Palisades Tahoe
6,400 acres, 279 runs, 39 lifts across 8 peaks. Olympic Valley & Alpine Meadows united. 1960 Winter Olympics host. Ikon Pass.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
21 Nov 2026
Closes
30 May 2027
Days open
190
Annual snow
33ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Palisades Tahoe spans 6,400 acres across eight peaks with 279 runs accessed by 39 lifts, reaching from 1,890 metres at base to 2,758 metres at Granite Chief summit. The resort averages 10.2 metres of annual snowfall and operates from late November through late May. The 2021 merger of Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows created California's largest ski destination, unified by a 16-minute base-to-base gondola completed in 2022. Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the resort maintains Olympic memorabilia at High Camp's museum.
Terrain splits 13 per cent beginner, 33 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent advanced, and 24 per cent expert across two distinct mountain personalities. Olympic Valley delivers steep chutes and cliff-lined bowls including KT-22, the Palisades wall, and Granite Chief couloirs. Alpine Meadows counters with groomed boulevards and hike-to bowls like Beaver and Estelle. The 5.15-kilometre Mountain Run offers the resort's longest descent, whilst Silverado and Broken Arrow host extreme terrain visible from lift chairs.
The Village at Olympic Valley anchors the Olympic Valley side with slopeside lodging, 30 restaurants, and European-style cobblestone walkways. Alpine's mid-mountain lodge draws crowds to its sun deck and relaxed atmosphere. The 110-person aerial tram rises 610 vertical metres to High Camp at 2,500 metres, where beginners access protected learning terrain and an outdoor ice rink operates at 2,500 metres elevation. North America's only ski-resort funitel transports 4,000 skiers per hour to Gold Coast.
Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass provide unlimited access with select blackout dates between December 27 and February 15. Adult single-day tickets range from $119 to $179 depending on demand and advance purchase. The resort suits advanced and expert skiers seeking steep fall-line skiing and Olympic history, whilst families benefit from High Camp's segregated beginner zones and gondola sightseeing access year-round.
2,848ft
Vertical
279
Runs
6,400 acres
Skiable
33ft
Annual snow
Ikon / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
279 runs across 6,400 acres skiable
Palisades Tahoe spreads 279 runs across 6,400 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 33%, with 36 beginner runs to find your feet and 151 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
279
runs
279 runs across 4 grades
Beginner36 runs · 13%
Intermediate92 runs · 33%
Advanced84 runs · 30%
Expert67 runs · 24%
Time it right
When to visit Palisades Tahoe
The 2025-26 season operates from November 22, 2025 through May 26, 2026, with lifts spinning 9am to 4pm daily subject to conditions. Palisades Tahoe typically opens earlier and closes later than Tahoe-region competitors, earning designation as the area's spring skiing capital. The resort frequently extends operations into Memorial Day weekend when snowpack permits. Olympic Valley's base sits at 1,890 metres, providing altitude advantage over south-shore resorts.
The resort averages 10.2 metres of annual snowfall measured at the 2,438-metre Belmont plot, with monthly averages peaking at 3.12 metres in December and 2.31 metres in March. Granite Chief's 2,746-metre summit captures additional snow and preserves powder longer than lower elevations. The 2025-26 season through late April recorded 9.12 metres, marking a challenging year across western North America. Snowmaking covers 11 of 26 lifts on Olympic Valley and nine of 13 at Alpine, concentrating on lower-elevation access routes and learning terrain.
January through March delivers peak conditions, with February historically offering the most consistent snowpack and fewest rain events at base elevation. April and May transform into spring skiing season with softening snow by midday and corn-snow conditions prevailing on south-facing aspects. Granite Chief and north-facing zones like Silverado hold quality snow through May. Weekday visits outside holiday periods offer significantly lighter crowds than weekends, when parking reservations are mandatory on Saturdays and Sundays.
The resort hosts World Cup technical events, terrain park competitions, and spring music festivals including pond-skimming contests. Ikon Pass holders receive early-access First Tracks on select Thursdays from 8am to 9am at Red Dog and Resort chairs. Three-hundred-plus annual sunshine days distinguish Tahoe's Sierra Nevada climate from Pacific Northwest resorts, though marine storms deliver the Sierra's heavy, dense snow nicknamed "Sierra Cement" by locals.
Season 2026 - 2027
21 Nov 2026
Opens
30 May 2027
Closes
190
Days open
33 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Palisades Tahoe, and where to stay
Palisades Tahoe occupies Olympic Valley in the Sierra Nevada range of eastern Placer County, California, on Lake Tahoe's northwest shore. The Olympic Valley base sits at 1,890 metres within a narrow valley formed by Washeshu Creek, eight kilometres south of Truckee via Highway 89. Granite peaks rise to 2,746 metres above the Tahoe Basin, providing views across the 500-square-kilometre alpine lake. The Washoe Tribe considers this ancestral homeland within the greater Tahoe region.
Tahoe City anchors the north shore 11 kilometres southeast, offering lakefront dining and historical sites along Highway 89. Truckee, 16 kilometres northeast, provides a historic railroad town with restaurants, breweries, and mountain-town character dating to the 1860s California Gold Rush. Incline Village sits 19 kilometres east across Nevada's state line. The resort operates 68 kilometres west of Reno and 154 kilometres northeast of Sacramento via Interstate 80. San Francisco lies 315 kilometres southwest requiring three to four hours' drive.
Access follows Interstate 80 east from Sacramento or west from Reno to Truckee, then Highway 89 south for eight kilometres to Olympic Valley Road. The two-kilometre Olympic Valley Road terminates at the Village base area. Winter chain controls are mandatory on Interstate 80 during storms, with California Highway Patrol enforcing four-wheel-drive or chain requirements. Road closures occur during severe weather, adding hours to drive times. TART bus provides free daily service from Truckee and Tahoe City directly to Olympic Valley.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport sits 68 kilometres northeast with one-hour drive time in clear conditions. Sacramento International Airport offers more flight options 177 kilometres southwest, requiring two to 2.5 hours' drive via Interstate 80. North Lake Tahoe Express operates five daily shuttles from Reno airport at $99 per person for 45-minute transfers. Amtrak services Truckee station 16 kilometres away, connecting California Zephyr routes from San Francisco and Chicago. JSX operates private-charter flights between Reno, San Francisco, and southern California.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Palisades Tahoe, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Palisades Tahoe Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 16 Sept 2026
9,049ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear35°F / 49°F · SW 21mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts39
Live open status isn’t available right now.
21 Nov 2026 - 30 May 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 48 hours· Updated Sep 17, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
9,049 ftUpdated Sep 17, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Thu, Sept 17
Mainly Clear
Temp49° / 35°°F
Snow0.0"(7%)
Wind21 mph SW
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Palisades Tahoe snow report
Planning a day at Palisades Tahoe? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 1890m base to the 2758m summit.
Snow measurements
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1890m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 868m higher at 2758m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Palisades Tahoe are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
We pull Palisades Tahoe's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 39 lifts, including an aerial tram and 6 quad chairlifts.
When to check
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Palisades Tahoe.