Tahoe: KT-22, Alpine and a table at Le Chamois
BADLAP editorial
Powder skiing off Treeline Cirque at Alpine Meadows, with Lake Tahoe below. Photo: Palisades Tahoe.
KT-22 puts steep skiing right above the village. Headwall adds chutes and bowls; across at Alpine, Summit opens onto a different arrangement of bowls, faces and groomers. Palisades and Alpine are enough for a trip of their own.
For a three-day North Tahoe trip, split your time between these two mountains. Palisades and Alpine share a 6,000-acre footprint. You do not need another resort to fill three days.
KT, Headwall, then a day at Alpine
The resort's terrain overview gives KT-22 roughly 2,000 vertical feet of chutes, exposed faces and bowls, with names including the West Face and McConkey's. Headwall is another focus for steep terrain. Access depends on openings and snow conditions.
At Alpine, put Summit and Alpine Bowl on your map. The upper mountain combines open bowls with groomed options, while Beaver and Estelle add hike-to terrain when access permits. Give Alpine a full day. The Base to Base Gondola connects the mountains, which is useful when you want to change mountains without moving the car.
Our pick for a first visit is a Palisades day followed by an Alpine day, with the third left open for whichever terrain you want more of. Reverse that order when the operating report suggests it. This is a resort itinerary; hike-to and expert terrain still require appropriate ability and an open route.
Two very good reasons to stop at the base
Le Chamois & Loft Bar is the pizza-and-beer option at 1960 Olympic Valley Road, behind Parallel Sport Shop. Make it the first stop after skiing. Confirm its winter reopening before you go.
For a pub evening, the resort's 2026 dining guide lists The Auld Dubliner in the village, with Irish food, whiskey and beer. Chamois for afternoon pizza, the Dub for dinner.
Where to base the trip
Stay in Olympic Valley for skiing followed by village après. Alpine is the alternative starting base for a day focused on its terrain. If staying in Truckee or Tahoe City, include the mountain transfer in the accommodation comparison. Palisades lists Park and Ride options from both, plus local Mountaineer and TART Connect services; check the winter route serving your address.
The one logistical detail worth sorting early: 2026/27 parking reservations are required before 1pm on weekends and selected holidays. Most spaces are free; a limited advance allocation is $30. Non-holiday weekdays need no reservation, and after 1pm parking is free without one as space permits. Reserve the car's spot, then get back to choosing a mountain.
Prepared for winter 2026/27. Confirm terrain openings, winter transit and venue schedules before travel.
More places to ski: read the BADLAP journal.
After the lifts close: the Tahoe After Hours guide.