Winter Van Life: Homewood Mountain Resort

Closed for the 2024/25 season

When We Visited: December 2019, January 2023

When I spend money on a winter vacation, I like to ski until I’m sloppy, enjoy a hot chocolate, and eat a home-cooked dinner every day. I want to sit in a jetted tub, rest my legs, and fall asleep to a movie so I can do it all again the next day. I want to explore every corner of the mountain without standing in line and competing for room on the trails. I’m looking for relaxation and solitude and that’s sometimes hard to find around Lake Tahoe. If you’re seeking the same thing, go to Homewood. And if you still need a little action, Tahoe City, Olympic Valley, and Truckee are still close by.

I love Homewood first for the views of Lake Tahoe. They are magnified to the point you think you’re going to ski straight into the lake. No other Tahoe resort brings you so up close.

The mountain has exceptional tree skiing like most ski resorts in the Tahoe Basin. Many people say they are perfectly spaced.

Next time we visit, I hope to go snowcat skiing.

Plan Your RV/Van Life Road Trip to Homewood

skihomewood.com
5145 West Lake Blvd., Homewood, CA 96141
(530) 525-2992
guestservices@skihomewood.com

Lift Operations: Open daily. See Homewood’s homepage for more information.

Mountain Stats

• Average snowfall: 450 inches
• Mountain terrain: 1,260 acres
• Vertical elevation gain: 1,650 feet
• Guided snowcat-accessible terrain: 750 acres
• Snowcat terrain vertical elevation gain: 1,840 feet

Driving to Homewood

Highway 89 from Tahoe City (10 minutes) or Truckee (30 minutes) to Homewood is relatively flat. It’s the easiest and most direct route with no crazy mountain driving.

While Homewood doesn’t typically see an overwhelming amount of skier traffic relative to other Tahoe ski areas, you might still be affected by Palisades Tahoe, Northstar and Heavenly congestion depending on which direction you are coming from.

If you travel Highway 89 from Truckee, you will pass Palisades Tahoe.

If you take Highways 267, 28, and 89 from Truckee, you risk getting stuck in Northstar and Palisades Tahoe skier traffic. You’ll also be going over Brockway Summit (Highway 267) which has a steep grade and sees a lot of spinouts.

If you’re coming from east of Kings Beach (25 minutes or more), you might get stuck in Northstar and Palisades Tahoe traffic as well.

If you’re coming from South Lake Tahoe, Highway 89 around Emerald Bay is the fastest route at about 40 minutes. However, Emerald Bay is often closed due to avalanches and unsafe driving conditions. If it’s closed, you must go through North Shore via Highways 50, 28, and 89. This makes the drive 75 minutes long. Depending on where you’re coming from in South Shore, you might be affected by Heavenly’s traffic, and then you still have to worry about Northstar and Palisades Tahoe traffic.

If Highway 89 is open between South Lake Tahoe and Homewood, you must find time to stop at Emerald Bay. It’s one of the most photographed places in the world and is very special to me and Kyle since we were married there. Only park in designated areas and not avalanche zones. If you see fallen rock near the place you’ve pulled over, move along quickly.

While I’ve provided best-case driving times throughout this guide, it’s not uncommon to sit in hours-long traffic. If you get stuck, there are no great alternate routes no matter which way you’re coming from.

See Homewood’s Directions & Road Conditions page for more information.

Parking at Homewood

I recommend parking at the North Base, so you are close to Guest Services. You can’t miss it as it is directly adjacent to Highway 89 across from the lake.

According to Homewood’s site during the 2022/23 season, parking is $5 per day if you purchase your pass online ahead of time and $10 if you purchase it at the ski area. However, on the 3 days that we went midweek in January 2023, we were never asked to pay anything.

On the north side of the lodge is Lot 7 and on the south side is Lot 6. Homewood’s website says that trucks and RVs should only park in Lot 7. However, we parked our 20-foot van in Lot 6 and nobody asked us to do otherwise.

If you can’t find space in Lots 6 or 7, go south on Highway 89 and turn right on Fawn Street away from the lake. It borders Lot 6 to the south. Lot 5 will be to your left. The exit to Lot 6 will be to your right.

There is also a parking lot at the Quail Chair on Tahoe Ski Bowl Way referred to as the South Base. The turn from Highway 89 is about a half mile south of North Lodge. Children’s Ski School and the Adventure Center are located there.

For more information, see Homewood’s Parking page and Base Area Map.

Redeeming Reciprocal Pass Benefits at Homewood

Go to Guest Services in the North Lodge with your reciprocal season pass and a photo ID. We used our Loveland season passes which gave us 3 free days (with blackouts) during the 2022/23 season. The door to Guest Services is on the Highway 89 side of the building.

Tips for Skiing/Riding at Homewood

See Homewood’s Winter Trail Map to follow along.

For Lake Tahoe views that can be enjoyed by all ability levels, head to Rainbow Bridge.

During our December 2019 visit, the terrain was limited to the northern half of the mountain since the season was just kicking off. It was a powder day without lift lines and the trees were fun around Old Homewood Express. But you could see that there were rocks and boulders just under the surface. If you’re there early in the season or during a year with below average snowfall, be wary of lumps in the snow. Tahoe ski area runs are littered with downed trees and large boulders unlike other ski areas that often clear debris from their cut runs.

My best run of the day in 2019 was Glory Hole. There were few tracks, I didn’t see a single person, and I was able to soak in Lake Tahoe’s view uninterrupted before heading down and ending my day.

If you don’t do Glory Hole, The Face is another good way to end a powder day.

If wide groomers are your thing, I would probably skip Homewood on a powder day. Many runs were only partially groomed on the 3 days we visited in January 2023 when they were getting fresh snow nightly.

Never jump from chairs. Tahoe snow gets deep and sometimes approaches the bottom of chairs. It might be tempting to jump off into fresh powder, but you’re risking the safety of others riding the lift, including yourself.

If you want to earn your turns, head to Quail Face for some double black terrain.

If you head to Homewood’s northernmost border, you might have to skate at the bottom of the single blacks (Juniper, Nugget, Lower Lake Louise), unless you traverse toward Old Homewood Express before it flattens out.

Be careful not to get stuck in the gully as seen from the Ellis Chair. The gully will first be on your right and then it will be on your left as the chair passes over it. You can easily lose a ski to the creek underneath or you might be digging out for a while.

If you happen to be at Homewood during stellar conditions and have a few days, there is a lot to explore if you enjoy trees and going off-piste. Pick a different area each day and discover everything Homewood has to offer. I was so sad at the end of our 3 free days in 2023 because there was still so much powder to be had.

I could not figure out how to enter Cedar Ridge for the life of me. If you find it, please let me know!

It might become more difficult to ski/ride Homewood in the future as the resort changes to a membership-based, semi-private ski area. If you have an opportunity to go, go before it’s too late!

Where to Sleep in Your Van/RV

As with all Lake Tahoe Basin ski areas, Homewood does not allow overnight RV camping.

Overnight RV parking or camping is also not permitted at the Blackwood Canyon Sno-Park nearby.

Coachland RV Resort – 22 miles / 30 minutes in Truckee – We highly recommend reservations. AT&T cell service works very well for us here. However, it’s possible performance might suffer with increased network traffic during the busiest parts of ski season. For more information and other camping options, read our Lake Tahoe guide.

West Shore Cafe & Inn – across the street – While our winter guides focus on camping options for your van or RV, I have to put this here. It’s only a few hundred feet from the lifts, and their four guest suites have spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. We spent our honeymoon here and I’m itching to go back for a future anniversary. Earlier I spoke of all the traffic issues you can encounter en route to Homewood. You could eliminate the stress and the fuel cost by staying here. Plus, the onsite West Shore Cafe has lakeview dining. (Note: When I visited their site in January 2023 and again in May 2023, they were closed for renovations.)

Working Remotely at Homewood

AT&T cell service seemed to degrade between the time of our December 2019 visit and January 2023. We had to set up Starlink so Kyle could do a video call.

If you’re looking for coworking space, Tahoe City and Truckee have a few options. Check out Tahoe Mill Collective in Tahoe City (15 minutes). In Truckee (30 minutes), see The Lounge at 5817′ and Lift Truckee. Lift has two locations in town – Airport Building on Truckee Airport Road and Business Park Annex on Business Park Drive.

Conveniences Near Homewood

Homewood is a very small town compared to other cities around the lake. However, they do have a small market with an excellent deli less than a half-mile down the street from the ski resort – Obexer’s General Store. For a larger grocery selection, try Save Mart Supermarkets and Safeway (Lake Blvd), both in Tahoe City. I personally prefer grocery stores in Truckee or the Safeway (N Lake Blvd) in Kings Beach.

If you have a Mercedes Sprinter van and need service, parts or supplies, see Mercedes-Benz of Reno in Nevada over an hour away. If you’re in urgent need of repairs and can’t get an appointment in Reno, check Sacramento.

Where to Eat Near Homewood

Kyle and I eloped in Lake Tahoe in October 2018 after more than 10 years of being together. We had already started van life earlier in August, but we were still in the area for a few months before hitting the road. Having our wedding ceremony in Tahoe was a great way to celebrate all of our wonderful years there and to say goodbye. Some of the restaurants I mention below were places we ate in the few days after saying, “I do!”

Be prepared for a wait at most places. Make reservations wherever possible.

Homewood (the town)

• West Shore Cafe & Inn – Across the street from the ski area
• Obexer’s General Store – Less than a half-mile down the street – Great for deli sandwiches.

Tahoe City (10 minutes)

• Fire Sign Cafe – This was the first place we ate after our mid-morning wedding ceremony. I love breakfast here!
• Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet – We always stop here when we are in the area. After getting married, we stocked up on four different slices of cake to take back to our honeymoon suite. I guess you can say they provided our wedding cake. They also have deli sandwiches, salads, and soups.
• Wolfdale’s – Go here for a fancy night out and one of the best views from a restaurant at Lake Tahoe. We celebrated our marriage here too!

Truckee (30 minutes)

These dining options are closest to Coachland RV Resort if you choose to stay there.

• Burger Me (downtown)
• Pianeta Ristorante (downtown) – We ate here on our wedding night!
• Squeeze In (downtown)
• Full Belly Deli

Tahoe City and downtown Truckee are great places to walk after a meal.

Other North Tahoe Ski Resorts

• Granlibakken – 6.7 miles / 15 minutes in Tahoe City
• Palisades Tahoe (Ikon Pass 2024/25) – 13 miles / 20 minutes to Olympic Valley, 13.1 miles / 25 minutes to Alpine Meadows
• Boreal – 28.4 miles / 35 minutes in Soda Springs
• Northstar (Epic Pass 2024/25) – 23.2 miles / 40 minutes in Truckee
• Diamond Peak (Ski Cooper 2024/25) – 23.5 miles / 40 minutes in Incline Village
• Tahoe Donner – 25 miles / 40 minutes in Truckee
• Donner Ski Ranch – 27.8 miles 40 minutes in Norden
• Soda Springs – 31.8 miles / 40 minutes in Soda Springs
• Sugar Bowl (Mountain Collective 2024/25) – 28.7 miles / 45 minutes in Norden
• Mt. Rose – 30.7 miles / 50 minutes on Mt. Rose Highway (SR 431) between Incline Village and Reno, Nevada