USA Today voted Palisades Tahoe 2016’s Best Ski Resort in North America, this was when it was still known as Squaw Valley – and when you look at the sheer amount you can ski and snowboard here, not to mention the off-slope offerings, it’s easy to see why.
It all came about when a man named Alex Cushing broke his ankle at nearby Sugar Bowl and, resting up while his friends skied, overheard talk about the awesome terrain of Squaw… Having gone to see its potential for himself, he raised the funds and returned within 3 years to open the resort in 1949. Hosting the 1960 Olympic games hurtled the resort onto the world stage, where it’s remained as one of the finest resorts on the planet.
The birth of Alpine Meadows soon followed, after a group of San Franciscans discovered it while skiing in Palisades Tahoe. They gathered enough money to create the resort and opened it in 1961. The two resorts operated separately until they joined forces in 2011 – the main lift pass covers both. It’s about a 15 min drive between the two and a free shuttle runs every half an hour or so.
The resorts can be found in North Lake Tahoe, on the border of California and Nevada in the Sierra Mountains. Reno Tahoe International is the closest airport with international and domestic flights. From here it’s a 45-minute drive to the ski area.
In 2021 the was a move to rename the then Squaw Valley, as "Squaw" was considered offensive to Native Americans. The rename included the change of any landmarks and roads that had the word Squaw, eg the Squaw Valley Road was renamed to Olympic Valley Road in 2022.
The nearest airport to Palisades Tahoe is Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO) at 49 miles km or about 1 hour by car.
The nearest ski resorts to Palisades Tahoe include Lake Tahoe, Heavenly.
The Olympic House gets its name from the 1960 Olympics where, for the first time, all the athletes were housed in one location. Today, the Olympic House is the main thoroughfare for Palisades Tahoe's guests, with restaurants, shops, and a variety of facilities.
Shopping opportunities have expanded dramatically in recent years with the opening of Palisades Tahoe's new resort base Village.
With the slopes usually opening in November, Christmas in Palisades Tahoe is almost always a white one.
Previous years have seen fireworks. music and torchlit parades over the New Year in Palisades Tahoe, as well as events like the Squaw Valley Prom.
There’s so much for families here to make for a wonderful Half Term in Palisades Tahoe.
A service at High Camp with breakfast and music usually get Easter in Palisades Tahoe off to a festive start, with egg hunts around both resorts for little ones.
Average snow depths in Palisades Tahoe are 200cm to 214cm in January, 194cm to 215cm in February, 280cm to 323cm in March and 307cm to 364cm in April. Read our detailed Palisades Tahoe snow history for more details.
Today in Palisades Tahoe the average snow depth is N/A, with N/A at the base of the mountain around 1980m altitude, and N/A at the top of the slopes, around 2756m above sea level. There is 0cm recent snowfall and 0cm predicted today. Here's the full Palisades Tahoe snow report.
Palisades Tahoe snow report is updated every 4 hours during the winter ski season
There is in Palisades Tahoe currently forecast approximately 0cm of new snow expected over the coming week. We also have a detailed Palisades Tahoe snow forecast.
Maximum and minimum adult Palisades Tahoe lift pass prices ranged from $365 to $389 for 6 days access to the Palisades Tahoe ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Palisades Tahoe holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.
PassLift Tickets | Child | Adult | Senior |
---|---|---|---|
1 Day | N / A | N / A | N / A |
6 Day | $60 - $60 | $365 - $389 | $286 - $298 |
AgesAge Range | 0 - 12 | 19 - 64 | 65+ |
Most of our ski holidays to Palisades Tahoe packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Palisades Tahoe from nearby airports
Flights from London take about 9 hours to Denver, Jackson Hole etc.. This table shows approximate transfer times to Palisades Tahoe from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.
Airport | Distance | Transfer Time |
---|---|---|
Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO) | 49 miles km | 1 hour |
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | 207 miles km | 3.5 hours |
The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Palisades Tahoe transfers.
Station | Distance | Transfer Time |
---|---|---|
Truckee | 11 km | 11 minutes |
Need help choose your Palisades Tahoe ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!