resiliency:
3
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
6
Challenge:
3
Lifts:
9
Crowd Flow:
3
Facilities:
5
Navigation:
10
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: Limited
Apres-ski: Limited
Pass Affiliation: None (some partner resorts on season pass)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
One-of-a-kind mountain aesthetic, including astonishing lake views
Excellent glade terrain
Extraordinary accumulation in good seasons
Low wind exposure compared to other Tahoe resorts
– Cons
Inadequate resiliency measures for bad seasons
No direct lift operations in some areas on weekdays
Slow lifts, some of which don’t have safety bars, in many areas
Very limited on-mountain facilities
Frustrating traverses to get to or from many trails
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 8
Trails: 67
Beginner: 15%
Intermediate: 40%
Advanced/Expert: 45%
Mountain Review
With a small footprint, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a modest elevation, Homewood is somewhat of an underdog compared to other Tahoe resorts. This hill can’t hold its own overall against the destination resorts, but it demonstrates some noteworthy strengths that should be considered before it’s ruled out.
Homewood is definitely more of a local mountain than a destination resort, but its overall aesthetic punches multiple rungs above its weight class. The resort begins only a few hundred feet from Lake Tahoe and, in turn, boasts astonishing lake views. The whole area looks like it belongs on a postcard.
Some areas especially stand out. The resort’s expert Quail Face contains some of the most breathtaking terrain in the country, offering a view of nearly the entire lake. It’s a bit of a traverse to get to and a hike to get back, but if you can handle the terrain, it’s totally worth it for the experience.
If you don’t want to hike all the way to Quail Face, the Ellis chair also services some truly breathtaking terrain. The trails here directly overlook most of the lake and lower elevation areas. However, that’s not to say you’ll be hurting for views anywhere at the resort. Every area offers trails with at least some view of the lake.
Homewood’s other pièce de résistance is its glade terrain. Like other Tahoe resorts, trees are widely spaced, allowing for skiable woods nearly everywhere at the resort. Glade runs generally range from intermediate to advanced in difficulty, and some wooded areas are thin enough to afford views of the lake. The woods at Homewood tend to take awhile to get tracked out, and they can hold powder for days after a snowstorm.
It’s a good thing that Homewood boasts really solid tree terrain, as other trails are more susceptible to adverse effects from the resort’s relatively low elevation. Temperatures at the resort tend to average a few degrees warmer than at higher nearby areas, and snow retention on most trails tends to be a bit worse. This occasionally causes slush in sunnier areas.
To even more so of an extent than other Tahoe resorts, winter seasons can vary significantly in quality from year to year. During the best seasons, Homewood gets furnished with extraordinarily accumulation on par with the best competing mountains. But when Tahoe experiences snow droughts, they can be really bad at Homewood. Mid-season resort shutdowns aren’t unheard of. Snowmaking is limited and only extends up a few beginner trails.
Signage isn’t atrocious at Homewood, which is commendable for a local mountain. However, some trails are insufficiently marked or difficult to find, as are the directions to some lifts. The resort recently changed a few black diamond runs to double-black. Physically getting around the resort is straightforward in some places, but in others, frustrating traverses exist. These flat areas can be especially difficult on warm, slushy days.
Homewood has one of the more unusual lift setups among North American resorts, in that you’ll have to take a slow lift to get to a fast one. The resort’s one high speed quad—the Old Homewood Express—is actually in the upper area of the resort and serves some of the best terrain. Access from both bases comes from at least one fixed-grip triple. Getting to the top from the South side takes two. Some lifts don’t have safety bars, which may be unnerving for some. However, the resort is quite wind-protected and rarely sees the lift holds other nearby resorts do. It’s also worth noting that the Ellis chair was upgraded this season, and while still a slow, fixed-grip triple, it now runs faster than it did previously.
On weekdays, Homewood rarely operates its South side lifts due to low skier traffic. South side trails remain open, but return access from these areas is substantially hindered. On days like these, if you decide to ski down any South side trail—or about half the resort’s in-bounds terrain—you’ll have to take a shuttle to the North side base area and bear through a ride up the slow, safety-barless Madden chair to get back on the mountain.
When you go to Homewood, be sure to stop by the resort’s Big Blue hut. The spot offers fantastic views of the lake and excellent vibes, with occasional live music. However, the indoor tent is small and doesn’t have free water. No other mid-mountain facilities exist.
The resort’s lack of adequate on-mountain facilities and slow base-access lifts create somewhat of a logistical problem. If you’re looking for some fairly rudimentary lodging services, such as free water, you’ll have to go all the way down to the North base. Given the long ride back up, this can be a pain. The South base, which partially burned down in a fire a few years ago, unfortunately has limited facilities. Getting from the South base to anywhere on the North side takes two very slow lifts, so trying to find a meal here can be a costly mistake.
Homewood's lift-serviced area only extends up a little more than half of Ellis Peak. But particularly adventurous visitors can access upper mountain areas by signing up for one of the resort’s Snowcat Adventure tours. Tours are private-only and provide a phenomenally unique experience. However, they’re exorbitantly priced, with day packages starting at $3,000 (up to 9 people are allowed on each tour, so it’s a minimum of $333 per person).
Lodging
Homewood has no lodging directly onsite and no base village. However, a few inns and lodges exist within very short walking distance of the resort. A number of other ones live a short drive away. Many of these options sit directly on Lake Tahoe and provide amazing views.
Apres-ski
Homewood lacks a base village and has a very limited apres-ski scene. However, the North side base bar can be fun to unwind at after a full day of skiing. In addition, there’s no better place on-mountain to grab a drink and soak in the views than Homewood’s Big Blue hut.
Verdict
Homewood has outdated lifts, lacks sufficient resiliency measures, and could use some facility upgrades. However, the area delivers enjoyable terrain and outstanding views, even among picturesque Lake Tahoe resorts, for a reasonable price. If you’re in the area, consider spending a day at Homewood to soak in the vibes.
NOTE: Mountain Score criteria for this resort were adjusted on October 12, 2021, April 11, 2021, and February 21, 2021.
