California/Nevada - Coming to Tahoe for the first time (2024)

I think you mean Stateline, not “stateside” as “the place to be”. The answer is “Yes, but ...”

Adding more via edit, but don't have enough time to include much about skiing. I learned to ski at Heavenly in the early 1960s after a great-aunt bought a cabin a mile from CA/NV border so her, her sister and my grandmother would have a place to relax while on gambling bus trips to NV casinos. This was before there were Indian casinos in CA or a Nevada side to Heavenly.

In 2022-23 with good snowpack to CA bases, there was great, advanced/expert, storm powder skiing using high-speed Gunbarrel chair or 50-passenger tram. If you are there at the right time and have someone to show you the way, Firebreak is the best lift-served (side-country - you have to go through gate marked You May Die) powder run at Tahoe and has over 3K vertical. I skied it two days in a row in late Feb. 2024 when coverage was very thin at bottom, but first 2K was great powder.

In a season with a slow start like 2023-24, I skied 21 days at Kirkwood and 5 and Heavenly plus on my first day of the season I skied both areas, eating my lunch during drive, moving after skiing the only open Kirkwood lift on 12/4 twenty times. Some of the reason for so many days at Kirkwood is that it's closing to home (assuming road past it is open), allowing for shorter early morning drive, friend with cabin there got his place back from ski lease on 4/15 so I could stay there a few nights before 4/28 close and SNOW IS BETTER/DEEPER AND THEY RUN GOOD LIFTS DURING WINDY STORMS.

Other have asked similar questions here and on other sites that I responded to. I asked for their thoughts after staying at and skiing Heavenly, but it's almost June so it may be a while before they respond.

The big problem with the gondola, besides the morning rush and that most of the time you are downloading it (or skiing to CA base and taking free shuttle back to Stateline Transit Center, between/behind Margaritaville and Mariott Timber Lodge) so there is also an afternoon rush, is that it does not run if winds of 35 mph are predicted, then the shuttle to CA base cannot handle all the people staying near there without cars.

A smaller problem is that Raley’s grocery store near Stateline closed after 60 years in early 2023 before their lease ran out due to roof damage from snowload and Target which has groceries (but not as good as Raley’s) may not open there until 2025. There is a small Whole Foods on US-50/Lake Tahoe just past Ski Run Blvd and a usually very busy Safeway a half mile further. There is a less busy Safeway (with slot machines) at Elk Point Rd, 2 miles into NV on US-50.

Routes to CA base are steep enough during/after storms to require chains or 4WD with good tires, but it's not always enforced so they often get closed while stuck vehicles are removed. It looked like steeper back route to Heavenly CA base was blocked by barricade during storms in 2023-24. Heavenly CA bases (not NV so far) went to paid and reserved parking on weekends and holidays starting in 2023-24. See Heavenly Getting Here and Parking.

Heavenly has problematic lift layout that can be hard to figure out. I nearly always start from CA base as it's a mile from our cabin (a little further than gondola that I only start at if it's the only option and I would try to get dropped off), not using a main road. But if Sky chair is closed, you are stuck in CA and first Canyon chair, assuming it stays open, and then Powder Bowl chair will become overloaded. So while you can return to CA from NV from top of Olympic, Comet or Dipper (recommended although will be most crowded), you can only get to NV from CA from top of Sky chair using Skyline trail which is flat enough that you want to carry speed. I don’t have time to add a lot more about skiing at this time, but one of my favorite runs at Heavenly is Milky Way Bowl. It’s best using higher entrance from Skyline Trail but can also be reached from top of Dipper chair. It’s NE-facing so snow blows into it and over 9500’ elevation so snow stays good.

Stagecoach in NV is usually the last intermediate chair to stay open during storms, but parking fills there first of any base. They run shuttles between Boulder and Stagecoach bases and there is some lodging on shuttle routes near Stagecoach. But most restaurants, stores and the casinos are ~5 miles away and 1000' downhill on road that usually have less problems than getting to CA base, but not early in January 2024.

My friends stayed at Tahoe Seasons in early April 2023 and it was very reasonable. It is walking distance to CA tram (not gondola). The only nearby restaurant that is not onsite is Himmel House (German). Rates for 1 bedroom that has two separate sleeping area were under $100 the last three nights of Feb 2023. One bedroom units only have small fridge and microwave. I'm not sure about bigger units that should have kitchen or if some of the units have not been remodeled and still have hot tubs in living room.

The more expensive places to stay are on the gondola side of US-50/Lake Tahoe Blvd. On less expensive (other than Zalanta) side, besides Stardust Lodge that @Spnole stays in penthouse at annually and @Pat AKA mustski mentioned, others I know have stayed at Station House (a little further but nice hot tub and free breakfast) or Bluelake Inn (closer to gondola, lower end). There are a lot of restaurants on Heavenly Village/gondola side of highway. I recommend Libation Lodge, Stateline location of South Lake Brewing for happy hour and McPs Taphouse for pub dinner, often followed by music and ski area promotions.

California/Nevada - Coming to Tahoe for the first time (2024)

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