Heavenly Snowboard Resort Description:
Heavenly is a ski area of superlatives. At 4800 acres it's the second biggest ski area in the United States and also has the longest vertical drop of any snowboard resort in the California, it's the highest ski area in the Lake Tahoe area, and definitely has the best lake view. Throw into the mix numerous terrain parks, a gondola that drops you in the heart of South Lake Tahoe, and the ability to ride down into Nevada, unstrap, and walk into a casino, and it's not hard to see why Heavenly is such a population vacation destination.
Another feature that distinguishes Heavenly from other major resorts is Epic Mix, a free smartphone app that automatically tracks your vertical via your electronic lift ticket and enables on-mountain pro photographers to send you photos of yourself by email.
Heavenly is a unique experience. On the California side (it straddles the Nevada-California border) Lake Tahoe sprawls below in constant view. On the Nevada side, the view is of the desert. The bottom of the gondola is just steps from first class restaurants, bars, shopping, and, a few blocks away, casinos. That is what truly separates Heavenly from other ski areas.
Heavenly Snowboard Resort Location/Directions:
Heavenly is perched in the mountains above South Lake Tahoe straddling the California-Nevada border. The nearest airport is the Reno/Tahoe International Airport 59 miles away. Heavenly is 105 miles from Sacramento and 189 miles from San Francisco.
The South Lake Tahoe Express operates daily shuttles from the Reno/Tahoe International Airport to South Lake Tahoe. If the Express isn't running, the Reno-Tahoe Shuttle Service offers 24-hour service, but it comes with a significantly larger price tag.
Driving directions from Reno and several cities in California can be found here and highway conditions can be found on the California Department of Transportation website or by calling 1-800-427-7623..
Heavenly Snowboard Resort Statistics:
- Trails: 97
- Beginner Terrain: 20%
- Intermediate Terrain: 45%
- Expert Terrain: 35%
- Longest Run: 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometres)
- Lifts: 28
- Uphill Capacity: 52,000 people per hour
- Acres: 4,800
- Snowmaking Coverage: 73%%
- Summit Elevation: 10,067 feet (3,068 meters)
- Base Elevation: 6,565 feet (2,001 meters)
- Vertical Drop: 3,500 feet (1,067 meters)
- Superpipe: Yes
- Terrain Parks: 4
- Average Snowfall: 360 inches (914 centimeters)
- Night Skiing: No
Heavenly Snowboard Resort Reservations:
Lift tickets for Heavenly can be purchased online. As a bonus, they will also get you on the slopes at nearby Northstar and Kirkwood at no extra cost.
Heavenly Snowboard Resort Accommodations:
A variety of of lodging options for all budgets are available in South Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Valley Lodge is a cozy hotel with a fireplace in every room. Forest Suites , which is just steps from the Heavenly gondola, comes highly recommended by locals who work in tourism.
The South Shore Lodging Association also maintains a long list of accommodations in South Lake Tahoe.
Heavenly Snowboard Resort Alternative Activities:
Heavenly is a world-class resort, and it really shows when you're looking for things other than snowboarding to keep you busy. South Lake Tahoe has an incredible dining and nightlife scene, as well as great shopping. Heavenly itself hosts the Unbuckle After Party at the Tamarack, with music, dancers, and drinks. There's a tubing hill for the kids. Nearby are also hot springs, snowmobiling, and helicopter tours.
And, of course, there's also plenty of casinos.
