Homewood Reappears As Lake Tahoe Resorts Drop The Ropes
The start of the 2025-2026 ski and snowboard season in the Lake Tahoe area has taken some time to get going, but the snow gods have finally blessed the region with significant dumps.
Over the summer, the quartet of resorts that ring the biggest alpine lake in the U.S. concentrated on streamlining operations and ticketing, putting in more snowmaking and setting the calendar of events for the winter of 2026.
The biggest news in the area is the rejuvenation of Homewood Mountain Resort (1,260 a., 1,650 vert.) Closed for all of last season, the mountain has opened after several years of contention over the future of the day-trip mountain.
In 2022, owners of the 1,260-acre ski and snowboard area hard on the west shore of Lake Tahoe said that the inability of non-locals to get to the slopes because of heavy weekend traffic off I-80 had resulted in a precipitous decline in day and season ticket sales. Subsequently, ownership announced plans to go private, but that brought furious opposition from locals, and the idea was dropped.
Owners still have redevelopment plans for a gondola, condos, parking garage, shuttles and lifetime memberships to attract more skiers and riders. But for 2025-2026, visitors can expect to see more snowmaking and the same lift system of three fixed-grip chairs, one high-speed quad and the Happy platter.
On the mountain at Palisades Tahoe (6,000 a., 2.850 vert.), one of the largest ski and snowboard resorts in the U.S. has added to its expansive snowmaking system and installed new lift gates.
Parking reservations on weekends and holidays at both Palisades and Alpine Meadows lots are required at the Sierra Nevada resort. Free slots are released on Tuesday, including special four-person carpool spaces, and advanced reservations can be had for $30. A profile is required before booking a spot.
Nearby at Northstar California (3,170 a., 2,280 vert.), the blue-happy trail map stays the same, as does its speedy lift system with seven high-speed chairs, two gondolas and a chondola. The base lodge got a multi-million-dollar overhaul and, as a member of the Epic Pass family, Northstar debuts the new half-off Epic Friends tickets.
And on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe, Heavenly (4,800 a., 3,500 vert.) is celebrating its 70th year of operation with competitions, music and other anniversary hoopla. Its also an Epic Pass resort.
Open in 1955 with two chairs and a couple of rope tows, the mountain is the only American resort that crosses a state line (California-Nevada border).
