Tahoe Ski Resorts Compared: Every Area

Print / Save As PDF

Seventeen ski, Nordic and snow areas around Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Donner Summit, side by side on one page, with figures only where the resort’s own page printed them and a plain label where it did not.

Checked November 2, 2026. Dates, prices and hours change; the official page wins.

17areas covered
6,000acres at Palisades Tahoe, the largest listed
10,067 ftHeavenly, highest elevation listed
25 minMt. Rose from Reno (our estimate)

Aerial tram cabin above the slopes at Palisades Tahoe — Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tahoe Ski Areas Compared

Every figure here was read on the resort’s own page on November 2, 2026. Where an official page printed no figure the cell says not confirmed and the area’s page names who can confirm it. The comparison is facts, not a ranking; resorts measure acres, lifts and snowfall their own ways.

Area	Where	Acres	Vertical	Lifts	Pass affiliation, as the official page states	From Reno
Palisades Tahoe	Olympic Valley, CA	6,000 (3,600 Palisades + 2,400 Alpine)	2,850 ft (Palisades); 1,802 ft (Alpine)	39	Ikon Pass (as the resort’s page links it)	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Alpine Meadows	Olympic Valley, CA	2,400	1,802 ft	13 (official: snowmaking on 9 of 13 lifts)	Ikon Pass, as Palisades Tahoe links it	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Northstar California	Truckee, CA	3,170	Not confirmed	20	Epic Pass family (as the resort page states)	1 hr to 1 hr 15 min est.
Sugar Bowl	Norden, CA (Donner Summit)	1,650	1,500 ft	12	Own passes (no Ikon or Epic on the page read)	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Royal Gorge Cross Country	Soda Springs, CA	6,000 (older page)	n/a (Nordic)	n/a (Nordic)	Royal Gorge pass sold by Sugar Bowl (from $159)	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Boreal Mountain Resort	Soda Springs, CA	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Own Unlimited Pass and Night Pass	1 hr 15 min est.
Soda Springs Mountain Resort	Soda Springs, CA	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Own season pass and The Unlimited Pass	1 hr 15 min est.
Donner Ski Ranch	Norden, CA (Donner Summit)	500+	1,000+ ft	6 chairlifts, 2 carpets	None stated on the page	1 hr 15 min est.
Tahoe Donner Downhill and Cross Country	Truckee, CA	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Association passes	45 min to 1 hr est.
Diamond Peak	Incline Village, NV	655	1,840 ft	6 (+1 surface)	None stated; IVGID pass holder deals	45 to 55 min est.
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe	Washoe County, NV (Mt. Rose Hwy)	1,200+	1,800 ft	7	Own passes; none from Ikon or Epic on the page	25 to 35 min est.
Heavenly	South Lake Tahoe, CA / Stateline, NV	4,800	Not confirmed	28	Epic Pass family (as the resort page states)	1 hr 30 min to 1 hr 45 min est.
Kirkwood	Alpine and Amador counties, CA	2,300	2,000 ft	15	Epic Pass family (as the resort page states)	2 hr to 2 hr 15 min est.
Sierra-at-Tahoe	Twin Bridges, CA (US 50)	2,000	2,212 ft	14	Ikon Pass (“Ikon Pass at Sierra”)	2 hr to 2 hr 30 min est.
Homewood Mountain Resort	West Shore, CA	1,260	1,650 ft	7	None stated on the pages read	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Granlibakken	Tahoe City, CA	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min est.
Spooner Lake and Backcountry	Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, NV	12,000+	n/a (Nordic)	n/a (Nordic)	No pass; day-use fee	45 to 55 min est.

Drive times from Reno are our estimates without live traffic. Palisades Tahoe states 42 miles from Reno itself.

The Four Big Mountains

How We Read Passes

Pass affiliation appears only as each official site states it: Palisades Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe link the Ikon Pass; Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood promote the Epic Pass family; Sugar Bowl, Donner Ski Ranch, Mt. Rose and Diamond Peak show none on the pages we read. Other affiliations are not confirmed, and pass terms change, so read the pass page before you buy.

Season Openings, as Listed

Area	What the official page says	Year printed?
Mt. Rose	Banner: open Friday, Nov 6, Lakeview chair 9 a.m.	No
Northstar and Heavenly	Opening Day Nov 20	No
Sugar Bowl	Target opening Nov 27	No
Diamond Peak	Projected Dec 3, to be determined by conditions	No
Kirkwood	Opening Day 2026/2027 Celebration Dec 4	Yes (event title)
Homewood	No 2026-27 opening date; last season ended Mar 17, 2026	n/a

All openings depend on snow. We read each as 2026 and label that reading unconfirmed.

Nordic and Snow Play

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are at Royal Gorge, Tahoe Donner and Spooner Lake. Tubing is listed at Soda Springs, Donner Ski Ranch and Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Closed and Renamed Areas

Several names changed or ended. See closed and renamed ski areas.

On The Map

17 of the places named above are pinned for Tahoe Ski Resorts Compared. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Confirm

These items were not read on an official page when we checked, so we do not state them as fact. Who can confirm each one is named.

Day lift ticket prices for most areas (each resort’s ticket page).
Whether Homewood operates in 2026-27 (skihomewood.com).
Boreal, Soda Springs and Tahoe Donner stats (each operator).

More to Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Tahoe ski resort is closest to Reno?

By our estimate Mt. Rose, about 25 to 35 minutes in good conditions. Diamond Peak and Spooner Lake follow at about 45 to 55 minutes.

Which ski areas are independent?

Sugar Bowl says it has been independent since 1939 and Donner Ski Ranch says it is family owned and independent. Diamond Peak calls itself community-owned.

Is there a Tahoe ski pass that covers everything?

Not that we can confirm. Affiliations differ by resort; see the pass column.

Sources

Cite this page: It’s Reno editorial team, “Tahoe Ski Resorts Compared,” itsreno.com, checked November 2, 2026.