Kirkwood

You might be able to call Kirkwood a resort off the beaten path. At a time when many Lake Tahoe resorts are more modern and busy than ever, Kirkwood, located an hour south of the lake, still runs mainly slow lifts and enjoys fewer crowds. Those looking for a ritzy ski vacation may be disappointed, but this resort provides a unique terrain experience that shouldn’t be ruled out by everyone.

Those who appreciate natural beauty will really enjoy Kirkwood. Despite the resort’s lack of Lake Tahoe views, visitors will find a truly breathtaking ambience thanks to striking headwalls that span every mountain area. Every line at the mountain features a unique set of elements, resulting in diverse views and a different technical challenge on every run. Thanks to a lack of buildup across the resort, you might feel as if you’re one with nature here.

Kirkwood only has a 2,000 foot vertical drop, but on full top-to-bottom runs, it feels like you can get a taste of every type of terrain. The upper mountain typically consists of steep, above-treeline slopes with a smattering of obstacles. More mellow lower-mountain sections typically include trees and house a number of unique natural halfpipes. This setup allows the resort to enjoy surprisingly diverse terrain across its modest footprint.

Some of Kirkwood’s terrain is truly extreme. Chutes, couloirs, and cliffs are common, and due to the resort’s layout, these obstacles exist in places you’d least expect them. Drop-ins are a signature Kirkwood trait—nearly all double-black trails require them. The most perilous drop-ins are extremely narrow and require free falls for the first few seconds. 

If your idea of fun doesn’t involve terrain that extreme, you can still find serious challenges at Kirkwood. A large percentage of the resort’s terrain is steep and ungroomed. Many trails require avoiding rocks and trees. The Wall area maintains a consistently steep pitch for several hundred feet, and yard sales are a daily occurrence there. Challenging runs in the Sentinel, Palisades, and Reuter Bowl require traverses to get to, but the further you go, the less tracked you’ll find the snow.

But you don’t have to be a mogul fiend to enjoy Kirkwood’s steeps. The resort regularly grooms a number of black diamond runs, making for a range of steep straightaways. And some of these groomers are truly steep–groomer cats on the double-black All the Way trail need to be pulled up with a winch due to the run’s gnarly pitch.

While Kirkwood offers options for beginners and intermediates, visitors of those ability levels might feel limited in terms of available terrain. Green terrain can only be found across two short beginner lifts, and the two areas aren’t connected. Intermediates have a number more options, the most unique of which exist in the resort’s backside areas, but won’t be able to take advantage of the signature Wall and Cornice areas. Kirkwood also has two terrain parks, but they’re small and not very competitive feature-wise.

From the top of each summit lift, Kirkwood offers easy access to some of the best backcountry terrain in the Lake Tahoe area. Resort staff lead a range of guided tours into this off-piste, perennially untouched wilderness. This area is quite prone to avalanches, but the resort runs an avalanche beacon training park, providing a safe, convenient way for prospective backcountry-goers to practice their skills.

Kirkwood tends to stay less crowded than other Lake Tahoe resorts. Even when crowds build up on weekends and holidays, the resort handles them well thanks to its five lifts at the main base. If the resort ever sees lines, they’ll be in the Sunrise backside area or at the Cornice and Timber Creek Express lifts, the only high-speed lifts at the resort.

Indeed, one of Kirkwood’s biggest drawbacks is its lift infrastructure. To give the resort some credit, its two high-speed lifts provide access to great intermediate and advanced terrain. But most areas are served by slow, fixed-grip triple chairs. Some of these lifts are very long, making the ride up take what feels like ages, while others have weirdly placed seats or lumps in the cushions. The most trying lift-related experience comes from the Vista T-Bar, which requires a two-minute hike to get to. We can forgive a few lifts that mainly service expert terrain, but the resort should really invest in a number of upgrades. Unfortunately, the surface lifts to Covered Wagon Peak are no longer in service and the area now requires a longer hike to reach.

Getting around Kirkwood isn’t bad once you get to know it. However, navigation is confusing at first due to less than ideal signage, an unintuitive lift setup to get to backside resort areas, and a lack of clear trail maps posted around the resort (some places have them, but they’re faded and look like they haven’t been maintained in years). The lack of information at the main base area exacerbates the issue, as does the catwalking required to get between lifts there.

Some runs lack clear difficulty ratings. Signs at the top of lifts identify trails, but not all runs are actually marked where they start. This can be a serious problem, especially when it’s unclear whether the trail you’re about to go down will be above your ability range.

Thankfully, however, the most extreme runs are all marked with Kirkwood’s signature skull and bones signs. In addition, all summit areas provide some sort of direct access to one of the two base areas (although intermediates coming from the back side may have to take one lift to get back to the main base), meaning it’s tough to get truly lost.

It’s a good thing you can easily get back to the bases, because that’s where the best resort facilities are. The main base area includes a large patio and multiple dining options ranging from casual to fancy, while the satellite Timber Creek base contains the resort’s ski school and a food court. The only non-base facility is the Sunrise Lodge on the back side, which has an awesome grill area with outdoor seating but is physically small and closed on some weekdays. Food prices are quite expensive for such a local-feeling resort, and Epic Pass discounts don’t work until 2pm.

Kirkwood enjoys excellent snow for a Tahoe-area resort thanks to generous accumulation in an average season and drier, lighter snow than mountains closer to the lake. Due to the lack of crowds, snow tends to stay fresh for longer than you might expect; this is especially the case for the furthest traversable bowl areas, which can stay untracked for days after a snowstorm. The resort is susceptible to avalanches due to the inherent nature of its terrain, but in-bounds avalanche control operations are strong. 

However, Kirkwood also suffers from the same wide snow variance as other Tahoe resorts, with some years receiving very little snow and others enjoying dump after dump. In addition, the resort sees extremely harsh wind due to its heavily exposed terrain. Wind holds are common across the resort, especially in backside areas. On the worst days, it’s a game of chance as to whether summit lifts are running. Even when lifts are operating, wind can make the slow, exposed rides up miserable.

Wind can also result in somewhat variable snow coverage around the resort. Steep summit areas can get windblown, but mellower mid- and lower mountain areas can catch that snow and turn into fantastic powder stashes.

Lodging

There are a number of condos and hotels at the base of Kirkwood and along the access road. None are cheap for individuals, but a few options can be great deals for groups if you book early enough.

You can also stay in the town of South Lake Tahoe an hour away, but during storms, the roads to and from Kirkwood can get really sketchy. We only recommend staying there if you’re okay with Heavenly as a backup plan on days with inclement weather.

Apres-ski

Kirkwood is more mountain than resort, and as such, doesn’t really have any nightlife. Apres-ski isn’t all bad though—a few bars at the base offer happy hour deals, and the large patio overlooking the mountain there is fantastic to relax at. If you stay in South Lake Tahoe an hour away, there’s much more to do.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a ski area with a huge footprint, high-speed lifts, and family-friendly terrain—or if you end up at the mountain on a very windy day—you might be disappointed with Kirkwood. But this beautiful resort offers some of the best snow and extreme terrain in the Lake Tahoe area. In addition, the lack of crowds may help you get more laps in than you would at some busier resorts with fast lifts. With relatively affordable lift tickets compared to other nearby destination mountains, many people will find the Kirkwood experience a bargain.