Kirkwood Mountain Resort Reviews

Lots of steep and technical terrain. It's pretty much the front side and back side of a large open bowl. Although there is terrain for all ability levels, the resort is definitely for the more advanced an expert skier or snowboarder. The lift on the main side basically access giant one wall of terrain from different angles and allow the rider to choose the difficulty and aspect. Along this wall there are many different ways that to desend and they are all great. The resort is littered with little shoots and rock features that make it a lot of fun. There is also plenty of terrain to access by hiking or by traversing from the top of a lift. On the side of the main Resort there's a beginner area that mostly consists of where the bowl flattens out.There isn't a lot of Hotel lodging but a lot of condos. There are only a few places to eat but they're all good. All of the lifts are fixed grip except for one. This place is excellent on a powder day or if you're just looking to ski some really good challenging Terrain. If you are a fan of cornice drops this place is an absolute must. This is a classic little Ski Resort that offers a ton of fun in one package. I am a huge fan and I cannot wait to go back.

Eye popping snow capped mountain resort. Opening day was last Saturday.

Short lines and amazing, diverse terrain. Please stay at Heavenly don t come here!

I really like Kirkwood and especially their lifts. It's a great place to have a vacation at.

Expensive but glad to have a bathroom and opportunity to buy coffee on the mountain in the summer

Wow! Wow! Wow! Epic Snow and Beyond Epic service. The employees are awesome!

hidden tahoe gem. not nearly as crowded as other south shore resorts.

Somewhat limited inventory during the summer but you just might something interesting, so take a stroll around the store.

Wonderful experience. Bluebird skies, no lift lines, free parking. Still has the old school ski are vibe.

Hands down the best resort in Tahoe. Variety of terrain from beginner to expert. With the base at 7,800 feet snow conditions are great most of the time. It's acts like a catchers mitt during winter storms and if you are lucky enough to be on the mountain you will have the most amazing powder days of your life! Rarely a lift lines. Family friendly. Lodging nearby.

Great snow, small or no crowds, beautiful views, friendly staff.

Kirkwood always has the shortest lift lines, most snow, and the most courteous staff.

Don't go there. It's terrible. And I don't want longer lift lines :)

Best resort in Tahoe.

Kirkwood ski resort has a lot of good runs for both beginners and experts! A great place to go for family vacations.

I remember this resort from 20 years ago. Still love it, just wish there were more high speed lifts.

Kirkwood is off the beaten path. It offers stellar skiing and boarding, with many options for intermediate skiiers and enough to keep the expert skiier entertained. It is rarely as crowded as Northstar or Heavenly (the other Vail offerings in the area), but also lacks the amenities they provide - you will not find things like movie theaters and ice rinks here. Sometimes it is even challenging to find apres-ski, much less a nightlife. The instructors and staff are knowledgeable and friendly, if a little disorganized. Overall, our family's favorite place to ski.

Fantastic terrain and non crowds on a holiday weekend

Great runs, Kirkwood made every effort to open and keep open lifts despite the weather. Good website for lift status and conditions

Just skied, conditions were decent. Could have used more grooming

Best ski terrain in Tahoe for advanced skiers. Well developed beginner area, but only slow lifts to serve intermediate terrain.

Great skiing for the advanced skier. Trees, moguls, gulches and normally good snow conditions.

Mountain is great to ski... if you can Actually get to ski there... Yesterday they had chairs 5 and 11 open but somehow today they couldn't open even chair 5. it is nearly impossible due no parking or lack of staff to operate the mountain and open lifts.
Corporation is pretty much not concerned about letting you ride. only making money renting or selling u one of their properties. so you probably won't get parking as they are pushing their lodging more then snow in parking lot!

Awesome ski trip! Kirkwood has the best snow in Tahoe.

Great snow, challenging slopes, short lines even on the busiest day of the year.

Fun resort with kind staff. Only downside is really small indoor dining/lounge area.

Best snow at Tahoe by far! Amazing terrain and no lift lines.

Best terrain, good folks, hard not to enjoy yourself. not a place for rookies, yuppies and other fancy types....

When Tahoe conditions are so/so, the wood is usually better. Love the varied terrain and easily accessible steeps and gullies.

This is the best mountain in Tahoe. Lines are short and and terrain is great for more advanced skiing.

It was really nice and expensive in all the food products but the rooms are fair priced

It's a good place to ski with family. Weekdays are great time to hit the slope if you're learning, as there aren't many people around. Parking was easy as we came in early on a weekday. Staff was particularly nice and friendly. Snow was well groomed in the morning. Great location overall.

What an amazing Mountain. Love the vibe. And definitely a challenging Mountain. Small in comparison but it comes with punch. Double Diamonds and below. Try the Wall and the Wave for the more experineced. Great lines.

Kirkwood is my favorite ski resort in the Lake Tahoe area. It's at a higher elevation than most of the other resorts, and tends to get a bit more snow. It's a little off the beaten path to the south of Lake Tahoe, so the crowds aren't the worse. It's an expensive resort to ski at, but I guess so are all ski resort.

Good place for families learning the sport. Excellent instructors (Timber creek) for both children and adults. The pre-enrollment of lessons worked well. The Blues and Greens off of chair 9 and 7 made for a fun day for our novice family.

Best snow in Tahoe, but tends to have bad traffic if it's snowing. Make sure to check if the road is closed before heading up.

Skiing was awesome! Runs were great! Easily spend the whole day and not do the same run twice! Excellent facilities and food too.

We had such a wonderful weekend! The ski instructor was thorough and mostly patient. The staff was helpful, especially when my daughter and I were getting the hang of the lifts. After a couple of hours I was flying down the slopes!!

Our cabin was in South Lake Tahoe, so I am not sure if it would make sense to travel this far, but if I had to rent lodging, I would stay closer and definitely return.

The outside bar was busy and not my favorite, but I went for the ski experience and it exceeded my expectations.

My favorite resort with an excellent variety of skiing (moguls, trees, combed runs, green circles to double black diamonds) and big enough to not be able to cover the entire mountain in one day. But, be prepared to drive to get there.

Lovely smaller resort with many great lines to take. The powder can get super deep, but also subject to frequent road closures

Huge ski area. Needed more snow to ski everything. Few lines on Friday. Steeps! Will go back.

This resort is ridiculous. They upgrade my double queen to a suite with only two sofa bed. Never come again.

Not a great place to stay, but a great place to visit.

Excellent clean, well laid-out resort, village, and ski runs close to each. Reasonable food/beverage pricing. Open air bar directly located by shops and lifts in middle of action!!

A great skiing destination for medium and advanced skiers. They are less stringent than other resorts hence you can wander around and ski off trail. The views from the top are magnificent. Less shopping and evening eating choices as the resort is tucked away by itself, but that might be an upside for some folks. Lots of lodging choices on the resort itself.

If I could give it more stars I would! My favorite ski resort for 13+ years now and it never seems to get old!

Kirkwood has the best snow often, however it's very far and there really aren't good accommodations unless you are staying there, you'll have to put your boots on in the lot. It can get skied out quickly as the mountain is smaller, but the terrain is really fun.

Kirkwood is great. Not as fancy as the other Vail resorts in terms of food or lodging so it's a bit more low key in that aspect but it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's got amazing snow, terrain and variety.

Great mountain for every level of skiing. It's big enough to have options, but not so big that you easily get lost.

Awesome skiing, more suited for advanced skiers though

Lift lines were over 2 hrs long, so was unable to go skiing for the day. Many others in the line also ended up leaving.

Always a great experience. No or short lift lines. Great terrain. Friendly staff. If you can do without a view of Lake Tahoe, check it out!

Another resort that must get inches and centimeters mixed up. 18 inches of coverage at the base means dirt and rocks on all trails...

The season just started, and everyone on the mountain is friendly and helpful. The runs are enjoyable too!

Nice place. Visited during the summer. Big lodge. Relaxing atmosphere. Haven't been there during ski season when it's much busier.

The secrets of Kirkwood are less crowds and a shorter drive up from the San Francisco Bay area. Big enough mountain for diverse terrain and small enough that you'll remember your favorite chair lifts by name: Reut, Solitude, Cornice, Sunrise. On deep powder days even the intimidating double diamond "The Wall" is fun and beautiful.

Only one lift was operational on the day I went. It had rained the day before and there were water all over most of the other lifts. They also opened only at 12.

The staff was extremely helpful and nice, and the slopes we're well maintained, but high winds shut down a large number of slopes. I am not sure how often winds are an issue, but be sure to check the wind forecast in advance of a trip.

Great mom and pop mountain to ski at all levels. All though now owned by Vail, still same place. Love the double black expert runs throughout.