First Timer Guide for Ikon Passholders

You fully committed. You’ve got your Ikon Pass in your jacket pocket and you’re making the trek to Palisades Tahoe for the first time. Nice one! Palisades Tahoe is unique in that it offers a dual mountain experience at one legendary resort. Next season, our two base areas will officially be connected by a gondola making us the largest resort in the United States.

While you may know us by our former name, we have stepped into a new generation, where our iconic terrain, people and legend continues to live on. We are very proud of our resort’s new name and we welcome you with open arms to take part, and write your own next chapter.

To make the most of your first trip, we wanted to bestow some wisdom so you can feel like a local before you even arrive. Let’s do this!

The Palisades Vibe

The energy and vibrancy of these iconic peaks are palpable on any given day. It can feel like everyone around you, including the 8-year-old that just jumped off a cliff, is really, really good. And they are. This mountain has raised some of the most legendary skiers and riders of our time and it is because of the unique terrain and this unspeakable pull that pushes us all to step up to our personal best. This storied terrain is viewable from pretty much every chairlift — creating a “stage” for nonstop action. You may not be ready to huck off the Fingers (a cliff band under the famous KT-22 Express), but you’ll still feel a part of the action, cheering skiers and riders on from the chairlift. The terrain longingly asks you to keep pushing. As soon as you’ve conquered one piece of terrain, there will be a similar trail that ups the ante a little more, so you constantly feel like you’re progressing. And never, ever bored. The mountain has an energy and vibe that is hard to put into words. It is something that has to just be felt. It’s fast-paced and it’s all high-energy stoke. If you’re wanting to conquer your fears and up your game, this is the place to be.

By the numbers:

29 lifts

170+ trails

3,600 skiable acres

25% Beginner

45% Intermediate

30% Advanced

The Alpine Vibe

The laid back California vibe that you might have seen characterized on TV is very much alive and well at Alpine. If Alpine was a band, they’d be the Beach Boys. Everyone is stoked to be here and it’s all about the mountain experience. You’ll probably get chatted up on the lift and you’ll probably find pow stashes well after a storm. Everything at Alpine moves a bit slower. It’s a no-frill, classic experience with a cozy main lodge that serves chicken tenders and fries (among other tasty dishes, we might add) and it’s truly awesome. Don’t let the slow pace and niceness fool you. Alpine has it’s fair share of steeps, chutes and wide-open bowls too. Some of which might not even get skied on any given day. When you just want to be immersed in the mountains, enjoying expansive views of Lake Tahoe and be…present — Alpine is the place for you.

By the numbers:

13 lifts

100+ trails

2,400 skiable acres

25% Beginner

40% Intermediate

35% Advanced

Weather, Seasons & What to Pack

Weather

We’re situated in Northern California and we’re very lucky to see 300+ days of sunshine. And with that sunshine, we also get big snowfall too. Our average annual snowfall is 400” — that’s 33 FEET! Check out out our average weather throughout the winter to help determine when you’d want to visit:

| Average Snowfall | Average Climate Highs | Average Climate Lows
November | 38″ | 47 | 24
December | 97.5″ | 40 | 20
January | 73.5″ | 36 | 16
February | 68.5″ | 39 | 18
March | 80.5″ | 44 | 21
April | 53″ | 50 | 26
May | 8″ | 60 | 32

Winter Season

If you’re visiting during winter, the best months to visit tend to be January-March. Temps rarely drop below the teens, so you’ll never quite need the hand warmers and puffy jackets like you typically need back East or in Colorado. When it’s not dumping 2 feet at a time, you’ll have beautiful, mild temps in the winter. The sky is as blue as they come and it’s generally cloudless. It’s quite surreal.

Spring Season

We’re known as the Spring Skiing Capital, and it’s for good reason. With an average 400” of snow, we’re set up for skiing well into May. While most resorts in the west, and in Tahoe, shut down in April, we’re typically skiing well into May. Spring in Tahoe is the best. For those that love nonstop action, you can ski in the morning, bike in the afternoon and BBQ at a beach along the shores of Lake Tahoe. Yes, that can all happen in the same day.

Items to Pack

Sunscreen! Remember when we said 300+ days of sunshine? No matter if it’s winter or spring, the sun will likely be out during your visit.

Light gore-tex jacket to protect against high alpine wind

Lots of base layers. It doesn’t get too cold here, but it’s always smart to layer up and shed when the temperatures fluctuate.

Sunglasses. Bring them for the après on one of our 13 sundecks around the resort.

Baseball hat and/or beanie. Headwear is essential to hiding that helmet hair at the end of day. Pack the beanie for cold, winter days and the baseball hat to shield the California sunshine from grazing your face.

Reusable water bottle. We have refill water stations across the resort so you’ll never be parched. Remember, you’re at elevation and it’s important to stay hydrated!

How to Get Here

By Air

We’ve got 27+ non-stop flight options into Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and with a quick 45 min drive on highway 80 West, you can even ski on the same day as your arrival. Check the flight schedule here. The North Lake Tahoe Express will get you the North Lake Tahoe region and can easily be booked online. If you’re renting a car, make sure you’re getting a vehicle that has 4WD or check the weather before committing.

By Car

With GPS built into our phones, it’s best to drop in our address and hit the road. We’re located off of CA-89, easily accessed by I-80. Check road conditions and weather before making your way here for chain controls, closures, conditions, etc. Here are the best resources:

Check the weather

Check the NV (NDOT) Road Conditions

Check the CA (CalTrans) Road Conditions

Navigating two base areas & parking

We’ve got two base areas that offer up a different experience at each:

The Village at Palisades Tahoe base offers a classic ski village experience. For those looking for more amenities, shopping and wanting the California après experience, you should consider starting your day here. Parking here looks like:

4,200 free, general parking spaces on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For vehicles with 3+ passengers, a free carpool lot with 800 first-come, first-serve premium parking spots is available.

The Alpine Base Area is a great option for those looking for a ski lodge experience. The Main Lodge has plenty of seating to put your boots on and is a great place to break for hot chocolate. Alpine has a slower pace and is a great option for families with one centralized base area. Parking here looks like:

1,825 free, general parking spaces on a first-come, first-serve basis

Option to guarantee a premiere parking spot at Alpine on weekends & holidays. Book your spot ahead of time for $40.

Overflow parking is available in the Hidden Valley lot on 89 and in the Deer Park lot off of Alpine Meadows Rd. On days when these lots are in use, Shuttles are available to bring guests between the Alpine Lodge and their vehicles. Pro tip: check the Parking Status section of the Palisades Tahoe mobile app to see in real-time which lots have availability on busy holidays & weekends.

Generally, if you park at one base area, you typically stay at that side for the day. We do have the Palisades Tahoe shuttle, which allows you to ski both mountains in the same day or you can hop on Mountaineer. Until the Gondola goes in next season, you’ll likely stay at that one mountain and explore the other side the next day.

Navigating the Mountains

Half the fun of skiing a new resort is getting out and exploring, but sometimes you need a little bit of guidance, right? Download the Palisades Tahoe mobile app to get real-time updates on lift & trail status as well as an interactive trail map, plus the option to find your friends on the mountain. No more phone tag and “where are you?!” texts. Easily find your friends and track your vertical so you can humble brag over a beer at après.

While we’d love to give you the perfect conditions of the mountain every day, but the other half of skiing a new resort is finding the terrain that suits your style and ability level. And we have a variety of all types of terrain. Like, 6,000 acres of it. At Palisades Tahoe, we tend to talk about terrain zones by lift. Get to know a few of the legendary lifts that define Palisades Tahoe and decide which ones you’d like to explore.

Expert Classic

If you’re an expert skier, you’ve got to check out KT-22. Known as the Mothership, KT boasts 2,000 vert of the best steeps, chutes and bumps that some of the best skiers and riders have touted as the best resort skiing in North America. Many locals are happy to do KT laps all day, any day.

Groomed Cruisers

Alpine has the best long, sustained groomers at the entire resort. Head up Summit for a wide open cruiser just skiers right of the peak. Don’t forget to snap a picture of Lake Tahoe from the top.

Tree Skiing

Lover of tree skiing? Us too. Some of the best tree skiing can be found off Scott. While you need to take a lift from the base area of Alpine to get here, this triple chair delivers the goods well after a powder day. And on spring days, Scott Chute right under the lift offers up incredible spring skiing.

Bowl Skiing

A lot of Palisades Tahoe terrain is in a high alpine environment which means few trees up high and that’s good news for skiers and riders. Because it makes for some incredible, classic open bowl skiing. Siberia truly offers something for everyone in the intermediate and expert category. With wide open bowls that are groomed and ungroomed, you wouldn’t be able to ski the same line in a day. Siberia is also home to our namesake: the infamous Palisades. Expert skiers can take the 20 min hike to the top and pick their line.

Beginner Area

Not many resorts can say they have their beginner slopes on top of the mountain. At Palisades Tahoe, if you’re just starting out on your ski & ride journey, you’ll want to head up to High Camp via the scenic Aerial Tram. Here at 8,200’, you’ll find gentle slopes and wide-open trails. Not only that, you’ll have incredible views of Lake Tahoe the entire time.

Your Very Own Mountain Guide

For those looking to be lead by a pro, we do have The North Face Mountain Guides that will take you to the secret stashes and best terrain of the day. The best part? You can bring along 4 other buddies (5 people total) to make it cost-effective. You’ll also get hooked up with one Tekno Hoodie (for women) or Fortpoint Flannel (for men) or item of similar value from The North Face for each participant.

Where to Eat & Après

We have tons of options to grab a bite and it really depends on where you’re skiing. Here are a few favorites at each base area:

Alpine

Quick Bite: Meadows Cafe: all new food court marketplace so everyone is happy and fed quickly.

On Mountain Experience: The Chalet is an on-mountain Bavarian style beer garden & restaurant that is perfect for a lunch break. With hot, melted raclette and cold beer served in a boot, you’ll feel like you’re in Europe.

Sit Down: Last Chair Restaurant is a new spot in the Main Lodge and serves up fresh salads and hot, made to order sandwiches. Grab a beer from Last Chair to complete the meal.

Special Treat: Treats! Gourmet dessert treats and chocolate chip cookies. This has been a staple at Alpine for years and years. Need we say more?

Après: Last Chair Bar. Just like its name, it’s the place to be after your last chair. Serving up tasty après bites, draft beer and cocktails, you’ll find plenty of locals ponied up at this bar until last call.

Village at Palisades Tahoe

Quick Bite: Sun Bowl Acai & Poke is the newest spot in the Village. Find island inspired poke bowls, acai bowls and yummy raw food items here. Grab a quick bite and head back out the mountain!

On Mountain Experience: Dine at 8,200 when you get lunch at Granite Bistro. With killer midweek specials, you’ll enjoy fine dining at a great price point.

Sit Down: California and Mexican food are like PB&J, so you have to indulge. You’ll find authentic Mexican dishes at Tremigo in the Village. The street taco board is perfect for sharing…or not.

Special Treat: Wildflour has the best chocolate chip cookie you will ever have. EVER. Trust us and go here.

Après: Le Chamois is the classic après bar. On sunny days, which is pretty much every day in California (when it’s not dumping), the outside bar is open and hopping. Budweiser is the beer of choice and wine is served in a cup. It’s a no frills, legendary ski bar. It’s definitely the place to be at 3pm.

Quick Links to Other Helpful Resources

Webcams

Snow Report

Events Calendar

2021-22 Ikon Pass Perks

Ikon Pass Thursdays