Lake Tahoe

Summer Ski Resorts: Are They Worth the Trip?

Is skiing during the warmest time of year a crazy idea—or is it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? We’ve prepared a comprehensive analysis on whether this type of trip is right for you.

Heavenly North Bowl Express: An Upgrade, But Half-Baked

This high-speed quad upgrade brings more convenient service to advanced-level trees, but the lack of a replacement for the out-of-base Boulder lift limits its effectiveness.

Northstar Comstock Six-Pack: An Unflashy But Effective Upgrade

This Tahoe resort’s second six-pack lift brings capacity and reliability enhancements to what’s arguably its most popular terrain zone.

Vail Resorts Epic Lift Upgrades: A Comprehensive Effectiveness Breakdown

We analyze why Vail Resorts pulled the trigger on many of its recent lift investments—and why it may have passed over some much-needed opportunities.

What’s New at Every Destination Ski Resort: 2023-24

Over the past few years, ski resorts have absolutely exploded with new investments. And this upcoming season is perhaps the craziest one yet—across the North American ski scene, more than 30 major ski resorts are in for some sort of serious upgrade.

Palisades Tahoe Terrain Zones Ranked: Forgettable to Must-Hit

This iconic California ski resort offers legitimately standout terrain, but you’ll have to navigate your way through some less-than-enjoyable areas first.

Homewood

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

Diamond Peak

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.

Mount Rose

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

Sugar Bowl

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.

Northstar

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

Sierra-at-Tahoe

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.

Kirkwood

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

Heavenly

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.

Palisades Tahoe

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.