Trip Report: Lake Tahoe - North to South in 10 Days

For many, California is typically known for its sunshine, but it’s also known for its snow! In fact, the snow has been amazing in the last few years, and during a research trip in April 2024, USA Product Manager Rupert and I experienced some of the best April skiing imaginable. Starting in North Lake Tahoe, we visited Northstar, Palisades and Diamond Peak, before heading south to ski Heavenly and Kirkwood.

As well as the reliability and depth of the April snow and the breathtaking views, I was also very impressed by the amazing value that Lake Tahoe offered. You can ski several resorts with a combined ski acreage dwarfing even Whistler Blackcomb on one incredible value lift pass, bolting on even more skiing with additional day passes. We also found some lovely new hotels and condos that emit that authentic mountain living vibe, and have created a new Tahoe-based ski safari to bring it all together.

So read on if you want to know how to get the most out of your lift pass, with highlights on where we stayed, where we skied and where we ate. And if you want to know if it’s still worth skiing in California on your next holiday, see for yourself!

By Andy Knights, Sales Manager

The USA was one of the first ski holiday destinations that Ski Safari began selling in the late 90s, and for Rupert and I, it still holds a special place close to our hearts. I joined the Ski Safari team (and Rupert) in 2007, and my first research trip soon followed to the stunning Lake Tahoe, home to some of the world’s finest ski resorts. As part of that trip, I visited Alpine Meadows (now Alpine), Squaw Valley (now Palisades), Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood.

Tahoe has historically been a popular winter destination for us Brits. In recent years however, it’s fallen a little off the radar. So in April, on our first joint ski research trip in 17 years, Rupert and I travelled to California to investigate Tahoe’s latest offering. And boy, we were not disappointed!

After extensive research, meeting suppliers and visiting hotels (while skiing the resorts of course), I have fallen in love with Tahoe all over again. We have discovered brilliant new places to stay and rekindled our fondness for some old favourites.

The first resort on our Tahoe adventure was Northstar, which reminded us both of Sun Peaks in Canada, a real customer favourite with long runs, well-spaced tree runs and incredible, varied fall lines. You could say it’s an intermediate skier’s paradise.

The lifts here, included in the Vail Resorts Tahoe Value Pass, are super fast and we were the only ones on them - it was so quiet! The Big Spring Gondola brings you out to the Arrow Express Lift, connecting to the Comstock Express and before we knew it, we were at the summit taking in the views of the gorgeous lake and looking west towards Palisades.

Snow conditions could not have been better, and the snowpack was so deep from top to bottom. Most of the runs are blue, with some lovely groomed black runs too. We covered a lot of the mountain in one day but there is so much great terrain here that you could easily spend a week enjoying it.

Many don’t realise that Northstar has a bigger ski acreage than Breckenridge! And it is only 400 acres smaller than Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler. Every lift is a fast four or six-pack chair - no t-bars or buttons here, just rapid uphill travel which means less time going up, more time skiing down.

We stayed in the secluded and budget-friendly 3* Aspen Grove Condos within the resort, a 10-minute drive from the historic mountain town of Truckee. Truckee has a brilliant selection of coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and shops. Grab yourself a breakfast burrito at an American diner if you can! Plus, there’s a huge supermarket for all your supplies - perfect if you are self-catering.

While in town, we viewed the rooms at the stunning 4* Gravity Haus Truckee, a beautiful hotel in a tranquil setting in the woods. Its on-site restaurant, Stella Truckee with its open-plan kitchen, was incredible - some of the finest food we had ever had. So good in fact, we dined there both nights! I particularly liked the ‘Double Double’ Wagyu beef burger with fingerling potatoes and classic root beer. Gravity Haus and Aspen Grove have since been introduced to our product offering. We think you’ll love them.

“Northstar's relatively unknown in the UK, yet it’s such an impressive resort. It has incredible terrain, bucketloads of snow, super-fast lifts and a village that has so many restaurants and shops. Plus Truckee is one of the coolest and most authentic towns I’ve visited. The perfect place to start your Tahoe adventure. A solid 10/10 from me.”

- Rupert, waxing lyrical as we left Northstar

We next stopped at Palisades for four nights, splitting our stay between 4* The Village at Palisades which is conveniently located within the resort, and the luxury, ski-in ski-out 5* Everline Resort and Spa, while attending a contracting event.

When you pull into the village, it’s hard not to get excited as you glance up at the giant snow-laden peaks, huge rocky outcrops and massive Jeffrey pine trees that dominate the landscape.

Palisades Tahoe offers 6,000 acres of incredible ski terrain across two distinct resorts, Palisades and Alpine, connected by the base-to-base gondola. It had hit the 10-metre seasonal snow mark just before we arrived, so we just had to ski all the best runs and areas that the resort has to offer. We had a brilliant day thanks to the amazing snow and our legendary guide, JT Holmes.

I coached a few lower-level snowboarders in the beginner terrain too, which unlike many other resorts is right up the mountain, providing a real ‘big mountain’ experience. So even if you are making your first-ever turns, you are not shoe-horned to the lower slopes. Everyone was buzzing!

Then, on to Alpine, oh my word what a sensational second day. The snow was perfectly soft, like in mid-winter. We skied the whole mountain, down a lot of long rolling runs, well-spaced tree runs, some natural gullies and half pipes. The pistes ski so fast! We all had such a brilliant day of riding and skiing.

That night we enjoyed a snowshoe walk up the mountain followed by a sumptuous dinner in the village.

After eight days of enjoying North Lake Tahoe, we made our way south, pulling into 5* Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe for a fab breakfast and site tour en route. Having a car gave us so much flexibility to stop at breathtaking places that transfers don’t allow.

We had heard about the famous beaches around Incline Village, so we thought why not take a look? After parking the car, we were soon standing on Sand Harbour beach surrounded by people sunbathing and enjoying the sunshine.

The small but awesome Diamond Peak Ski Resort was up next, consisting of fast and long runs. It almost feels as if you are skiing into the lake! Rupert and I have seen plenty of incredible mountain views in our time, but these may well top them all. We saw only around 30 people on the entire mountain, so we had the place to ourselves. Diamond Peak is a place you must visit as part of your Tahoe Ski Safari.

Dinner that evening was at the Boathouse on the Pier in South Lake Tahoe, the only on-pier restaurant in Tahoe. As you can imagine, we had incredible views of the lake as we ate. Our top tip is to visit for dinner on a sunny day, you won’t be disappointed.

Heavenly Mountain has some of the most expansive intermediate terrain in North America, but boy were we in for a surprise. Not only have they improved the lift system but they've also widened many of the popular runs, allowing for more space, better views and larger crazy ski turns for everyone.

With so few people on the mountain, it was quite possibly one of the very best spring skiing days we have ever had, covering 40km in one day. And the views over the lake simply cannot be beaten. They are just incredible, period!

We checked into South Lake Tahoe’s coolest hotel, the 4* Margaritaville Lake Tahoe, for three nights. It has Miami vibes, fresh bright décor and a Jimmy Buffett theme paying homage to his musical career. It’s quite rare for a ski resort hotel to look and feel like this. The hotel has a cracking restaurant and just outside are bars, shops and casinos, and the Heavenly Gondola is only one block away.

Last on our Tahoe tour was Kirkwood, just a 40 min drive from Heavenly. Here you will test your skills as the resort is akin to Kicking Horse, Jackson Hole and other steep beasts.

Never known to shy away from a challenge, we went straight to The Wall in the experts-only terrain. You enter on a 45-degree pitch, where we mused at the sign that said, “Prepare for a long slide if you fall”. After witnessing one confident skier fall and slide 300 metres, we jumped in, undeterred, and made it to the bottom upright but not pretty.

For the perfect end to a magical Tahoe trip, we spent the whole afternoon skiing Kirkwood’s Fawn Ridge, off the Sunrise Chair. This wonderful, steep blue and black bowl was completely empty for us, which was quite possibly the skiing highlight of my trip.

Kirkwood flies slightly under the radar for Brits but is one of the three mountains that you can ski using a Vail Resorts Tahoe Value Pass.

Our ten-day Tahoe adventure has reminded us just why the Lake Tahoe area must be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s truly superb value for money, with unbeatable scenery and snow, and the Cali vibe ensures you have the most fun ski experience possible.

Kirkwood, Northstar and Heavenly were pure joy to ski and you can do all three resorts for just £429 all season! If three resorts are not enough and you would like to include Palisades Tahoe and Diamond Peak, we'll help you find the perfect tailormade ski holiday and get the most out of your lift passes - Call or send us a message if you would like to know more!

Off the back of our trip, we have introduced new hotels, new safaris, and have a reinvigorated passion to get you out here to enjoy it as much as we did.

Like what you see? Want to know more about skiing California and Lake Tahoe? We can help! Ski Safari has skied the US and sold US ski holidays since the 90s, and we have an experienced team ready to answer your questions.

For a tailor-made quotation, enquire online or call our friendly team of skiers and snowboarders on 01273 224060. 

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