outside 16th Ultimate Tahoe Winter Bucket List

BY KATHERINE E. HILL

It’s

an epic winter in Tahoe. Tahoe’s snowpack is already 250 percent of normal and it’s only January.

It’s the first winter since 2020 that everything is back to normal-ish and many resort amenities and events that have been shuttered for the last 3 years have finally returned. Make the most of this winter with 100 of the best things to do in Tahoe this season. Share your adventures checking off our Ultimate Tahoe Winter Bucket List by tagging us @thetahoeweekly #thetahoeweekly.

Ski Adventures

1. Go for the Ultimate Bucket List challenge. Ski all 16 downhill ski areas this season. 2. Ski Tahoe’s largest ski area – Palisades Tahoe. The new Base to Base Gondola now links both base areas. 3. Ski at North America’s largest cross-country area – Royal Gorge. Celebrating 50 years. 4. Ski to The Royal Gorge itself – a 4,417-foot-deep gorge. 5. Ski Northstar. It’s the resort’s 50th anniversary. Be sure to check out the new Comstock Express lift. 6. It’s Kirkwood’s 50th anniversary, as well. Plan an outing to ski at Kirkwood. 7. Take a clinic & improve your skiing skills. 8. Learn to skate ski. Hint: Tahoe Weekly’s Tim Hauserman teaches at Tahoe XC. 9. Take a biathlon clinic at ASC Training Center. 10. Ski Tahoe Meadows while learning about forest ecology on Feb. 2. 11. Ski the free groomed cross-country trails at our local parks: Donner Memorial, Plumas-Eureka, Spooner or Sugar Pine Point state parks, along with Bijou Community Park and North Tahoe Regional Park.

Winter Adventures

12. Explore the Nordic venues of the 1960 Winter Olympics on a guided snowshoe tour at Sugar Pine Point State Park every Saturday & Sunday.

Learn the history of the Donner Party of 1846 during a historian-led snowshoe tour at Donner Memorial State Park every Saturday & Sunday.

Snowshoe in the woods and look for animal tracks in the snow.

Snowshoe the East Shore Trail from Sand Harbor. It’s 6-miles roundtrip; pack a picnic.

Camp in the snow. Sugar Pine Point and Grover Hot Springs state parks both offer winter camping.

Learn the basics of snow camping with Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Snow Camping 101.

Can’t make the class? Read our tips for snow camping online.

Rent a fat tire bike and explore local trails. Hint: You’ll need a packed trail; try the groomed snowmobile trails.

20. Bike at Kirkwood’s or Northstar’s cross-country centers. Both offer fat tire bike access. 21. Take a turn on the ice. Local ice rinks are listed in our Winter Family Fun chart in every edition. 22. Try ice hockey, broomball, curling or ice dancing. 23. Snowshoe along the shores of Big Blue at Sand Harbor State Park. 24. Snowshoe or ski through the historic grounds at Tahoe Tallac on the South Shore. 25. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride at Sand Harbor State Park. 26. Snowshoe to the Chalet at Alpine and enjoy dinner.

Backcountry Bound

27. Ready to head into the backcountry? You’ll need to complete you avy training first. 28. Next, you’ll need your backcountry gear. 29. Learn the avalanche forecast. 30. Know your backcountry etiquette. 31. Head out with a backcountry guide. 32. Ski to a backcountry hut. Reservations fill up fast. 33. Snowmobilers, take a motorized avalanche class.

Under The Night Sky

34. Cross-country ski under the lights at Auburn Ski Club on Wednesdays & Fridays. 35. Night ski at North Tahoe Regional Park during Nordic Nights on Jan. 27, Feb. 24 & March 24. 36. Take a full moon snowshoe tour with Tahoe Adventure Company (a long-time Tahoe Weekly supporter). 37. Explore the night sky during a Snowshoe Star Tour offered monthly on the North Shore.

38. Join the Twilight Snowshoe Tours at Northstar every Saturday. 39. Snowshoe to Snowflake Lodge during Diamond Peak’s twilight tours on Jan. 27, Feb. 10 & March 10.

WINTER’S BEST EVENTS

40. Celebrate winter with Ullr Fest on Feb. 3 at Diamond Peak.

41. See the Longboard Revival Races at Plumas-Eureka State Park held monthly.

42. Think you can race down the slopes on 9- to 16-foot longboards? Competitors are welcome at the races.

43. Only two more dates left for the Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series.

44. Don’t miss the McKinney Cup pitting some the fastest skiers in the sport against each other in Giant Slalom at Mt. Rose.

45. The World Cup comes to Palisades Tahoe Feb. 24 to 26. Get your tickets while you can.

46. Think you have what it takes to compete in Sugar Bowl’s Banked Slalom on Feb. 25.

47. SnowFest! March 2 to 12: 2 weeks of fun-filled days including 2 parades, fireworks, the Polar Bear Swim and much more.

48. The Great Ski Race on March 5 is the largest Nordic ski race in the West.

49. The Pain McShlonkey Classic on March 25 is a Tahoe original. Come in your most outrageous ski duds.

50. WinterWonderGrass brings the best of bluegrass, acoustic roots and Americana music to Palisades Tahoe, returning for the first time in 3 years: March 31 to April 1.

51. Forget downhill racing. How fast can you climb the mountain in an uphill ski race? Join the fun at Diamond Peak and Sugar Bowl.

52. Pond Skims are a rite of passage in spring. Check out the festivities and join the fun at Heavenly, Northstar and Sugar Bowl.

53. Wrap up the season with downhill dummy antics at Diamond Peak.

ADVENTURES FOR NON-SKIERS

54. Take a cruise on Lake Tahoe. Check with the visitor centers for tours near you (there’s a list in Sightseeing in this edition).

55. Take a guided snowmobile tour; check with local visitor centers.

56. Explore the indoor rock climbing walls around the region.

57. How about indoor skateboarding? There’s one on the South Shore.

58. Enjoy the work of local artists at the nonprofit Tahoe Art League in South Lake Tahoe and North Tahoe Arts with art centers in both Kings Beach & Tahoe City.

59. Take the kids to the Kidzone Children’s Museum in Truckee. For infants up to age 7.

60. BMX, scooters, gymnasts, mountain bikes and more are welcome for indoor fun at Woodward Tahoe.

61. Release the excess energy with axe throwing.

62. You’ll need to work together as a team to make it out of Trapped in Tahoe.

63. Bowling lanes on both ends of the Lake offer fun for everyone.

64. Go outside and just play with a good old-fashioned snowball fight.

65. Make a snowman or snow angel.

66. Warm up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate.

67. Make a backyard sled run or two.

68. Visit a local sled hill.

69. Tube at the local ski areas – the runs are long and fast, and some will even take you back to the top.

70. Go fishing. Winter is the best time for Mackinaw on Lake Tahoe. You’ll need a guide.

Drive around the Lake. Stop & take lots of pictures (be sure Emerald Bay is open first). Hint: Take our Sightseeing page in this edition with you.

Leave the driving to someone else. Book a tour with Around Tahoe Tours. 73. Drive through Cave Rock. Stop & take photos at Cave Rock State Park. 74. Visit the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village, Nev. 75. Visit the Gatekeeper’s Museum in Tahoe City to learn about local history. 76. Walk across the more than 100-year-old Tahoe Dam at Lake Tahoe’s only outlet. 77. Take the Aerial Tram to High Camp at Palisades Tahoe and visit the Olympic Museum. 78. Learn about local history and the Donner Party at Donner Memorial State Park’s visitor center and museum.

79. Visit the 104-year-old Pioneer Monument at Donner Memorial that commemorates the early pioneers that crossed the Sierra.

80. Visit the Museum of Truckee History and the Truckee Railroad Museum, both located at the Truckee Depot to learn about the town’s rich history.

81. Take a walking tour of historic downtown Truckee. Maps available at the visitor’s center in The Depot.

82. Take the Heavenly Gondola to the top of the mountain. The scenery is breathtaking.

83. Meander along Tahoe’s small towns and shopping areas to take it all in.

Make The Most Of Tahoe

84. Take in the fresh air and relax. Your vacation has finally started.

85. Take local transit. Free on-demand shuttles are offered through TART Connect (North Shore & Truckee), Lake Link (South Shore) and Mountaineer (Olympic Valley & Alpine Meadows).

86. Purchase non-plastic sleds (the plastic ones break and degrade into microplastics harming wildlife and waterways).

87. Pack out your litter, including your broken sleds. Carry trash bags with you. 88. Tip your servers and your guides. 89. STOP for pedestrians; they have the right of way. 90. Bag the poop and pack it out – yours and your dogs. Seriously. There are no magic forest gnomes picking up those doggie bags. 91. Practice the Leave No Trace Principles. 92. Help Save our Snow. Download the app and learn how to save our snowpack. 93. Take it slow. Drive slowly to protect pedestrians and enjoy the views. 94. Adopt a fire hydrant. Dig it out and keep your neighborhood safe (even if it’s your vacation home). 95. Dispose of ashes properly. 96. Ditch disposable water bottles. Buy a reusable one and Drink Tahoe Tap. 97. Purchase local art to remember your trip. 98. Find Tahoe Tessie. Download the AR game app. 99. Dine at a restaurant with views of Lake Tahoe. 100. Plan your next trip to Tahoe now.