The Skiers' Guide to Heavenly

Very good terrain when there is snow, but gets very crowded and the groomers get packed when they is not snow. Food and drink too expensive for value.

Heavenly had amazing views from wide open groomers. Great intermediate skiing with short lift lines. My boyfriend said the tree groves were great just needed more coverage for good off piste

Heavenly is a 10/10 ski resort, great lodging options, great food options, varied runs, and keeps you up to date constantly!

Loved the skiing, amazing views across lake tahoe in California and the great basin desert of Nevada a truly unique experience. As with all things in America getting around by car is really the only way. Great area for all types of skiers, borders and non-skiers (with a car) although don't expect that European apre ski time. There is public transport to and from the various accommodation areas to the ski area and central hubs and a large car park but make sure you book in advance as it can sell out in peak times.

Such a big mountain, perfect for beginners and advanced boarders or skiers. Multiple lodges with great food and beverage options. Whether you choose the California or Nevada side to start your day, it is super easy to traverse the mountain!

Heavenly and Tahoe need more snow! Tree skiing is usually phenomenal and powder good when there is snow.

Over all they have great runs and the food wasn’t too bad. It was a bit windy when we went so we had to cut the day short. But overall had a great time

Great all around mountain. Not a ton of beginner terrain which is nice. Big enough to escape the crowds and find fresh powder even a few days after a storm

Good for beginners/intermediate. Needs a lot of snow for advanced terrain, which doesn't happen every year

Not a lot of snow in California this winter (so far) we’ve had one good storm leaving heavenly with a decent base layer. Their snowmaking is is top notch and provided some decent powder sections on their runs. Their park sections aren’t great and only two small sections on the entire resort. It always feels more like a skier’s mountain here. Crowds weee low being the middle of the week - no waits on the lifts. Their alcohol is pretty pricey - cocktail $20. We enjoy coming to heavenly though for the town and easy access to the gondola. There are a ton of hotels at different price points, but if it’s in your budget it’s great walking outside and straight on the gondola.

I went over Valentine's Day weekend and it was a ton of fun. I was skiing with two friends and had a great time

Pros: large resort, modern detachable lifts (mostly), 3 base areas, decent snow quality, many mogul runs, trees etc, family friendly resort.

Cons: extremely complex navigation, many "valleys" from which getting out is hard, not good enough parks for different levels. Large crowds in some areas, not enough challenging terrain, no bowls, quite a few flat traverse areas.

This place has so many blue runs and we had a lot of fun exploring the mountain from east to west.
The ski school at the California Lodge was amazing, they made my kids a special vega lunch and they learnt a lot! The ski school on the other side at the Gondola was a different experience, they started very late and were back teaching them how to put skis on and not focusing on building the skills they already had. They also didn’t get a lunch because they were vegan so finished the day hungry, cold and tired.
We always rent from the California Lodge and the gear was exceptionally good this year. I got to try the Nordica back fastening boots which were so comfortable!
Loft lines after the holidays were no problem at all. I wish they had vegan options at the restaurants on the mountain.

My friend and I visited Heavenly over MLK weekend and we had such a great time exploring the village and eating at the amazing restaurants in the area. We tried Hell’s Kitchen 10/10, Saltgrass Steak House 4/10, and Wolf 1000/10. The views from the gondola are gorgeous of the lake and snow covered mountains. I am a beginner snowboarder and this is not a beginner friendly resort. They do not have a lot of green runs and the blue runs that I went on were narrow with lots of cat walks which is not fun for any snowboarder. Overall we had a great time and the nightlife was excellent. Would definitely come back once I’m a more experienced snowboarder to hit the slopes!!

Heavenly is a great resort with a lovely village. It is quite pricey, but the views are incredible and runs are very fun especially if a storm blows through!

Poorly designed resort with multiple flat traverses required to navigate the mountain. Very crowded greens and blues, but great powder hiding in blacks and trees

Great place, easy access. California and Nevada sides. Many lifts,runs. A great gondola to restraunt at top. Super accomodations!

This is my home mountain. It has amazing views you can’t get anywhere else. The skiing is fun when it’s not busy. Lots of tourists ski here. This is not a beginner friendly mountain.

It was our first time skiing when we went to Heavenly Ski Resort. It was nothing short of amazing. We booked lessons the instructor was very kind and dedicated. We learned a lot for a very short (2 hour) class that we felt confident enough to do runs on a bunny hill. We went back this December and we were able to ski the bunny hills even better and felt like we were finally getting good at least. There were a lot of beginner friendly areas. I highly recommend this place to beginners especially their ski lessons.

Very low snow
limited terrain
No off piest runs tree or powder
Warm 51 F man-made low storm activity in Tahoe Sierra Nevada