Sierra-at-Tahoe: ski resort south of Lake Tahoe

The resort

Sierra-at-Tahoe is at 1111 Sierra at Tahoe Road in Twin Bridges, California. Its official site lists 2,000 acres (809 ha) of terrain and a vertical rise of 2,212 ft (674 m), from a base elevation of 6,640 ft (2,024 m) to a summit at 8,852 ft (2,698 m). The 50 trails split into 25% easier, 50% more difficult and 25% most difficult.

The longest run, Sugar n’ Spice, is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) green run from the top of the mountain, off the Grandview Express chairlift. The resort has 14 lifts: three express quad chairs, five double chairs, one triple chair and five surface lifts.

What you will find

The Maps + Stats page names seven terrain parks: Aspen Park, Boardercross, Broadway Park, Progression Park, The Alley, Upper Main Park and Upper Snowshoe Park. Blizzard Mountain has two lift-accessed tubing hills and a designated snow play area. The resort has nine restaurants and bars.

Five gates, the Huckleberry Gates, lead to the Huckleberry Canyon backcountry. The resort describes it as ungroomed, expert-only terrain: the gates open depending on snowpack, and you need to carry an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe and go at your own risk.

Season and hours

The resort’s FAQ gives a typical opening in late November or early December and a closing in mid-April, conditions permitting. In winter, lifts run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and peak days. There is no night skiing.

Getting there and parking

The resort is about 12 miles (19 km) west of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. Reno-Tahoe airport is about 75 miles (121 km) away and Sacramento airport about 98 miles (158 km). The resort presents itself as the closest to Sacramento and the Bay Area, 1.5 hours and 3 hours by car.

For the 2026-2027 season, parking must be reserved on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday periods from December 19, 2026, to April 4, 2027, until noon. Reservations are free for Sierra passholders and for cars with four or more people; everyone else pays US$25 a day. Ikon and Powder Alliance passholders do not get free reservations unless there are four or more people in the car.

A reservation gives access to the parking lots, not a specific space. It can be cancelled or refunded until 8 a.m. on the day, and the resort warns that anyone arriving without a reservation will be turned away. After noon, no reservation is required and parking depends on availability. The Premier Parking lot, at the front of C Lot, is open daily to Premier Parking Pass holders, who also have to reserve on weekends and holiday periods.

Dogs and uphill access

Dogs are not allowed on the ski trails, surface carpets or chairlifts. They are permitted in the parking lots, on a leash and under control when outside vehicles.

Uphill travel (skinning, snowshoeing, hiking, running) is covered by a policy: an uphill ticket or season pass is required, along with a signed release, and dogs are not permitted. Uphill access is not allowed during pre-season mountain preparation, in low-snow conditions, during avalanche mitigation work or during other resort operations.

In winter

On its lift-ticket page, the resort lists the 2026/27 peak dates as November 27–28, 2026; December 19, 2026, to January 3, 2027; January 16–18, 2027; and February 13–21, 2027. It adds that lift operations run on holiday hours during peak periods, starting at 8:30 a.m., conditions permitting. In a news page dated September 17, 2026, the resort announces a series of 80th anniversary activations, including a celebration around its original opening date, December 21. On its snow report page, which showed a timestamp of November 12, 2026, the resort says its opening day for the 2026/27 winter season is still to be determined and that it is monitoring weather and mountain conditions through an upcoming storm.