Kirkwood Mountain Resort
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| Kirkwood Mountain Resort | |
|---|---|
| Location: | |
| Nearest city: | South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada |
| Top elevation: | 9,800 feet (2,987 meters) |
| Base elevation: | 7,800 feet (2,377 meters) |
| Skiable area: | 2,300 (930 hectares) |
| Runs: | 65 |
| Longest run: | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) |
| Lift system: | 12 lifts (2 high speed quads, 1 fixed quad, 6 triple chairs, 1 double chair, 2 surface lifts) |
| Terrain parks: | 3 |
| Snowfall: | 500 in (1270 cm) |
| Web site: | Official Site |
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a ski and snowboard resort in Kirkwood, California to the south of Lake Tahoe. Kirkwood is one of the larger resorts in the Lake Tahoe region, and is well known for having one of the highest average snowfalls and a broad selection of advanced terrain. The mountain is unique in that it has 2 miles of ridgeline at the top. This makes Kirkwood popular for cliff drops and cornice skiing. Kirkwood received an impressive 804 inches (20 meter) of snow during the 2005 / 2006 ski season. Kirkwood is approximately 33 miles (53 km) south of Stateline, Nevada and South Lake Tahoe on State Route 88 and is contained within the Eldorado National Forest. The majority of the ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe region are on the northern end of the lake, near Truckee, California and Reno, Nevada. Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly are located on the southern side of the lake, approximately 80 miles (129 km) from Reno.
For most of its history, Kirkwood was not a 'destination' ski resort, and did not have a large selection of accommodations for customers to stay multiple days. Within the last several years, multiple condominium and time-share projects have been completed which have greatly increased the amount of housing at the resort, although rooms are typically over $150/night (2007). Cheaper accommodations (around $50/night and up) can be found in South Lake Tahoe, about 45 minutes away.
The Kirkwood Ski Education Foundation (Kirkwood Ski Team), can be seen training on most days at Kirkwood. KSEF offers numerous programs for any age/ability. The Mighty Mite and Star teams are for ages 5-12 and do mostly free skiing every weekend, but also introducing the athletes to different drills and skiing techniques that can be useful for a future in ski racing.
Kirkwood is a popular resort for alpine snowboarding (carving), due to relatively low crowds, dry snow and consistent grooming.
In the summer months, Kirkwood is a popular destination for mountain biking and hiking. Well known mountain biking trails such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride are nearby.
