Winter Van Life: Sierra-At-Tahoe

When We Visited: December 2019, late January 2023

Sierra-at-Tahoe is a Tahoe local’s favorite, but I haven’t spent much time there. Before starting full-time van life, I primarily lived on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe’s South Shore for two decades, so I generally rode Heavenly and Kirkwood.

I tried Sierra in the late nineties when my snowboarding skills weren’t ready for more advanced terrain. I spent another day there in the late 2000s when it was crowded and icy. And during an early season visit in 2019, there were limited trails open, so I still didn’t achieve the right appreciation for Sierra.

I finally got to do the whole mountain in January 2023. (Almost. I still need to do Huckleberry Canyon and West Bowl.) Tahoe had just received a couple feet of snow and we spent our time in the middle of the storm cycle at Homewood. After the storm, Sierra was next. While we wouldn’t get freshies at Sierra, we figured snow would still be soft everywhere. But then heavy winds whipped through the entire Tahoe region and made the snow unrideable off-piste.

In talking to a local on the chairlift, Sierra’s West Bowl was closed indefinitely due to lift damage. Even Kirkwood’s Chair 6 was left needing repair.

Regardless, we still had three sun-filled days with otherwise excellent on-piste conditions.

While it wasn’t busy, I sat on the lift with many solo skiers and riders, appreciating what we had and not what was lost. I even sat with a few solo ladies which has rarely occurred in all of our travels.

In case you missed it, Sierra-at-Tahoe barely survived the Caldor Fire in 2021. On the drive to the mountain, I was certainly taken aback by all the charred trees and the number already removed. I’ve avoided visiting other areas burned by the Caldor Fire because of my connection to those places. It’s heartbreaking.

But at Sierra, while the landscape is changed, they are not defeated. They still managed to open for a single weekend at the end of the 2021/22 season to celebrate their 75th anniversary season and their relentless restoration efforts allowed them to open for the 2022/23 season with a substantial amount of terrain. Their continued recovery is incredible. Big thanks to all who are making it possible!

Plan Your RV/Van Life Road Trip to Sierra

sierraattahoe.com
1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, Twin Bridges, CA 95735
(530) 659-7453
Send a message

Pass affiliation: Powder Alliance 2024/25, Ikon Pass 2024/25

Lift Operations:

• Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, Peak Days: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

For more information, see Sierra’s Hours of Operations.

Mountain Stats

• Average annual snowfall: 460 inches
• Terrain: 2,000 acres
• Vertical rise: 2,212 feet
• More stats

Driving to Sierra

Highway 50 to Sierra is a windy, two-lane mountain road with passing lanes. It is a major route to and from South Tahoe and can get very congested, sometimes for hours, especially on Fridays and Sundays. Inclement weather conditions can make it substantially worse. Check road conditions before you go. From Highway 50, you’ll turn onto Sierra-at-Tahoe Road and drive a couple more miles to the ski area.

If you’re heading to Sierra from South Tahoe, you’ll travel over Echo Summit. During snowstorms, this section of Highway 50 might close for avalanche control, and there is no reasonable alternate route.

Your GPS might suggest that you take North Upper Truckee Road to bypass traffic on Highway 50. This option is not recommended. North Upper Truckee Road is not well-maintained like Highway 50, and vehicles get stuck all of the time. Also, local authorities might divert traffic out of the neighborhood back to Highway 50 which only slows down travel for everyone.

If you’re traveling to Sierra from the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Areas, there are also no reasonable alternate routes to Highway 50. Your GPS might suggest routes via Ice House Road or Wrights Lake Road. Roads in these areas are not plowed in the winter and it’s not uncommon for people to become stranded. Avoid these GPS suggestions.

A friendly heads up to those that might be vertically challenged, if you’re driving from Sierra to South Tahoe (Highway 50 East), there is a substantial drop off on your right-hand side as you come over Echo Summit to Meyers. You’ll have a beautiful view of Christmas Valley and Lake Tahoe, but people that are afraid of heights or are subject to vertigo might have issues with this drive. If it makes you feel better, there are walls and guard rails to help you from going over.

Sierra offers a shuttle if you don’t care to do the drive.

Parking at Sierra

As you drive up Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, you’ll see their welcome sign. Go right for free parking or left for preferred parking.

If you’re in an RV, follow the signs to the RV parking area in A Lot. The RV parking area is relatively flat and a short walk to Guest Services. We did not pay to park in A Lot on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I actually can’t find anything on Sierra’s site about paying for preferred parking even though there are preferred parking signs.

Sierra has multiple parking tiers – A, B, C, D, E, F. A Lot is the uppermost tier. E and F are the lowest and farthest from the lodge and also used for the tubing and snow play area.

For more information, see Sierra’s Base Area Map.

Sierra had a decent size snow berm in late January. I can only imagine what it looked like by the end of Tahoe’s historic 2022/23 season.

How to Use Your Powder Alliance Benefits at Sierra

Go to the Main Lodge and follow signs to the Season Pass Office. Bring your season pass with Powder Alliance benefits and another photo ID.

If you redeem the three days you get from Powder Alliance, Sierra-at-Tahoe loads an RFID card with all three days. You never have to go back to Guest Services. At most Powder Alliance resorts, you must return to Guest Services each day you ski/ride.

Tips for Skiing/Riding Sierra

See Sierra’s Trail Map to follow along.

Beginners will like Easy Rider Express directly in front of the lodge. Once you’re warmed up, take Grandview Express to Sugar N’ Spice for a long, wide run that meanders around the frontside of the mountain.

For a view of Lake Tahoe, take Grandview Express to advanced runs Eastabout and Upper Castle.

My favorite blue groomer was Lower Main, but I have a feeling I would’ve enjoyed some blues over in West Bowl. Many locals were wishing it was open the days we were there.

Our favorite ungroomed black runs were Upper Castle and Upper Dynamite. They had the softest snow we could find for a few days.

I really wanted to do Huckleberry Canyon, and it magically opened the last day we were there for the first time all season. I sat with a ski patroller on my first lift ride after noticing that the Huckleberry Canyon sign was changed to display “open”. I inquired about the conditions, and he described it as “shitty turn, shitty turn, good turn, log.” So, highly variable and best for experienced backcountry skiers and riders that day. Based on what we saw on the frontside of the mountain, we decided to save it for another time.

Where to Sleep in Your Van/RV

Overnight RV camping is not permitted at Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Echo Lake Sno-Park (except when snow removal conditions exist) – 4.7 miles / 15 minutes in Echo Lake – California Sno-Park permit required. Don’t expect cell service.

Tahoe Valley Campground – 13.7 miles / 25 minutes in South Lake Tahoe – We have never stayed there overnight, but we’ve filled up on propane a few times. They will fill fixed propane tanks for non-guests. Cell service should work here, but it could be spotty depending on network traffic.

Hope Valley Sno-Park (except when snow removal conditions exist) – 22.9 miles / 35 minutes in Hope Valley – California Sno-Park permit required. This is a great option if you also plan on doing Kirkwood. It’s very popular with snowmobilers. Don’t expect cell service.

Zephyr Cove RV Park & Campground – 23 miles / 40 minutes in Zephyr Cove – See our review here. They have a public dump station with potable water and can fill a fixed propane tank. AT&T cell service works well for us at Zephyr Cove. Verizon does not.

Carson Pass Sno-Park – 29 miles / 45 minutes near Kirkwood – California Sno-Park permit required. Just like Hope Valley Sno-Park, this is a good choice if you also plan on skiing Kirkwood. It’s just farther from Sierra than Hope Valley. Don’t expect cell service.

Carson Valley Inn RV Park – 40.7 miles / 1 hour in Minden, Nevada – We have not stayed here yet, but cell service should work well here.

El Dorado County Fair & Event Center RV Park – 49.7 miles / 1 hour in Placerville – We have never stayed here, but if you’re coming from Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay Area, this RV park is on the way. I would expect cell service to work well here. It’s also conveniently located next to a Raley’s grocery store. Since Placerville rarely sees snow, it’s a great place to stay if you want to avoid shoveling. I love walking around downtown Placerville and eating a Chile Relleno Casserole for breakfast at Sweetie Pie’s Restaurant & Bakery. Take an Olallieberry pie to go.

Working Remotely at Sierra

During our last visit in January 2023, AT&T cell service was spotty at Sierra. We had to set up our Starlink.

If you could benefit from a co-working space, there are a few in South Tahoe – Cuppa Tahoe (a bookstore with food and casual co-working space), Cowork Tahoe, The Forest, and Untethered. If you’re going to ski/ride Heavenly, they have co-working space located at the top of their tram which is related to Cowork Tahoe – The Mountain Lab.

Conveniences Near Sierra

There are many services available in South Tahoe which includes the towns of:

• Meyers, CA – 20 minutes
• South Lake Tahoe, CA – 30 minutes
• Stateline, NV – 30 minutes
• Zephyr Cove, NV – 40 minutes

If you’re looking for public showers, check out Kahle Community Center in Stateline and Anytime Fitness in Zephyr Cove.

In addition to Tahoe Valley Campground and Zephyr Cove RV Park & Campground, U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Lake Tahoe can refill propane tanks, including a fixed RV propane tank. However, we’ve had a variety of outcomes here. Some technicians were unsuccessful at filling our fixed propane tank when we had a Winnebago Travato. One waved me off because he was too busy servicing customers with non-propane needs. Another time, they were out of propane, but so was every other place in South Tahoe that particular week. I’d say half of our experiences were positive and successful.

There are many grocery stores in South Tahoe including a Raley’s, two Safeways, Whole Foods, Grocery Outlet, and more. To avoid the chaos in Tahoe grocery stores, I like to order my groceries online and pick them up at the store. Raley’s at Emerald Bay Road is my favorite. However, the designated parking spaces directly in front of the store for online order pickups are not large enough for an RV. It is best to park your RV closer to Highway 50 on the other side of the parking lot from the store front.To ensure you can get your groceries in the timeframe you want them, place your order the day before. If you order the same day, try first thing in the morning for the best odds of same day pickup.

If you need a pet store, Dog Dog Cat in South Lake Tahoe is my favorite but there are a few others. Large RVs will have trouble in their parking lot. Short vans are okay.

Sometimes accidents happen on the mountain. If you need an emergency room, Barton Memorial Hospital is closest in South Lake Tahoe. I landed on my abdomen snowboarding at Heavenly years back. Ski patrol was concerned about internal bleeding, so I was sent by ambulance to Barton. Barton took great care of me and everything turned out okay. For non-emergencies, go to Barton Quick Care in South Lake Tahoe or Barton Urgent Care in Stateline.

If you need service, parts, or supplies for your Mercedes Sprinter van, go to Mercedes-Benz of Reno in Nevada which is about 90 minutes from Sierra. Otherwise, check out the Sacramento area which is 75+ minutes from Sierra depending on where you’re trying to go.

Where to Eat Near Sierra

Aside from eating at the ski area, there isn’t a lot happening near Sierra. The closest dining options can be found in South Lake Tahoe. Here are my favorites:

• Ernie’s Coffee Shop
• Bert’s Cafe – It’s hard for me to decide whether I want Bert’s or Ernie’s for breakfast. Sometimes it’s easiest to pick whoever has the shortest wait. They are less than a quarter mile apart and on opposite sides of Highway 50 (Emerald Bay Road).
• Lake Tahoe Pizza Company – I like their Mogul Masher pizza.
• Verde Mexican Rotisserie – I normally get their Classic Burrito, but last time we were there, I tried their Torta Burger. Yum!
• Classic Cue – Eat and play some games of pool.
• Burger Lounge
• Artemis Mediterranean Grill
• Scusa Italian Ristorante – Try their Cream of Roasted Garlic Soup!

Other South Tahoe Ski Resorts

• Heavenly Mountain Resort (Epic Pass 2024/25) – 17.5 miles to the CA Main Lodge, 18.5 miles to the Gondola, 23 miles to Boulder Lodge, 24 miles to Stagecoach Lodge / 30+ minutes
• Kirkwood Mountain Resort (Epic Pass 2024/25) – 36.1 miles / 1 hour in Kirkwood

Other Winter Activities

Snowshoeing at Taylor Creek Sno-Park – located near Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe – I like snowshoeing up Cathedral Road parallel to Taylor Creek and crossing the bridge at Fallen Leaf Lake. Visit the California Sno-Parks page for information on where to buy a Sno-Parks permit. This Sno-Park does not allow overnight RV camping even though there were no signs posted when we checked it out in January 2023. See the Taylor Creek Sno-Park page for more information.