Where is the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort?

Palisades Lake Tahoe has two main parts to it: the Olympic Valley side which was formerly known as Squaw Valley and is often referred to as Palisades Tahoe; and the Alpine Meadows. Alpine Meadows is just over the back of Olympic Valley, but by road it’s 6 miles away. There are regular complimentary buses between Palisades and Alpine or you can get the gondola between the two areas.

The Olympic Valley side of Palisades Tahoe is 11 miles SSW of the town of Truckee, and 7 miles northwest of Tahoe City, which sits on the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe in California.

Flying

The closest airport is the Reno Tahoe International Airport, which is 49 miles to the northeast; about a one hour drive away. There are frequent shuttle services between the Reno Airport and Palisades Tahoe which can be organized as part of a Palisades Tahoe ski package.

Palisades Tahoe is 208 miles northeast of the San Francisco International Airport via Interstate-80.

Driving to Palisades Tahoe

By rental car, Palisades Tahoe Resort is an easy one hour drive from Reno down the I80 interstate and Highway 89. From San Francisco it is about a 3.5 hour drive, again along the I80, but from the opposite direction. If the weather is snowy, check road conditions because the I80 is sometimes closed.

On powder days in particular, the traffic can be horrendous and even just driving from Truckee or Tahoe City can take a long time.

Buses to Palisades Tahoe

There are a few companies that run bus trips from San Francisco and Sacramento to the Tahoe area including Palisades Tahoe.

Getting Around Lake Tahoe

The public transport systems around Tahoe are pretty well developed, particularly along the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe. The local transport in the valley and surrounding areas includes the wide range of bus shuttles between the towns and the resorts provided by TART (Tahoe Area Regional Transit). This includes transportation from Tahoe City and Truckee to get to Palisades.

TART Connect also runs an on-demand shuttle service, and Uber and Lyft also do a roaring trade around the North Tahoe area.

If you have a car and intend travelling to other ski hills or attractions, we recommend driving a 4WD given the heavy snowfalls that can occur in the Lake Tahoe area. Be aware that standard vehicles rented in San Francisco may not be winterised and skierised.

Other Ski Resorts Nearby

Palisades Tahoe is close to several other Lake Tahoe ski resorts.

Homewood, the place to go when the storms are at their most ferocious, is 14 miles (20 minutes) away along the western shore of Lake Tahoe. It has cracking tree skiing when the snow is puking down.

Northstar is another top spot for tree skiing when it’s stormy and a place to escape the powder day craziness of Palisades. It is located past Truckee, about 30 minutes drive away. Sugar Bowl is also near Truckee, 20 miles away from Palisades Tahoe.

Heavenly Ski Resort, the place to ski and party, is 40 miles away at the southern end of Lake Tahoe.