Mountain Review: Sierra-at-Tahoe
MOUNTAIN SCORE
NOTE: Due to extensive wildfire recovery work, the Sierra-at-Tahoe experience has changed notably for the 2022-23 season. See more here.
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
7
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
6
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
7
Challenge:
6
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: No
Apres-ski: Limited
Pass Affiliation: Powder Alliance
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Diverse bowl and tree terrain
Excellent freestyle experience
Local feel
– Cons
No on-site lodging
Expert terrain is unpatrolled and subject to particularly variable openings
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 14
Trails: 47
Beginner: 25%
Intermediate: 50%
Advanced/Expert: 25%
Mountain Review
As the closest resort to some major California cities and one of the few with no on-site lodging, Sierra-at-Tahoe plays the role of day-trip mountain more so than any other Tahoe-area resort. This moderately-sized area doesn’t offer the crazy lake views, striking terrain, or expansive base village that some other resorts have; instead, the resort aims to deliver no-frills, family-friendly terrain with a local feel.
We don’t expect families to have many complaints about the terrain at Sierra. Unlike some Tahoe-area resorts, Sierra offers an enjoyable beginner experience; most mountain areas contain multiple green options. Beginner trails off the top of Grand View offer some of the best views at the resort. Intermediate runs in upper mountain areas are short, but the lower-elevation West Bowl area contains an abundance of groomed blue cruisers. If you’re looking for something steep and straight, the resort usually grooms at least one black run in this area as well.
None of Sierra’s trails are particularly long, but a few feature serious challenges. The toughest terrain exists on the main face of the resort, officially known as Grand View. Steep and notoriously ungroomed, this area contains especially large moguls that form due to rocks on trails.
Grand View also contains access to Sierra’s Huckleberry Canyon, an expansive area that offers the most difficult technical challenges at the resort, including cliffs and steep drop-ins, and the mountain’s only true high-alpine environment. Much of the best Huckleberry terrain requires a short but worthwhile hike. The terrain here is unpatrolled, so it’s highly recommended to take extra precautions and stay in groups when visiting this area.
Sierra boasts a competitive freestyle setup thanks to various terrain park areas across the resort. Features range from small to large, among them a halfpipe and unique boardercross course. If you’re in the right area and plan your way correctly, you can hit multiple terrain parks in a single run.
Formerly, Sierra’s largest terrain advantage came from its excellent glades. Skiable, widely spaced trees existed across most of the resort, and these areas tended to stay less tracked than designated trails. However, this all changed after the Caldor fire swept across the mountain in August 2021, forcing the resort to close for a season and drastically altering the resort’s terrain.
The most stark changes occurred in the West Bowl area, where the zone is now actually a true bowl. Gone are the acres of trees from the West Bowl area, replaced by fresh, open slopes to explore—although the former tree areas are technically off-piste with no grooming or snowmaking. The Grandview area is also mostly devoid of its former glade terrain. Only Jack's Bowl, which has been significantly thinned, and Huckleberry Canyon, a variably open expert-only area, still provide a taste of the type of terrain that used to dominate the majority of the resort.
In an average season, Sierra-at-Tahoe enjoys high-quality snow thanks to generous snowfall and drier, lighter accumulation than other resorts closer to the lake. However, the resort is subject to the same wide snow variance as other Tahoe resorts, with some seasons seeing very little snow and others receiving continuous powder. It’s also worth noting that Sierra sits at a lower elevation than most other Tahoe-area mountains, and as such, doesn’t hold its accumulation quite as well. However, the resort doesn’t see the same wind problems that multiple nearby higher-elevation resorts suffer from.
Some areas suffer more than others when it comes to this variability. Lower West Bowl runs, which drop as low as 6,600 feet, can get slushy or bare after days with little to no snow. In addition, the backcountry-like Huckleberry area requires significant snow cover to open—in a regular year, some gates will remain closed for significant portions of the season. During really bad seasons, the area might not open at all. Sierra’s famous tree terrain can withstand days without snow thanks to its sun-shielded nature, but without enough of a base layer, it’ll lack sufficient cover to practically ski.
Ultimately, the resort stays resilient thanks to snowmaking across multiple mountain areas. Most snowmaking occurs early in the season to ensure a consistent open date, but in less-than-ideal years, it may continue throughout the winter.
Getting around the resort isn’t bad for the most part, but it can be confusing or annoying at times. Getting from the base of Grand View to other base area lifts or facilities requires a mild uphill traverse, so you’ll have to plan ahead if you want to leave that area and want to avoid catwalking. In addition, there’s a long traverse and some small uphill portions required to get out of the Huckleberry area. At least the fire-torn footprint makes it easier to find the lower-elevation West Bowl area than in years’ past, with the path there from the Easy Rider base lift much more visibly evident than in previous years.
Sierra doesn’t boast the striking terrain or breathtaking lake views that some other Lake Tahoe resorts have, but compared to these larger, somewhat commercialized resorts, the vibes at Sierra are almost refreshing. It’s a very local resort with little buildup, and the mountain feels naturally beautiful, especially when you’re in the distinctive trees.
Sierra tends to get crowded on weekends and holidays, but redundant lift logistics allow the resort to handle crowd flow well. Lines can build up on the Grandview and West Bowl Express lifts, but they’re each relieved by parallel fixed-grip lifts. Even the Easy Rider Express bunny hill lift is relieved by two double chairs servicing longer but similarly pitched terrain. If you’re really concerned about the wait and want to bypass lines altogether, you can throw down the extra money to buy a Fast Pass.
Most parts of the resort are serviced by at least one high-speed lift. Even the bunny hill is serviced by a high-speed quad; we think it may be the only such application in the Tahoe area. Only the backside is stuck with slow lift service, but it’s possible to quickly get out of there via the aptly named Short Stuff lift.
If you’re looking to stop for a break at Sierra, you’ll find nice on-mountain facilities at major junction points. Food at these is somewhat reasonably priced compared to other Tahoe resorts. All boast outdoor seating, which is great for soaking up the sun on warm days—which, of course, Tahoe gets a lot of.
Lodging
Sierra-at-Tahoe offers no lodging on site. A few basic inns and lodges exist a few miles away from the resort.
The lively town of South Lake Tahoe, about half an hour away and home to Heavenly, contains multiple inns and hotels. These options range from bargain-basement to luxury, and many shops in town sell Sierra-at-Tahoe tickets. A number of casinos exist here, and the upscale Montbleu Casino offers packages with free shuttle rides to and from Sierra.
Apres-ski
Since there isn’t a town, Sierra-at-Tahoe doesn’t really have any nightlife. However, the mountain’s excellent base bar and patio make it a genuinely enjoyable spot for afternoon apres-ski. The resort even hosts concerts here on some days. If apres can’t wait until the end of the day for you, both on-mountain lodges contain bars with outdoor patios as well.
Verdict
Sierra aims to be a local, family-friendly mountain with high-quality terrain, and it successfully achieves that goal. The resort isn’t the largest and there’s no slopeside lodging, but very reasonable advance-sale ticket and pass prices make it an excellent value for what you get.
NOTE: Mountain Score criteria for this resort were adjusted on October 12, 2021, April 11, 2021, and February 21, 2021.
