By Karen Rubin, Eric Leiberman & Sarah Falter, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
As our three-generational family with baby in tow pulls into Palisades Tahoe, a premier mountain resort in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, after a three-hour drive from Sonoma we are greeted with the Olympic flame – a reminder of having hosted the 1960 Olympics when this cherished ski destination was called Squaw Valley. Palisades Tahoe is celebrating its 75th anniversary this season (it opened on Thanksgiving, 1949), and all season long, is honoring its origins, heritage and place in developing skiing. But what really impresses us is how the resort has incorporated technology and understanding of what skiers and riders need and want into its state-of-the-art facilities.
From the Village base, you can’t appreciate just how vast Palisades Tahoe resort. Unlike most ski mountains (especially in the Northeast), where you can see the trails meander from the summit like fingers stretching down, you can’t see the slopes. Instead, the trails seem to fold into onto themselves into the undulating hills and peaks (six on Palisades Tahoe and two more on Alpine) – making it really interesting and exciting to explore and discover. Indeed, the lifts take you over peaks so as you ride, the mountain reveals itself in dramatic fashion.
Imagine: 270 trails spread over 6,000 skiable acres across eight peaks. Such a massive network can be intimidating, but Palisades Tahoe does a stellar job to ease the way for newcomers, beginners, low intermediates and infrequent skiers, and people (like me) coming from the Northeast where ski areas are one-tenth the size. But thanks to the incredible support – including a ‘first-timer” website, resort app, ambassadors, and great signage, very soon you do get the hang of it. And once you do, skiing/snowboarding at this magnificent mountain destination, which affords some of the most spectacular vistas in the world, is thrilling.
Indeed, Palisades Tahoe is an “upside down” mountain, its trails designed with the most plentiful and interesting greens and blues at the top, so even beginners and low intermediates get the full experience and awe of the spectacular vistas that make Palisades Tahoe such a special place.
Palisades Tahoe, which changed its famous name of Squaw Valley in 2021 out of respect to the indigenous Washoe people who occupied this land before – is now part of Alterra Mountain Company’s vast portfolio of mountain destinations and one of 58 global resorts included in Alterra’s Ikon Pass program. This is (and always was) a high-end, luxurious resort with the finest, state of the art lifts and services. Its phenomenal lift network (a mindboggling 43 lifts), multitude of peaks, and especially its European-style tram, make you feel you are skiing the Alps rather than California’s Sierra Nevada. (Its tram is iconic, and one of the older ones is repurposed as a bar at the base.)
Also, the Funitel which operates from the base, is the only one of its kind in North America, operating on two cables for enhanced stability. (It is recommended for beginners and low intermediates to ride down, rather than ski down Mountain Run, a 3.2 mile-long blue trail, not so much for its difficulty, but because it is narrow and can be crowded with fast skiers.)
Riding the tram up to High Camp, at 8,200 ft. elevation, where you are greeted with the Olympic rings and where the heritage of having hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics (it was known as Squaw Valley then) lives on, proves one of our favorite experiences.
Here you find the Terrace Restaurant and Bar and Granite Bistro-Pizza where you can sit at walls of windows with the most magnificent views all the way to Lake Tahoe, as well as the High Camp Marketplace and a porch area that is the most magnificent viewing platform.
You also find the Olympic Museum with interesting artifacts, photos, prints of news headlines and lists of medal winners, and a video (free admission). The 1960 Olympics was most notable for USA’s Carol Heiss winning gold in figure skating and taking the Olympic oath on behalf of all the athletes, the first time a woman had this honor; Penny Pitou winning silver in Women’s Downhill and Giant Slalom, and USA winning gold in hockey over Canada and USSR (free admission).
There is also a small exhibit that honors the legacy of the indigenous Washoe people.
What is more, there is an actual skating rink, which was closed during COVID and awaiting restoration.
High Camp can be enjoyed by green and blue skiers (as well as the most advanced skiers who go through narrow, ridiculously steep openings between boulders) have access to a range of trails.
Nonskiers can also purchase a ticket for the tram to enjoy this area. (It’s also where Eric and Sarah take the baby for his first experience playing on snow!)
Considering how Palisades Tahoe is a world-class, world-famous destination drawing from far and wide (especially with the benefits of being part of Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass which incentivizes people to explore new destinations), what strikes me is the unpretentious, easy-going California-friendly feel – very possibly because it is about 4 hours drive from San Francisco, about 3 from Sonoma, so has its regulars who come season after season.
Of all the ski destinations we have visited, none make it easier for a newcomer, first-timer, beginner or infrequent skier to orient to the mountain, which makes the logistics as convenient as possible, especially for a ski area as humongous as Palisades Tahoe.
Inside Tip: The paper map (yes, REALLY helpful), has a progression plan that lists the lifts and the trails in an order. Also, there are helpful ambassadors at the base. People you wind up riding the gondola or chairlift with also provide the benefit of their experience. We strongly urge visitors to read the “first timers guide” on the website (https://www.palisadestahoe.com/explore/first-timers-guide)
You will get the most out of the mountain by downloading its Palisades Tahoe App.that gives up up-to-date information on lifts and trail status, parking availability (notably, the parking lot is right at the village, a short walk to the lifts) and road conditions, and maps in your hand. You can also use the app to track your progress on the slopes. A new navigation tool within the app allows you to easily identify terrain that aligns with your ability level and guides you how to reach those areas at the resort. (https://www.palisadestahoe.com/palisades-tahoe-app)
Just how vast? Palisades Tahoe offers 3,600 skiable acres; of its 170 trails, five terrain parks and 16 bowls.
Of the 170 trails on Palisades Tahoe, 25% are beginner, 45% intermediate and 30% advanced (the biggest surprise for me was the quantity and quality of green and blue trails, especially from the top). One of the hardest trails, K-2 – that the most advanced skiers have to hike to once they get off the lift – is world famous, while the longest trail, Mountain Run, at 3.2 miles, is graded intermediate (beginners and low intermediates are advised to take the Funitel down to the base not because the trail is difficult but that it is narrow and highly trafficked that can be intimidating).
Palisades Tahoe has a vertical rise of 2,850 feet, rising from a base elevation: 6,200’ to a peak elevation of 9,050’. Its six mountain peak are Snow King (7,552’); Broken Arrow (8,030’); KT-22 (8,070’); Emigrant (8,774’); Washeshu Peak (8,885’, its name changing soon); and Granite Chief (9,006’). It gets annual average annual snowfall of 400 inches (yet 300 sunny days a year!), but still has snowmaking at 11 out of 29 lifts.
Once I get my ski legs back on the greens from the Big Blue Express, I venture over to the Gold Coast Express and enjoys Gold Coast Face (the easiest blue), Mystery and Emigrant Gully. I appreciate the excellent signage that points to the easiest way down, how to get back to a lift, and even signs that warn against beginners or low intermediates from venturing down a particular trail, or taking a particular lift. And even on a busy Saturday morning, the lift line never takes long.
Alpine is an experience in itself- just getting there with the new Base-to-Base gondola, which opened for the 2022-23 season, offers quite a ride with gorgeous views as it traverses the mountain peaks (it makes two stops along the way). But this involves a little bit of strategic planning, since the gondola often has holds for the wind, in which case, there is a shuttle bus available to go back to the other base.
Alpine, which for many years was its own ski area, has a vertical rise of 1,802 ft, from a base elevation at 6,835’ to a peak at 8,637’. It has two mountain peaks, Ward Peak (8,637’) and Scott (8,289’). It offers 100 trails (25% Beginner, 40% Intermediate and 35% Advanced) and seven bowls on 2,400 skiable acres accessed by 11 lifts, with an uphill capacity of 19,400 people per hour (snowmaking on 9 of them).
At Alpine, Eric especially enjoys the Lake View lift to the summit with a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe, where you can get to two great blues, Outer Limits and Twilight Zone.
Village at Palisades
Considering how vast and expansive Palisades Tahoe is, we so appreciate the logistics, especially for our multigenerational family traveling with a baby.
When we arrive at the Village at Palisades,after pulling into its own secure underground garage with elevator access to the floor, and enter our two-bedroom condo (full kitchen, dining table, living room, two bathrooms), we walk out to the balcony and are awed by the view: we are literally the closest we can possibly be to the Funitel, Base-to-Base Gondola and aerial tram, with gorgeous views of the mountain faces. The logistics prove ideal since we will be taking turns skiing and taking care of Eric and Sarah’s baby. (Palisades Tahoe does not have on-site childcare but there are daycare options nearby you can find at its website.)
The luxurious condo offers marvelous amenities – the resort charge includes garage parking, high speed internet, towels in the spa, local and toll free phone calls, 24-hour front desk, guest computer with printing, board and Xbox games to borrow at the front desk, in-room coffee and tea, multiple WiFi hot spots throughout the resort. Other guest amenities include access to eight hot tubs, four sauna, three fitness rooms, media room, and HD TVs, pool table and children’s room and guest laundry among the five, tastefully designed buildings that make up the Village resort.
Staying in The Village isn’t just massively convenient (especially with the baby) and delightfully pleasant, but we get to look out as the first golden rays of sun touch the mountain peak just outside our balcony, and watch how the sun creates a pinkish aura as it sets.
I enjoy my time strolling my grandbaby around and poking into the cute shops and galleries while Eric and Sarah ski – the village is most pleasant. I especially love the fun place to hang out under the tram and Funitel and watch the skiers come down, as a DJ spins music. We also discover a yoga studio and Sarah takes a morning class before skiing.
There are about a dozen restaurants, cafes, eateries in the Village (one has karaoke on a Friday night), a market, shops and a fantastic photo gallery.
Also the resort is also just a short hop into Tahoe City – a charming mountain village alongside Lake Tahoe, where we enjoy two fun pubs, Bridgetender Tavern and Shadyside Lounge – which got crowded, real fast.
Programs, Events, Clinics & Happy Hour
Among the many marvelous programs and clinics offered at Palisades Tahoe one that got my attention was an opportunity to join a free, interactive on-the-mountain Guided Tour with a UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) Scientist to learn the environmental history of Alpine Meadows and the role of the US Forest Service and public lands at Palisades Tahoe. The one-hour tours are offered at 1pm on Fridays, mid-February through March, from the Alpine Lodge (https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/events/ski-scientist)
Sunset Happy Hour at High Camp; enjoy a champagne toast and breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the snowcapped peaks as the sun sets behind the Sierras (select winter dates, December-February; 4-6 pm, $24; pick up tickets, vouchers at tram base https://www.palisadestahoe.com/events-and-activities/activity-finder/sunset-happy-hour)
Guided Snowshoe Tour & Chalet Dinner at Alpine: This dining adventure starts at the Last Chair Bar in the Alpine base lodge with a hot glass of mulled wine and a 15-minute walk up a moderately pitched ski trail to the Chalet at Alpine for a four-course Bavarian inspired meal. (snowshoes provided). ($140, must be 21+, https://www.palisadestahoe.com/events-and-activities/activity-finder/snowshoe-tour-chalet-dinner).
Among other activities and special events (check the listing): snow tubing (and disco tubing); Ikon Pass Thursdays Clinic; 3-Day All-Mountain Experience; 3-Day Women of Winter Camp; Telemark Clinic.
A four-day Lift Pack saves up to 40% on lift tickets (ski any four days throughout the season); a Demo 4-Pack lets you try different gear; a perfect Progression Program helps first-time skiers and riders (13+) after three beginner lessons at Alpine, you get complimentary unrestricted pass for Palisades Tahoe.
Calling itself the Spring Skiing Capital®, Palisades Tahoe keeps its slopes open through Memorial Day. The Skiers and riders can explore Palisades Tahoe and beyond with the Ikon Pass, which provides access to 58 top ski destinations. (Ikon Passholders have access to a travel desk to help arrange the trip.) But Lake Tahoe is very much a four-season outdoor adventureland – you can even bike 80 miles around Lake Tahoe.
Located off Highway 89, between Truckee and Tahoe City, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, Palisades is 42 miles from Reno, 96 miles from Sacramento, and 196 miles from San Francisco via Interstate 80.
Visit Palisades Tahoe, www.palisadestahoe.com, 800-403-0206.
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