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Ski Resort Alpine Meadows in the California Deserts: Position on map

Alpine Meadows Ski Resort

Truckee, Tahoe City

Trail Map Alpine Meadows

The Ski Resort

Alpine Meadows guarantees fun for the entire family.
Alpine Meadows guarantees fun for the entire family. © Alpine Meadows

Situated between Truckee and Tahoe City, you'll find this ski resort that is equally perfect for families and back-country skiers. It merged with the well-known ski resort Squaw Valley in 2011. You'll find beginner zones as well as wide-open bowls for adventurous skiers and riders, and challenges for really every ability level.

More than 100 trails spread across a skiable terrain of 2,400 acres, so you certainly won't get bored. Beginners can call 25 percent of all trails their own, while intermediates will appreciate that 40 percent of the runs are designated for them. This leaves 35 percent expert skiing runs and a blast for everyone looking for a thrill! With an average snowfall of 450 inches per season you can almost be sure to have powdery snow welcoming you on every ski day.

Starting from the base area that has an elevation of 6,835 feet, you can take the Subway Chair which gives you access to the Subway beginner area, or Meadow Chair to hit the Meadow beginner area. Every other lift in the resort only caters to intermediates and experts needs. One option is the Hot Wheels Chair which brings you higher than mid-mountain. From here you can ski blues and one black and when you're halfway down you can grab Scott Chair which gives you a ride to the Scott's Peak at an altitude of 8,289 feet.

As soon as you've made this trip you will have tons of tree skiing at your disposal. Black runs like Gentian Gully and Lower 40 Face will bring you back to the base and you can pick up quite a few challenges along the way.

Lifts that also give you a convenient ride up from the base are Roundhouse Express, Summit 6 Express and Kangaroo Chair. The Tiegel Poma lift also starts from the base but only services the terrain park. All of these lifts feature blues and blacks only. The name of the Alpine Bowl Chair speaks for itself. It whisks you up the mountain to all the bowls and steeps.

Alpine Meadow features three terrain parks. Tigel Terrain Park even has its own conveyor belt lift. This one is great for those who are new in the world of freestyle skiing and riding. Kangaroo Rigde Terrain Park is accessible by Summit Six Express lift and gives advanced freestyle skiers everything they could possibly ask for. Shreadows Terrain Park has intermediate features.

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Interesting facts

  • Offering 970 ha of slopes and terrain, Alpine Meadows is among the 5 largest Ski Resorts in California.
  • Alpine Meadows is among the 5 best rated Ski Resorts in California.
  • Elevated between 2,083 m and 2,632 m, the Ski Resort is among the 10 highest elevated Ski Resorts in California. The vertical drop from summit to base is 549 m. The average difference in altitude between base and summit of Ski Resorts in the USA is 374 m. Most runs are therefore relatively long.
  • Average snow depth during the season is 325 cm at summit elevation and 167 cm at base elevation. Snow coverage is usually best during March, offering an average snow depth of 395 cm at summit elevation and 200 cm at the base. Therefore Alpine Meadows is among the 10 ski Resorts with best snow conditions in California.
  • Alpine Meadows features 37 sunny days on average per season. The average for all ski Resorts in the USA is 36 sunny days. December is the sunniest month with an average of 15 sunny days. This makes the ski resort one of the 10 sunniest in California.

Snow Safety & Snowmaking

Snowmaking Share
70%
Average snow depth of the last years (Summit)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Mai
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
(in cm)

On Mountain Dining

Nobody has to ski on an empty stomach at Alpine Meadows. Hideaway Cafe at Subway Chair Lift features delicious breakfaswt and lunch offers. Early Ups is another good breakfast spot.

To fill up halfway through your ski day stop at Meadows Café right at Alpine Meadows' Lodge. A broad offer of burgers, pizza, soups, salads, pasta and Mexican dishes caters to everyone's taste. If you fancy a typical American BBQ, Stoked Oak is the place to go.

Homesick for the Alps? Check out The Chalet, a Bavarian-style beergarden where you get sandwiches, beers, and Swiss raclette cheese. If you're just looking for a snack on the go, grab something at Treats Cafe.

Must-Ski Runs

Experts can't miss the bowls and steeps off Alpine Bowl Chair. 

Most Difficult Runs

Our Father
Length: 0.5 km
Vertical Drop: 200 m

Longest Runs

Top to Bottom
Length: km
Vertical Drop: 549 m
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Videos

02:18
A Day at Alpine Meadows
01:16
Skiing the buttress @ Alpine Meadows.
06:40
Snowboarding and Skiing Alpine Meadows Steep Terrain

Activities

The Olympic Valley is just a few minutes away and boasts some great non skiing activities. A fun activity for every age, but especially for children is the Sky Jump. Learn to do a somersault for that extra kick.
The Olympic Museum takes you back to the 1960s when the world famous sport event took place in Squaw Valley.

Squaw Valley's SnoVentures Activity Zone, also in the Olympic Valley features mini snowmobiles for kids. And while the little ones race around the course, parents can stay in the SnoVentures Lodge and enjoy drinks and awesome food. Dog sledding and Snowshoeing are other fun winter activities. Those are especially great to get to know the area and the beautiful surroundings of Tahoe City. Shopping is always a great alternative if the weather conditions are less than great. Right at Alpine Meadows you'll find Estelle Sports.

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Après-Ski and Nightlife

Alpine Meadows has some great hangouts for happy hour but if you want the extended offer you should check out Squaw Valley! The Alpine Bar at Alpine Meadows has always six different beers on tap. You can also come here for outstanding cocktails.

Located at the base of the Sheerwood Chair, you'll find the Ice Bar where you can grab a hot or cold beverage and some hearty snacks like sausages and other grilled treats.

The Last Chair Bar is situated at the Main Lodge and serves a huge diversity of après favorites like nachos and chicken wings. The party there starts right after lift closing times and it is a good place to wind down after a long ski day.

Dining and Restaurants

Fine dining is definitely a topic in the resort. The Boathouse restaurant& Lakeside Patio is famous for their West Coast cuisine. The menu always goes with the season so you'll probably find something new on the menu almost every day.

Tahoe City is not that far so you could visit all the amazing restaurants there. For example, Jake's on the Lake has a lakefront deck that is breathtaking. Here you'll get the best seafood in town. Za's is an Italian restaurant that makes you feel like you're sitting in the narrow alleys of a small Italian town.

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Getting here

Reno Tahoe International Airport is the closest to Alpine Meadows. It is about an hour away and easily accessible via main highways. There are four companys for shuttles that run between the ski resort and the airport. Regional busses get you from one point in the area to another and are super affordable.

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About the author
last update on 10 Feb 2023
Rate the Ski Resort
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Contact

Alpine Meadows
1960 Squaw Valley Road
CA 96146
Olympic Valley
E-Mail
Email%69%6e%66%6f%40%73%71%75%61%77%61%6c%70%69%6e%65%2e%63%6f%6d
Phone1.800.403.0206

Comments

Rate the Ski Resort
Machholz
on 22 Jun 2022
My brother was killed on March 3, 1976 in an avalanche at Alpine Meadows. Our family forever altered, my parents never got over losing their son at the age of 20. Alpine Meadows should be closed ...
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Mountain Stats

Elevation2,083 m - 2,632 m
SeasonNovember - May
Opening Day22 Nov 2022
Closing Day7 May 2023
Capacity 16100 Persons/Hr.
Hours09:00 - 16:00

Lifts

12
2
10
Total 12

Skiable Terrain

970 ha
Easy
Green Circle
Moderate
Blue Squared
Advanced
Black Diamond
Extreme
Double Diamond
Overall Slope Area 970 ha

Weather (2,633 m)

Open Lifts & Trails

Rates

$269
1 day adult $269
1 day youth $242
1 day child $188
All rates & fees