Alpine Meadows is located six miles (9.5 km) northwest of Tahoe City, California, off Highway 89, and 13 miles (21 km) south of Interstate 80 at Truckee, California.It is 195 miles (314 km) east of San Francisco, and 50 miles...
Alpine Meadows
The relaxed pace and family-friendly environment at Alpine Meadows makes it a popular resort. Here you have the chance to enjoy the natural life while skiing some of the toughest terrain in North America. Little wonder that Skiing Magazine called Alpine Meadows "a mountain with a distinctly split personality: a mild side and a wild side."
Alpine Meadows keeps a low profile compared with some other ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, and you’ll be mingling with lots of locals if you choose this one for your ski vacation. Steep chutes, gentle glades and endless cruisers have made it a firm favorite with local skiers. It is less expensive than some of the Lake Tahoe resorts and offers a quieter atmosphere off the slopes, as well as some good off-piste skiing and riding.
In 2011, Alpine Meadows merged with the well-known neighboring ski resort and 1960 Olympic site, Squaw Valley, becoming Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows resort. In 2021 the Squaw Alpine resort was rebranded because the term “squaw” is deemed derogatory by many Native Americans. The new name Palisades Tahoe celebrates the granite walls that rise up at each ski area. Squaw Valley base area has been renamed Olympic Valley and construction crews are preparing the foundations for the Tahoe region’s first-ever base-to-base gondola, connecting the Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows base areas.
One lift ticket gives you access to both locations, but the terrain at each ski area stands apart and while installation of the new gondola will provide skiers with an easy ride from one base station to the other it will not open additional skiable terrain. With 495 inches (1,257 cm) of snow per year, the snowmaking facilities, which operate on 12 of the 14 lifts, are required usually only during November; then the natural snowfall takes over. The season is long, running from mid-November to the end of May or mid-June.
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There are no lodgings in Alpine Meadows itself, but inns, hotels, condos and lodges in Tahoe City and Lake Tahoe are easily accessible. There aren't any lodgings at the resort itself, but the many inns, hotels, condos and lodges in...
There’s one ski school and one snowboard school with about 200 instructors in Alpine Meadows, as well as an Adaptive Ski School. There's one ski school and one snowboard school with about 200 instructors. Alpine Meadows also has an Adaptive...
Alpine Meadows Ski Area Alpine Meadows draws advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders from around the world to try its bowls, chutes, trees, and backcountry hikes. Alpine Meadows is backed by giant volcanic rock sculptures. There's over 2,400 acres (971...
Alpine Meadows Ski Lifts & Lift Passes Alpine Meadows has 13 lifts in total, including one high-speed six-passenger chair, one high-speed quad, four triple chairs, five double chairs and three surface lifts. The lifts are open from 9:00 am to...
Alpine Meadows Beginners The best areas for beginners in Alpine Meadows are off Meadow Chair, Subway Chair and Hot Wheels Chair. Around 25 percent of the ski area is graded "easy" for beginners, and the best areas are off Meadow...
Alpine Meadows Intermediate Skiing Around 40 percent of the trails at Alpine Meadows are for intermediates, including the Roundhouse high-speed quad and the Sherwood high speed quad chair for the bowls on the back of the mountain. Around 40 percent...
Alpine Meadows Advanced & Expert Skiing The best skiing for advanced skiers in Alpine Meadows is off Summit Six high-speed six-passenger lift on the front of the mountain and Scott triple chairlift on the back. The best skiing for advanced...
Alpine Meadows Boarding & Freestyle Alpine meadows offers skiers and boarders a terrain park, halfpipe and a superpipe. Skiers and boarders alike can use the terrain park and halfpipe off the Kangaroo double chair from the base area. For boarders...
Alpine Meadows Mountain Restaurants Alpine Meadows base lodge, the Chalet restaurant at the front of the mountain and the base of Sherwood Chair offer good places to eat. At the base lodge there's a full-service restaurant, cafeteria, deli, boulangerie and...
The Village Tahoe City has a community feel, fine dining and live jazz, in contrast to the bright lights of Lake Tahoe's south shore. Tahoe City is one of the main cities on the California side of Lake Tahoe. It...
Alpine Meadows Bars & Restaurants Alpine Meadows resort is home to three bars; Tahoe City, North Lake Tahoe and Truckee offer more entertainment slightly further afield. Tahoe City has a community feel, with smaller restaurants than nearby cities, fine dining...