A short guide to Tahoe

When to Come

The season generally runs from the first reliable storms in December through early April, with the deepest base in February and March. Weekdays are quiet. Saturdays after a storm are the busiest the roads get all year, and leaving before eight or after two saves an hour either way.

Getting to the North Shore

• •Reno (RNO) is the closest airport, with direct flights from most major US cities and roughly an hour and a quarter to Tahoe City via I-80.
• •Sacramento (SMF) is about two hours, and often cheaper.
• •San Francisco (SFO) is three and a half to four hours, and the right choice for an international connection.

Winter Driving

Carry chains between November and April. Caltrans posts chain controls on I-80 and Highway 89 during and after storms, and they are enforced. Highway 89 around Emerald Bay closes routinely after six inches or more of new snow, which means the only route between the north and south shores is counter-clockwise through Incline Village. Plan an extra hour when the forecast is heavy.

Tahoe City

The town sits where the lake drains into the Truckee River, about five minutes north of us on Highway 89. It has the groceries, the gear shops, the coffee and the rentals you'd want within a couple of blocks, and it's the practical base for the whole west shore.

Where We Fit

Granlibakken Tahoe is the small hill at the end of its own road just south of town. It's where north-shore families teach their kids to ski before they graduate to the big resorts, and where a group of mixed abilities can all have the same good day. Find us on the map.