Heavenly ski resort is one of the largest ski areas located to the south of Lake Tahoe, a large freshwater lake (also North America’s largest alpine lake) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and to the east of San Francisco in the USA. Heavenly is situated on the border between the states of California and Nevada with skiing bases on both sides. It is Tahoe’s higest resort with the peak elevation of 3,068 metres.
Heavenly experiences abundant snowfall (360 inches of annual rainfall) along with a good snowmaking system, which ensures a longer skiing season from November till May. The resort has witnessed huge scale investment over the past decade that has upgraded its lifts and the resort base transforming Heavenly from a ‘big’ into a ‘world class’ resort. Vail Resorts owns the ski centre.
Skiing Heavenly:
Heavenly has terrain suitable for beginners. There are also special training programmes that help the starters to get grasp of snow sporting. Intermediate skiers and boarders would also love the excitement on offer at Heavenly while special ticket is available for non-US residents to ski at resorts around Lake Tahoe. One third of the ski area is meant for the advanced skiers. Gunbarrel and Mott and Killebrew Canyons for instance, are some of the terrain of advanced skiing.
Heavenly has 97 runs and 30 lifts spread between California and Nevada besides four base facilities. The resort has a total permit area of 4,800 acres and is the largest ski resort in California areawise.
Heavenly activities:
- The base of the ski area and the wider South Lake Tahoe area offers scope for various activities including
ballooning, casinos, cabaret shows, paragliding, horse riding, waterskiing, movie watching and swimming pools. - Snow activities include dog sledding tours, sleigh rides and snowmobiling.
- Families can enjoy affordable dining at the casions even though the gambling halls in Nevada are strictly reserved for the adults.
- Child care:
Heavenly has babysitting services for children aged from two months. Heavenly Kids Centre teaches skiing to children from three years onwards. Heavenly ski resort also has an indoor skill development play area for children of four and five years. - Shopping:
The area around South Lake Tahoe is home to several medium malls consisting of many outlets. Brand outlets of Heavenly Village, Burton, California Lodge, and Patagonia and several others are located at the base of the gondola. - Splashing out:
Crisscrossing Lake Tahoe on a paddle steamer, skiing at the Squaw Valley, venue of the 1960 Olympic, enjoy
on-board après-ski party while returning to Heavenly. - Après ski:
One will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing from among the 150 or more nightclubs located along the southern banks of Lake Tahoe. The lively bars, cabaret shows and gambling bars undoubtedly constitute the biggest draw here at Heavenly ski resort. Harveys is the biggest pub while Mulligan’s Irish Pub is a popular sports bar. - Eating out:
Heavenly is also an epicureans’ paradise. There are more than 160 eating outlets at Heavenly offering dishes of all kind. Nepheles Restaurant for instance, serves creative Californian cuisine including fresh fish, game and seasonal specialities. The Cedar Room on the other hand, offers some of Lake Tahoe’s finest dining.
Heavenly Ski Resort Accommodation:
Heavenly’s accommodation facilities are largely concentrated in the South lake Tahoe area. Heavenly comprises big luxury casinos, budget motels, catered chalets and apartments.
- Marriott Grand Residence Club
- Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa
- Horizon Casino Resort
Reaching Heavenly:
- By air:
Reno/Tahoe (90 km), Sacramento (187 km) and San Francisco (322 km) are the nearest airports to Heavenly.
Getting around:
The shuttle service at Heavenly covers five different routes touching California Base Lodge, the base of the gondola in the new village as well as Stagecoach and Boulder Lodges in Nevada. A local transit authority BlueGO operates the shuttle system. The shuttle operates every 20 to 30 minutes.
