Sierra-at-Tahoe is a medium-sized ski resort in South Lake Tahoe. It’s not nearly as well-known as other resorts around the lake — like Squaw Valley, Heavenly, and Kirkwood — which would seem to make it a bit of an underdog in our Best in the West Showdown.

On closer inspection, however, the idea may not be so strange.

The Best in the West Tour is different from other projects that have attempted to crown the best ski resort in the USA.

While others look toward giant mega resorts with large villages full of expensive condos and extreme terrain for expert skiers and snowboarders, we have been focusing more on the qualities that appeal to a large and diverse proportion of the skiing and snowboarding population.

Those qualities include value, atmosphere, and terrain that appeals to the average skier or snowboarder. In those categories, medium-sized resorts like Sierra-at-Tahoe are often just as qualified as — and sometimes better qualified than — their big-budget counterparts to take the title of Best in the West.

Here’s why Sierra-at-Tahoe stands out from other resorts in the area.

1. Locals told us that Sierra-at-Tahoe is more family-friendly than the average resort. With four interactive Adventure Zones for children there is a lot of there is a lot of fun to be had for the little ones.
2. The mountain has a very comprehensive terrain park system (check out some photos here) that includes 5 parks, that gradually increase in size so that aspiring freeskiers and snowboarders have all the tools they need to progress without having to take big risks. A rare year-round boardercross course and Top Ten Superpipe also add to the appeal of this hill.
3. Sierra-at-Tahoe makes skiing and snowboarding very affordable with inexpensive season’s passes ($379 for an adult) and day pass 3-packs that work out to $55/day for visitors.

An annual snowfall of 480 inches places Sierra-at-Tahoe among the top 20-30% of hills in the country for snowfall. And, although big-mountain terrain isn’t the primary feature of this resort, it definitely holds its own with the steeps, cliffs, and chutes accessed by the Huckleberry Gates.

What do you think? How important is having a ton of big-mountain terrain compared to having a large proportion of sculpted and clearly-marked terrain that enables beginner and intermediate snow sport lovers to improve their skills easily, safely, and efficiently?

Make your voice heard!

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

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We’ve been 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 Sierra-at-Tahoe 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. 

Sierra-at-Tahoe 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 Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Download a full-sized version of this map to your desktop or phone (8.4 mb)

For the Hardcore:

If you’re looking for the steeps and trees you’re going to spend most of your day on the Grandview Chair. Preacher’s Passion, Castle, and Preacher’s Street — as well as the surrounding trees — are all excellent runs. For serious big-mountain sidecountry action, grab a friend and head for the Huckleberry Gates. You won’t be disappointed.

For the park rats:

With five parks, one snowboard cross course, and a superpipe, Sierra-at-Tahoe has way more features than can be listed here. The biggest features are built in different parks at different times, so if you’re looking to go big you’ll have to ask when you get there, but at the time of writing the The Alley (accessed by the Short Stuff Chair) had two monster kickers — one of which was around 50 feet.  Smokey Boardercross — one of the few full-time snowboard cross courses in the country — is also worth checking out. It can be reached from both the Grandview Express Chair and Eldorado Chair.

For the groomer cruisers:

If you’re looking for good groomers you’ll find plenty at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Several can be accessed from the Grandview Chair, but the best place to be is in the West Bowl off the West Bowl Express Chair where the sun hits early and softens things up nicely.

For the snowplowers:

Sierra-at-Tahoe is very family friendly and has ample terrain for beginners, including Easy Street — 11 acres of terrain customized specifically for beginners — which is accessed by the Broadway Chair.

Beginners who’d like to try something a little longer should definitely check out Sugar n’ Spice off the Grandview Express Chair, which is 2+ miles of easy cruising.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Micro Guide Part II: Where to Eat

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

 Sprouts Cafe

All fresh and natural vegetarian. Super healthy.

3123 Harrison Ave South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150‎

(530) 541-6969

View a Map

Artemis Mediterranean Grill

Reasonably priced delicious Mediterranean fare popular with locals.

2229 Lake Tahoe Blvd Suite A, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 542-2500

View a Map

Paseretties 

A classic Italian bistro and 30-year staple of the South Lake Tahoe dining scene.

1181 Emerald Bay Rd., South Lake Tahoe, Ca 96150

(530) 541-3433

View a Map

Freshies

A local surf-style restaurant with a focus on fresh, organic food, micro brews, and fine wines.

3330 Lake Tahoe Blvd  South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 542-3630

View a Map

The Divided Sky

Good food and a great beer selection in this local Meyers watering hole, between Sierra-at-Tahoe and the city of South Lake Tahoe.

3200 U.S. Route 50 in California, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

(530) 577-0775

View a Map

Sierra-at-Tahoe Micro Guide Part III: What to do Off the Hill

Sierra-at-Tahoe is a great area for alternative outdoors activities with both snowshoeing and snow tubing at the hill. There’s also excellent cross country skiing in the area.

A little further afield in South Lake Tahoe there are all manner of diversions, such as bowling, shopping, gambling, and shows at the casinos.

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We got a few pictures of each during our trip.

Special thanks to Bryon of Exploring Elements for contributing some of his photos to this photoessay.

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After Sugar Bowl we packed up and headed over to Sierra-at-Tahoe. I’d never heard of the resort, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Sierra-at-Tahoe is the South Lake Tahoe locals’ resort. It’s the place where most of the average working people from town will buy their lift ticket, so that’s who we met on the mountain. A lot of them told us that they like the chill vibe and the family-friendly atmosphere.

Strangely, the forgot to mention the epic tree skiing (thanks to selective logging during the 1900’s), the amazing terrain park system (I’ve never seen one so well-planned and extensive), and the views of Lake Tahoe from the top of the mountain.

Those things all warrant a mention as well.

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