Sierra at Tahoe
2,000 acres, 400+ inches annual snow, 14 lifts. Ikon Pass and Powder Alliance access 19km from South Lake Tahoe, California.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
5 Dec 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
127
Annual snow
38ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Sierra at Tahoe spreads 2,000 acres across elevations from 6,640 to 8,852 feet, delivering 2,212 feet of vertical drop across 47 trails. The resort divides terrain into 25 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate, and 25 percent advanced runs, backed by an average annual snowfall exceeding 400 inches. Sierra holds Ikon Pass access with limited days and full Powder Alliance membership, whilst season passholders receive three free days at 17 other partner resorts across North America and New Zealand.
The Frontside offers groomed cruisers and dedicated learning zones, whilst West Bowl serves up consistent intermediate terrain accessed by high-speed quads. Grandview Express climbs to the 8,852-foot summit, accessing blue and black runs through widely spaced old-growth red fir trees left by 1850s loggers. Huckleberry Canyon's five backcountry gates open 320 acres of expert-only terrain with cliff drops, cornices, and steep chutes rated extremely challenging.
Seven terrain parks include Broadway Park, Burton Progression Park, and Upper Snowshoe's roller park, alongside a superpipe and 18 maintained rail features. The resort sits below timberline within Eldorado National Forest, sheltered from winds that often close lifts at competing resorts. Sugar n' Spice, a 2.5-mile green run, stretches from summit to base as the mountain's longest descent.
Sierra operates 12 miles west of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50, positioned as the closest major resort to Sacramento and the Bay Area. The family-oriented atmosphere draws fewer crowds than north shore resorts, with shorter lift queues and uncongested base facilities. Operating hours run 9:00am to 4:00pm weekdays and 8:30am to 4:00pm weekends, with the 2025-26 season opening November 28 and closing March 22.
2,211ft
Vertical
47
Runs
2,000 acres
Skiable
38ft
Annual snow
Powder Alliance
Pass
The Terrain
47 runs across 2,000 acres skiable
Sierra at Tahoe spreads 47 runs across 2,000 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 12 beginner runs to find your feet and 12 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
47
runs
47 runs across 4 grades
Beginner12 runs · 25%
Intermediate24 runs · 50%
Advanced12 runs · 25%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Sierra at Tahoe
The 2025-26 season runs from November 28, 2025, through March 22, 2026, spanning 115 operating days. Projected opening dates typically fall in late November, though delayed starts occur during marginal snow years. The resort historically closes in mid-April, with spring operations dependent on snowpack and visitation levels through March and early April.
Annual snowfall averages exceed 400 inches at mid-mountain, with the resort ranking 41st in North America for total seasonal accumulation. Snow density measures approximately 12 percent water content—wetter than interior Rocky Mountain resorts but manageable on modern wide skis. The summit elevation of 8,852 feet and forested terrain below timberline preserve snow quality during Sierra storms, whilst northwest-facing aspects on Grandview and West Bowl hold coverage better than the sun-exposed backside.
February and March deliver peak snowfall, with the third week of February historically producing 44 centimetres and 2.7 snowy days per week. January through March offer the most consistent conditions, whilst November and early December require patience as base depths build. Spring riding from late March into April features corn snow cycles on south-facing terrain, though freeze-thaw conditions can create variable surfaces at lower elevations.
Signature events include Subaru Winterfest, Vans Methodology, and Sierra Playgrounds Party, alongside weekly live music in the Sierra Pub. The resort does not offer night skiing, closing daily at 4:00pm. Weekend and holiday periods from December 20 through January 4, January 17-19, and February 14-22 see peak crowds and require parking reservations starting in the 2026-27 season.
Season 2026 - 2027
5 Dec 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
127
Days open
38 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Sierra at Tahoe, and where to stay
Sierra at Tahoe occupies the south slope of Echo Summit in Twin Bridges, California, within Eldorado National Forest approximately 19 kilometres south of South Lake Tahoe. The base area sits at 6,640 feet elevation where Sierra at Tahoe Road meets Highway 50, positioned five miles west of Echo Summit's 7,382-foot crest. Lake Tahoe itself lies 19 kilometres northeast, visible from upper mountain ridges alongside Desolation Wilderness and Pyramid Peak.
South Lake Tahoe, 19 kilometres east, provides the nearest full-service town with 30,000 residents, lodging, dining, and casino entertainment. Meyers sits 20 minutes away with additional accommodation options. Twin Bridges, the immediate locality at 6,115 feet elevation, functions as a chain control checkpoint when winter storms close Echo Summit. Stateline, Nevada, lies 26 kilometres southeast on the California-Nevada border.
Highway 50 provides direct access from both Sacramento and Reno, with the resort located just off the highway requiring a brief turn onto Sierra at Tahoe Road. Westbound travellers from South Lake Tahoe drive 19 kilometres, passing Echo Summit before descending to the resort entrance. Sacramento lies 161 kilometres west via Highway 50, whilst Reno sits 193 kilometres northeast via Highway 50 and I-580 through Carson City.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport sits 120 kilometres away with 90-minute drive times, offering over 130 daily flights to 20-plus nonstop destinations. Sacramento International Airport lies 158 kilometres distant, approximately two hours by car with service from major carriers. Sports Basement operates a Bay Area shuttle for $99 roundtrip. San Francisco International Airport, 301 kilometres west, provides the closest major hub with extensive international connections, requiring 3.5 hours driving time.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Sierra at Tahoe, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Sierra at Tahoe Lift System
Fourteen lifts serve the mountain, comprising three high-speed detachable quads, one fixed-grip triple chair, five double chairs, and five surface lifts. The three express quads—Grandview, West Bowl, and Easy Rider—form the backbone of uphill transport, moving 2,400 riders per hour each. Combined hourly capacity reaches 15,000 skiers and snowboarders across all lifts, though weather protection covers are not installed on any installation.
Grandview Express, a 1996 Doppelmayr installation replacing an earlier Yan detachable quad, climbs 1,576 metres in approximately 5 minutes 50 seconds to access summit terrain and Huckleberry Gates. West Bowl Express, also installed in 1996, serves intermediate glades and groomers on northwest-facing slopes. Easy Rider Express operates in the base learning area alongside surface tows including Easy Street Slider, Fuego, Thunder Gulch, and Wild Mountain.
Tahoe King, Nob Hill, and El Dorado double chairs provide parallel and supplementary access across the front and backside terrain, whilst the Puma triple serves expanded West Bowl zones. Rock Garden and Short Stuff doubles round out the mid-mountain network. The parallel arrangement of Grandview Express and slower Tahoe King offers capacity redundancy on the resort's primary summit access corridor.
The lift fleet prioritises reliability over cutting-edge speed, with most installations dating from the 1980s through 1990s. Limited snowmaking covers approximately 200 acres through four snow cannons, focusing on base area learning terrain and select park zones. Two new TechnoAlpin fan guns added for 2025-26 improve early-season coverage on Easy Rider and Aspen Terrain Park.
14lifts across 4 types
3
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
5
Double Chairs
5
Surface Lifts
Sierra at Tahoe lift system
Sierra at Tahoe is served by 14 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Sierra at Tahoe intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.