Heavenly certainly has a lot going for it. At 4800 acres, it’s one of the biggest ski resorts in the United States. It also stands above two unique landscapes — Lake Tahoe and the Nevada desert — which makes for beautiful views unlike those found anywhere else. Heavenly is a Vail Resorts property, and as such the mountain has photographers stationed strategically at particularly beautiful spots to take visitors’ photos, which are then sent to them via the Epic Mix app.

Do those qualities make Heavenly the best ski resort in the United States? 

Beyond the slopes, visitors to Heavenly also reap the benefits of staying in South Lake Tahoe, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States, where one can gamble in the casinos, dine in 5-star restaurants, and party until dawn in the Nevada nightclubs.

For all of the reasons that I mentioned above, Heavenly provides it’s visitors with a ski vacation experience that can’t be had anywhere else.

Personally, I can only see three drawbacks to visiting Heavenly.

First, while the experience at Heavenly is unlike any other, you do have to pay for it. Heavenly’s lift tickets are among the priciest in the country. And, as a busy tourist destination, accommodations in South Lake Tahoe are also more expensive than those that can be found near smaller and more out-of-the-way resorts. This makes Heavenly a bit of a tough destination for ski vacationers trying to get by on a small budget.

Second, with an average annual snowfall of 360 inches, Heavenly certainly has it’s share of powder days. It’s not, however, a powderhound’s dream, like Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, and Sugar Bowl, all of which often receive 500 inches in a season.

The last drawback is more of a personal preference than a deficiency of the resort. Heavenly is a huge, corporate-owned resort. This isn’t a problem for many people. I, however, find that I prefer the character and small-townish warmth of smaller resorts. But, that’s just me. I’m a small town kind of guy.

Heavenly has several qualities that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. There’s a massive amount of terrain, you can basically ski right into a casino and hit the tables without taking off your boots, and, in the words of longtime local Mike Frye, “the views definitely don’t suck.”

On the other hand, it’s pricey and doesn’t get as much powder as some other notable ski areas.

What do you think? Could Heavenly be the best ski resort in the USA.

What do you think? Could Heavenly be the best ski resort in the USA?

Vote for your favourite ski area now!

The post Is Heavenly the Best Ski Resort in the USA? appeared first on XpatMatt.

We’re traveling to ski resorts in the western U.S. trying to decipher which will provide the best vacation experience for skiers and snowboarders like you. We spent a few days at Heavenly interviewing locals, shooting local skiers and boarders tearing up the hill, and then compiling what we learned into this micro guide.

The video above contains lots of useful information, but, if you want to carry have this information on the hill where it will really come in handy, bookmark this guide on your phone.

Heavenly Micro Guide Part 1: The Hill

Whenever I show up at a hill, I never know where to go. The map doesn’t tell you enough. So, we’re created annotated maps of each hill explaining the terrain, so that you know where to go. Here’s our annotated map of Heavenly.

Download a full-sized version of this map to your desktop or phone (11.1 mb)

For the hardcore:

On the Nevada side of Heavenly, thrill-seekers traverse left from the top of the Dipper Chair to numerous double-black diamond runs and pitches over 40 degrees.

Mogul lovers absolutely must try  Gunbarrel. With moguls the size of Volkswagons, the run is home to Glen Plake’s (in)famous Gunbarrel 50, which is a race to see who can do the run fifty times consecutively the fastest. Riders who don’t care for the bumps will enjoy the well-spaced trees that flank the run.

For the park rats:

Park lovers will want to set up camp at the Sky Deck Lodge on the California side of the mountain. From there you can take the Sky Express or Canyon Express to access the High Roller Park (large features) and the Player’s Park (medium features).

For the groomer cruisers:

The Olympic Chair is intermediate heaven. It’s 3 -5 miles of cruising with lots of widely spaced trees along the sides.

Comet, Orion, and Dipper, are all also great chairs with intermediate terrain and lake views.

For the snowplowers:

The Boulder Chair is an excellent place to learn. The chairs move slowly. There’s lots of gentle, rolling terrain as well as a very nice lodge and a rental shop that caters to the needs of beginners.

Heavenly Micro Guide Part II: Where to Eat

The following restaurants came highly recommended by the locals we spoke to:

Sushi Pier Tahoe

A pleasant family-owned sushi joint with all-you-can-eat seven days a week.

177 Lake Tahoe Blvd  Stateline, NV 89449

(775) 588-8588

View a Map

Off the Hook Sushi

Another great casual sushi spot popular with locals.

2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd  South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 544-5599

View a Map

Riva Grill

A large upscale eatery with a lake view that can’t be beat.

900 Ski Run Blvd  South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 542-2600

View a Map

Fire + Ice Grill+ Bar

Cold drinks, hot food, and tables around large outdoor fireplaces make for a unique dining experience just steps from the base  of the Heavenly gondola.

4100 Lake Tahoe Blvd  South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 542-6650

View a Map

Heavenly Micro Guide Part III: What to do Off the Hill

Even without Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe is a destination unto itself. South Lake Tahoe has world class dining, shopping, and plenty of bars if you’re looking to party. There are casinos if you want to get your gamble on. There’s also plenty of hiking, snowshoeing, and even winter kayaking on the lake (if you’re brave enough!).

The post Heavenly Micro Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

So, I despite time constrictions, and thanks to Mike, my snowboard did make contact with a very large portion of that mountain.

This is what it looked like.

Special thanks to Bryon of Exploring Elements for contributing some of his photos to this post. If these pics aren’t enough for you, then you should check out his photos from Heavenly.

The post Heavenly Eye Candy appeared first on XpatMatt.

Heavenly is one of the best-known ski and snowboard destinations in the United States, and for good reason. With Lake Tahoe sprawling below the California side of the gargantuan resort, and the Nevada desert below the other, Heavenly has some of the most beautiful and unique scenery of any resort in the country.

At 4800 acres, this behemoth resort offers something for everybody on the slopes and, with a gondola that drops visitors in the heart of South Lake Tahoe‘s shopping, dining, and gambling, there’s also something for everyone off the slopes.

Here’s what locals and visitors at Heavenly told us they thought of the resort.

What do you think? Could Heavenly be the best resort in the USA?

Make your voice heard!

Vote for your favourite hill in the Best in the West Showdown

The post Sh*t People Say About Heavenly appeared first on XpatMatt.