Best Peaks Overall in

The rank-order of Lake Tahoe ski resorts we’ve been to based on overall mountain experience.

#1 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Palisades Tahoe

Olympic Valley, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

Wide variety of demanding expert terrain
Unique topography
Lively base village
Top-notch spring skiing experience
Large overall footprint

    –   Cons

Wind exposure, especially on beginner and low-intermediate terrain
Serious congestion issues in some areas
Variable openings for lower-elevation expert terrain
Impractical lift link between Palisades and Alpine sides
Considerable access road traffic on weekends and holidays

Two of Tahoe’s best ski areas have now been linked as one continuous lift-served destination, but the resort still functions as two separate mountains in many ways.

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#2 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Heavenly

South Lake Tahoe, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

One-of-a-kind mountain aesthetic
Diverse terrain, including an abundance of glades and intermediate groomers
Ample mountain facilities
Size

    –   Cons

Frustrating navigation logistics
Long, painfully slow lifts in some areas
Lackluster beginner terrain
Difficult egress from some expert terrain

This Lake Tahoe area offers some of the most beautiful slopes we’ve seen anywhere. A few logistical problems diminish the resort’s size advantage.

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#3 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Kirkwood

Kirkwood, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

One-of-a-kind extreme terrain
Local feel
Breathtaking mountain aesthetic
Low crowds
Snow quality for Lake Tahoe

    –   Cons

Slow lifts in most areas
Serious wind exposure that leads to regular wind holds
Many resort areas inaccessible for beginners and intermediates
Limited on-mountain facilities
Subpar resort signage

This relatively undeveloped mountain isn’t for everyone, but its striking aesthetic, local feel, and extreme terrain are tough to match.

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#4 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Sierra-at-Tahoe

Twin Bridges, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

Top-notch tree terrain
Excellent freestyle experience
Local feel

    –   Cons

No on-site lodging
Expert terrain is unpatrolled and subject to particularly variable openings

While it can’t boast the same crazy lake views, striking terrain, or expansive base village as some other Tahoe areas, this moderately-sized resort offers reasonable prices and a local feel.

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#5 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Northstar

Truckee, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

Top-tier terrain park experience
Excellent grooming operations
Lift infrastructure
Ease of navigation

    –   Cons

Merely ordinary terrain diversity
No expert or above-treeline slopes
Variable glade terrain openings
Commercialized, moneyed feel

This family-friendly resort offers excellent grooming and a top-tier terrain park, but expert and above-treeline terrain is lacking.

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#6 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Sugar Bowl

Norden, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

Terrain for all ability levels
Extremely demanding expert footprint
Unique, rock-formed landscapes
Snow quality for Tahoe
Vintage gondola

    –   Cons

Short vertical drop
Modest footprint
Flat runouts in some areas
Some expert terrain almost never open

This California resort can’t match the acreage and vertical drop of competing Tahoe mountains, but it stands out with trails for all ability levels and an extremely demanding expert footprint.

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#7 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Mount Rose

Reno, NV

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

High-quality snow
Unique glade terrain
Demanding Chutes expert terrain
Views of Reno

    –   Cons

Horrendous wind exposure, leading to lift shutdowns and scoured slopes
Modest footprint
Limited lake views
Variable openings for Chutes expert area

Despite its high elevation, a number of shortcomings detract from this Nevada mountain’s appeal as a destination resort.

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#8 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Diamond Peak

Incline Village, NV

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   Pros

Excellent lake views
Superb grooming operations
Lack of crowds
Impressive freestyle terrain
Unique off-piste glade areas

    –   Cons

Small, exceptionally narrow footprint
Slow lifts in many areas
Somewhat limited on-mountain facilities
Variable conditions, especially in glade terrain
Day ticket prices

This Tahoe mountain will impress many visitors with breathtaking lake views, but its terrain and amenities are no match for the area’s better-known destination resorts.

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#9 of 9 in Lake Tahoe

Homewood

Homewood, CA

MOUNTAIN SCORE

    +   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

While this Tahoe hill can’t hold its own overall against the destination resorts, it boasts an astonishing, one-of-a-kind mountain aesthetic.

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