Kirkwood Mountain Resort by Vail Resorts

It’s a bit out of the way, and Kirkwood is quiet at night. We stayed there once in a VRBO, but now choose Jackson or South Lake instead. Vail Resorts clearly doesn’t seem interested in investing here: the runs we took all had old-style lifts, and having no express lift on the backside is pretty disappointing. Still, it’s one of my favorite Tahoe area resorts. The snow is usually better, and it’s pretty dog friendly. You can ski there on the Epic pass.

Kirkwood feels like a mountain for people who come to ski or ride, rather than for the apres-ski scene. Staff were generally cheerful and attentive, and there seemed to be plenty of lodging around, though amenities are limited. For nightlife, you’ll probably need to head to Tahoe. Even with this season’s conditions not being great so far, I’d return with serious skiing friends or on my own. Heavenly offers a more balanced experience, while Northstar is milder and has the Ritz-Carlton for a luxury stay. There’s a lot of expert terrain here, from steep and bumpy runs to trees, plus fast blues and plenty of natural features and gullies to explore. You could spend a few days skiing around. The expert lifts are long and reach the ridge, but all the lifts are older, non-detachable ones, so you’ll sit a bit longer than on a modern system. It takes about 10-15 minutes longer to reach Kirkwood from Sacramento than the other resorts, which seems to keep it remote and the crowds smaller. Most of the drive is on two-lane roads, so slow traffic can hold you up, though there are plenty of passing areas. During peak times, weekends and mornings, parking reservations are required for the closer lots. I had no trouble parking mid-day on a weekday, and it was a short walk to the lifts. I’ve been visiting Heavenly and Northstar on the Epic pass this season, and Kirkwood is now on my list too.

The staff were super friendly and helpful, especially Stacy from S.Lake, and there’s good food on the mountain. It’s pricey, naturally, but not outrageous. The runs were well groomed. With snowfall limited this season, it’s best to arrive for the 9am opening, since by lunchtime the snow gets slushy. Makes a good day trip from the bay area or valley.

Only one run was open through Chair 5 when I went today. The snow was icy near the top, with thin coverage in a few places, so conditions could be better. Still, it’s early in the season, and Mother Nature hasn’t been very cooperative this year. I’ll come back during peak season and explore more of Kirkwood when the mountain is fully open.