Kirkwood Mountain Resort

Coordinates: 38°41′02″N 120°04′05″W / 38.684°N 120.068°W / 38.684; -120.068
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Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is located in California
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Location in California
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is located in the United States
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort (the United States)
LocationThimble Peak
Covered Wagon Peak
Alpine County, CA
Amador County, CA
Nearest major cityKirkwood, California
Coordinates38°41′02″N 120°04′05″W / 38.684°N 120.068°W / 38.684; -120.068
StatusOperating
OwnerVail Resorts
Vertical2,000 ft (610 m)
Top elevation9,800 ft (3,000 m)
Base elevation7,800 ft (2,400 m)
Skiable area2,300 acres (930 ha)
Trails65+ total
12% beginner
30% intermediate
58% advanced/expert
Longest run2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Lift system15 lifts (2 high speed quads, 1 fixed-grip quad, 6 triple chairs, 1 double chair, 1 surface lifts, 2 magic carpets)
Lift capacitypassengers/hr
Terrain parksBandit Park
Outlaw Park
Snowfall~500 in (1,300 cm)
Snowmakinglimited acreage
Night skiingNo
Websitewww.kirkwood.com

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 (53 km) 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[edit]

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 (1,200 cm), ranking behind only Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevada in terms of snow accumulation.[1] 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.[2]

History[edit]

Kirkwood opened in 1972 after year-round Caltrans snow plowing service began operations for Highway 88 (CA 88) in 1971.[3] 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[edit]

Vail Resorts, Inc. acquired Kirkwood Mountain Resort in April 2012.[4] Prior to 2012, Vail Resorts acquired two other resorts in the Tahoe region: Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tony Crocker "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved November 12, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Steve Yingling / Tahoe Daily Tribune. "North American Freeskiing Championships returns to Kirkwood". Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Kirkwood: A story of raw adventure and perseverance". Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  4. ^ "Vail Resorts To Acquire Kirkwood Mountain Resort" (Press release). February 22, 2012.

External links[edit]