Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Kirkwood, California, south of Lake Tahoe. The resort focuses on skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and mountain-biking in the summer. Located approximately 33 mi south of South Lake Tahoe, California, Kirkwood is accessible via State Route 88 and is nestled within the Eldorado National Forest. While most of the region's resorts are situated at the northern end of the lake, near Truckee, California, Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly Mountain Resort are found on the southern side of the lake.

Skiing and snowboarding

Kirkwood is a resort with an average of high snowfalls and a selection of advanced skiing terrain. The resort receives seasonal snowfall is 472 in, ranking behind only Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevada in terms of snow accumulation. Two new surface tows were introduced at Kirkwood during the 2008–2009 season to provide skiers and snowboarders with greater access to terrain along Vista Ridge and Fawn Ridge. Kirkwood hosted a leg of the North American Freeskiing Championships in 2009 and 2010. This is an event that showcases top freeskiers competing in challenging terrain.

History

Kirkwood opened in 1972 after year-round Caltrans snow plowing service began operations for Highway 88 (CA 88) in 1971. This all-weather highway connects the resort to the populated western regions of California. Kirkwood Mountain Resort is one of the more recent ski resorts to open in the Lake Tahoe region.

Ownership

Vail Resorts, Inc. acquired Kirkwood Mountain Resort in April 2012. Prior to 2012, Vail Resorts acquired two other resorts in the Tahoe region: Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California.