Accommodation
Quick answer: Palisades Tahoe suits advanced and expert skiers wanting genuine Olympic-calibre terrain, powder hunters, and anyone wanting two huge linked ski areas within easy reach of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is less suited to those wanting a small, intimate resort, since Palisades Tahoe is genuinely vast and first-time visitors can find the scale and layout take a day or two to learn.
Quick resort facts
Ski area: Palisades Tahoe, 270+ trails, 42 lifts · Altitude: 1,890m base · Season: November to May · Nearest airport: Reno-Tahoe International (80 miles) · Average annual snowfall: 1,016cm
Best for: advanced and expert skiers wanting genuine Olympic-calibre terrain, powder hunters, and anyone wanting two huge linked ski areas within easy reach of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Not for: those wanting a small, intimate resort. Palisades Tahoe is genuinely vast, and first-time visitors can find the scale and layout take a day or two to learn.
Palisades Tahoe, formerly known as Squaw Valley, hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics and remains one of the most significant ski resorts in American history. Renamed in 2021, the resort is now formally combined with neighbouring Alpine Meadows, connected by a base-to-base gondola since 2016, creating one of the largest linked ski areas in the Lake Tahoe region. It is owned by Alterra Mountain Company and is a founding partner of the Ikon Pass. The resort’s name change in 2021 reflected a broader move away from a term considered a racial slur against Indigenous women, part of a wider re-evaluation of place names across the United States.
Jump to: Ski Area · Skiing by Ability · Snow & Best Time to Go · Lift Passes · Getting There · FAQs
The Palisades side is famous for KT-22, one of the most storied advanced and expert runs in California, named after the 22 kick turns needed to hike its ridge before lifts were built. Alpine Meadows, across the valley, offers a slightly gentler, more sheltered alternative on stormy days. Olympic House and the surrounding museum exhibits celebrate the resort’s 1960 Games heritage, giving visitors a genuine sense of its place in American ski history.
The Palisades side alone covers 3,600 acres across more than 177 trails, with a base at 1,890m (6,200ft) rising to 2,758m (9,050ft), a vertical drop of 869m (2,850ft). Combined with Alpine Meadows across the gondola link, the resort offers around 6,000 acres of skiable terrain in total. The longest run, Mountain Run, stretches 3.2 miles, and average annual snowfall is 1,016cm (400 inches). The base-to-base gondola linking the two former resorts takes around 16 minutes and offers dramatic views across the surrounding Tahoe basin along the way.
KT-22 delivers steep, often bumped-up expert terrain right at the heart of the Palisades side, while the wider bowls and ridgelines nearby open up huge amounts of intermediate and advanced skiing. Alpine Meadows adds further varied terrain across its own bowls and ridges, with a reputation for excellent snow retention. Granite Chief Wilderness, bordering the resort, offers further backcountry-accessible terrain for experienced, properly equipped skiers wanting to venture beyond the lift network.
The base areas at both Palisades and Alpine Meadows offer gentle, well-groomed learning terrain, with dedicated lifts kept separate from the busier upper mountain. Ski school meeting points at both bases are conveniently close to Village and Alpine Meadows accommodation, making early starts manageable for families.
Both sides of the resort offer extensive, well-groomed intermediate cruising, with Alpine Meadows in particular known for wide, welcoming blue runs across its bowls. Broken Arrow and other groomed runs at Alpine Meadows are especially popular with intermediates wanting long, uncrowded cruising away from the busier Palisades side.
KT-22 and the surrounding ridgelines on the Palisades side offer some of the most demanding, historically significant expert terrain in California, while Alpine Meadows adds further steep bowl and chute skiing of its own. Guided tours of KT-22 and the resort’s other legendary terrain are available for visitors wanting local knowledge of the mountain’s history and best lines.
Palisades Tahoe averages 1,016cm (400 inches) of snow a year, among the highest totals in the Tahoe basin. January and February bring the most reliable powder days, while the generally sunny Tahoe climate makes March and April popular for combining good snow with warmer, longer days. Because the resort sits on the drier eastern side of the Sierra crest, extensive snowmaking supplements natural snowfall to maintain consistent early-season coverage.
Palisades Tahoe is a founding resort on the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass, alongside standalone lift tickets covering both the Palisades and Alpine Meadows sides. Booking online well ahead of travel brings significant savings over walk-up prices. Ikon Base Pass holders should check current blackout dates carefully, as access during the busiest Christmas and Presidents’ Week periods can be restricted.
The resort’s ski and snowboard school operates across both Palisades and Alpine Meadows, with dedicated children’s programmes and terrain at both base areas. Rental shops are widely available at both bases and in nearby Olympic Valley and Truckee. Specialist steep-terrain clinics are also available for stronger skiers wanting to tackle KT-22 and the resort’s other advanced terrain with better technique.
The Village at Palisades Tahoe offers ski-in ski-out hotels, condos and restaurants directly at the base, while nearby Truckee and Tahoe City provide further lodging choices with easy access to both sides of the resort. Booking well ahead is advisable during the busy Christmas, New Year and Presidents’ Week periods, when Village accommodation can sell out quickly.
The Village at Palisades Tahoe has a good spread of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the lifts, while nearby Tahoe City and Truckee offer a wider, often more relaxed choice for evenings out. A handful of more upscale restaurants in the Village add variety beyond the resort’s generally casual dining scene.
Beyond skiing, the resort offers an ice rink, tubing and a well-developed Village area, with the wider Lake Tahoe basin providing snowmobiling, sleigh rides and stunning lake scenery within a short drive. The High Camp Bath and Tennis Club, reached by cable car, offers a distinctive ice rink and pool experience with sweeping views over the valley below.
Most UK visitors fly into Reno-Tahoe International Airport and drive around 45 minutes to Olympic Valley, making it one of the more convenient Tahoe-area resorts to reach. San Francisco International Airport is a further alternative, around three and a half hours away by road. A hire car offers useful flexibility for exploring the wider Lake Tahoe area, including other nearby resorts, though the resort’s own shuttle network covers most day-to-day needs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Two huge linked ski areas with genuine Olympic history | Scale and layout can take a day or two to learn |
| World-class expert terrain at KT-22 | Can get busy on weekends with Bay Area visitors |
| Reasonably convenient transfer via Reno-Tahoe Airport | Upper mountain can be exposed in storms |
| Excellent snow record for a California resort | Village nightlife is more limited than larger resort towns |
Palisades Tahoe combines genuine Olympic pedigree with two full-scale ski areas linked by a single gondola ride, making it one of the most complete resorts at Lake Tahoe. Advanced skiers will want to make a beeline for KT-22, while intermediates and families have plenty of room to roam across Alpine Meadows. Its relatively convenient Reno transfer makes it an easier add-on to a wider Tahoe or California trip than many of its rivals. Few resorts anywhere combine this much terrain, history and easy Sierra access so neatly, making Palisades Tahoe a genuine highlight of any California ski trip.
Yes. The resort formerly known as Squaw Valley was renamed Palisades Tahoe in 2021 and is now formally linked with neighbouring Alpine Meadows.
Yes, both the Palisades and Alpine Meadows base areas offer dedicated, well-groomed beginner terrain, though the resort is best known for its advanced and expert skiing.
Fly to Reno-Tahoe International Airport and drive around 45 minutes, or connect via San Francisco International Airport, roughly three and a half hours away.
Palisades Tahoe is a founding resort on the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass, operated by Alterra Mountain Company.
One of the most famous expert runs in California, named after the 22 kick turns once needed to hike its ridge before lifts were built.
Get all the latest ski news, gear reviews, snow reports and unmissable features direct to you inbox with our weekly ski update.