Heavenly Mountain Resort California Lodge

Ratings & Reviews

Overall Rating7.7/10
Snow Quality8/10
Snow Resiliency/10
Resort Size10/10
Terrain Diversity8/10
Challenge Level7/10
Lift System7/10
Crowd Management5/10
Facilities9/10
Navigation7/10
Mountain Aesthetics10/10

Operating Hours

Season Dates

Mid/Late November to Late April

Weekday Hours

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Weekend Hours

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Heavenly Mountain Resort California Lodge
CA, USA
10067 ft peak (3068m)
251 in avg snowfall (638cm)
3812 ft vertical drop (1162m)
30 lifts
4800 acres (1943 hectares)

Local Tips

As the creator of this website, this is my home resort, I was born in SLT and spent lots of time at the shops at the base of the Gondola, Driftwood Cafe is worth a visit. Hit up the movies or the ice rink, grab some Pizza on the way back to the hotel at blue dog. For the resort itself, get ready for crowds, try to get up high as fast as you can, Milky Way Bowl offers some open space and less crowds if you're more skilled. Lots of cat tracks above California lodge. Mountain is huge so if you're not having fun, take some lifts to the other side, or start on the opposite side the next day.

Overview

Snow falls differently at Heavenly. It comes in thick and heavy off the Pacific, 360 inches of Sierra powder that blankets these mountains rising above Lake Tahoe. The resort stands proud at 10,067 feet, a giant among giants, with a vertical drop that makes your legs burn - 3,812 feet of pure mountain challenge. The crowds come here, they always do. You'll see them streaming from the 30 lifts that can move 52,000 souls per hour up the mountain. But the mountain is vast - 4,800 acres vast - and there are always stashes of untouched snow if you know where to look. Vail Resorts runs this place, and it shows in the polished operation, for better or worse. The cat tracks are a snowboarder's curse here. They cut across the mountain like long, flat serpents, testing your speed and your patience. You'll find yourself unstrapping more than you'd like, walking through the flat sections while skiers pole past with knowing smiles. But then you reach the edge of one of those 97 trails, and you forget all about the traverse. Because there, right there, is the view that makes it all worth it. Lake Tahoe spreads out below you like liquid sapphire, so blue it hurts your eyes. The Nevada desert stretches east, while the Sierra Nevada marches north and south, peaks sharp against the sky. On a clear day, you can see forever, and even the most jaded rider has to stop and stare. When the storms align and the snow gods smile, the riding here is pure magic. The trees hold powder stashes days after a storm. The bowls offer clean, untracked lines if you're willing to hike for them. Two terrain parks keep the freestyle crowd busy, though this mountain has always been more about the natural terrain than man-made features. They make snow here when they need to, but it's the natural stuff you want - the kind that falls so thick you can barely see the chair in front of you on the lift. The kind that builds up in the corners of the mountain where nobody else thinks to look. Yes, you'll battle crowds at the lifts. Yes, you'll curse those cat tracks as you unbuckle yet again. But then you'll drop into a run with that impossible view of Tahoe filling your vision, fresh snow under your board, and you'll understand why people have been coming here since before you were born, and why they'll keep coming long after you're gone. This is Heavenly - frustrating, beautiful, crowded, spectacular Heavenly - and there's nowhere quite like it in all the Sierra.

History

Straddling the California Nevada border, Heavenly is an iconic gem shining over South Lake Tahoe

Getting There

1+ hour from Reno airport. Quick walk to the Gondola from downtown South Lake Tahoe near Stateline, or drive to California side base camp from town.

Accommodations

Many Hotels at the base of the Heavenly Gondola, and near California lodge, plenty of Hotels and AirBnB's in South Lake Tahoe as well.

Activities

Scenic gondola rides, Movies, Ice Skating, Tubing, and Snowboarding, obviously.