Heavenly

Closed
Ron Thompson
SnowPak Local Insider
Ron Thompson
Pros
  • Fun party atmosphere at base
  • Spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and the desert
  • Tons of lodging options keep prices competitive
Cons
  • Crowds can be a problem here

Overall

4.1

One of the best ski resorts in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly is not only known for it's skiing but also it's partying. Split across the California and Nevada state line, the resort is 5th largest in North America and has the longest vertical drop in California. The tree-skiing is phenomenal as is the nightlife, entertainment as well as the gambling at the casinos sitting at the base.

Best month to go

January to March

Janurary to March are the best months to visit as Heavenly gets extremely busy with tons of holiday goers coming in December and around the Easter Weekend.

FLY TO

Reno-Tahoe International Airport

DRIVE/TAXI TO

Heavenly Mountain Resort (1 hour 10 minutes)

Stateline (1-2 mi)

  • Has Casino's near Gondola or private homes a short drive away
  • Has the cheapest accommodation
  • Close to various restaurants, shops and activities

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South Lake Tahoe (1-3 mi)

  • Wide range of affordable and luxury lodging
  • Close to Heavenly Village
  • Close to various restaurants, stores and activities

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California Base area (Walk)

  • A range of condos and private homes
  • Expensive lodging but better for large groups
  • Far from dining, shopping and activities

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Stagecoach Base Area (Walk)

  • Has a lot of condos and timeshares that are almost ski-in/ski-out
  • Far from restaurants, shopping and activities
  • Range of accommodation including Airbnb's

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For beginners

There is limited beginner terrain at Heavenly with only a few mellow trails and practicing areas around. Our pick for new skiers and snowboarders is around Boulder Lodge where you can easily hop on the Boulder lift and wind down Boulder Bowl. It's a nice wide green trail that's great for practicing turns!

For intermediates

Heavenly is a heaven for intermediates with blue trails at almost every lift! For a fun winding run with an amazing view of Lake Tahoe, check out our favorite, Liz's, which starts at 9,846 ft! Big Dipper and Skyline are sure to impress as well.

For experts

Heavenly is a place to be for advanced skiers and snowboarders! Ellie's is the best black-diamond groomer! North Bowl is even better when it is groomed too but no advanced skier and snowboarder would want to miss out on double black-diamond runs, Killebrew Canyon and Mott Canyon!

Find freshies

Freshies are everywhere after a storm (especially between the trees!) and with so much terrain to explore at Heavenly, you're bound to ski some untouched powder!

Ditch the crowds

Sky Express and Dipper Express are the busiest chairlifts since they serve some of the best terrain on the mountain. Opt for other chairlifts if you aren't a fan of queues.

Non skiers

Non-skiers can try out snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing here at Heavenly.

Families

Tamarack Express is the most popular chairlift for families to be around with the Tubing Hill close-by at the base of the chairlift.

Save up to 39% when you book a Heavenly package!

View Heavenly packages

Heavenly Reviews

Fabulous 4.4 / 5
based on 125 reviews

How well the resort caters for beginner skiers / boarders

Beginners

How well the resort caters for intermediate skiers / boarders?

Intermediates

How well the resort caters for advanced skiers / boarders

Advanced

How accessible and convenient it is to get to this resort from a major destination

Accessibility

Quality of the off-piste terrain

Side/Backcountry

Overall value for money of the resort

Value for money

Quality of lifts, lift speed and lift layout in the resort

Lifts

Quantity and quality of the snow

Snow

How uncrowded is the resort

Uncrowded

Après ski and dining options

Town

Services and facilities e.g. child care, tubing, health care, equipment hire

Facilities

How family friendly is this resort?

Family Friendliness
Very Good!4.1 / 5Nov 07, 2017
TBTim B.
advanced skier
Always had great skiing at Heavenly. Lots and lots of terrain of all levels to ski or ride and incredible scenery. Came in from Pennylvania to ski there last March and had bluebird days with great powder. People I met while skiing were always friendly, While all the ski areas around Tahoe are superb, Heavenly has it all. ... More
Fabulous!4.2 / 5Nov 07, 2017
JOJames O.
advanced skier
Heavenly is one of my favorite resorts in Tahoe! Super accessible from South Lake Tahoe. I love skiing on the Nevada side. The California side is good too, but can get crowded, especially when the weather is bad and the link between the sides is closed. Great snow and great runs!... More
Very Good!4.2 / 5Nov 07, 2017
SFSean F.
advanced snowboarder
Awesome resort and facilities. Ski in ski out was fantastic. Large resort with tons of runs good for beginner/intermediate. Not too many advanced runs and does not have a terrain park. Can get pretty crowded at times but a great place for family... More
Average!3.2 / 5Nov 07, 2017
JSJason S.
advanced skier
Heavenely was, we'll, heavenly. So much fun I'm not even sure this was the mountain we skied. I think there might have been some Apres involved. Actually, I'm pretty sure there was...... More
Average!3 / 5Nov 06, 2017
ESEugene S.
expert snowboarder
too many cat tracks to connect from ca to nv very crowded even with all the lifts running food was expensive and not many place to sit even when we wanted to eat... More
Superb!4.9 / 5Nov 06, 2017
SBSamantha B.
intermediate snowboarder
Heavenly was an incredible first snowboard trip. The lessons were without judgement and gave me so much confidence to advance on my own and join my advanced friends and have the best week ever ... More
Fabulous!4.2 / 5Nov 06, 2017
DHDavid H.
advanced skier
I've skied all over NA & Heavenly keeps coming up on my fav list because of it's broad appeal. Yes there are larger resorts, more upscale resorts, and more extreme resorts, But Heavenly seems to have found a perfect middle-ground/blend.... More
Very Good!4 / 5Nov 06, 2017
JDJeffrey D.
intermediate snowboarder
One of the biggest and best resorts in the world I find the view to be breathtaking and I go every year only drawback is it is very expensive there are casinos on site which offer a lot of free comped rooms which is another added benefit... More
Very Good!4.1 / 5Nov 05, 2017
AHAaron H.
intermediate null
Fun resort, i just moved to town used to the Colorado mountains on the Epic all the time,but Heavenly is great. Definitely heavier snow and last season a lot of the mountain was often closed due to weather, which I guess... saftey is good but kinda lame not being able to get to a lot of the mountain on the big powder days. ... More
Good!3.9 / 5Nov 05, 2017
PGPhuc G.
intermediate snowboarder
Great resort. It has an amazing view of Lake Tahoe. It can definitely be very crowded at times, especially the popular lifts. You also get to ski in both the Nevada and California side, which is pretty exciting. ... More