SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Nov. 18, 2020 – Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California Resort will open for the 2020-21 winter season this Friday, Nov. 20. Opening Day and week-of reservations for Heavenly and Northstar began today. Pass holders can make early-season reservations from Nov. 20-29 for Heavenly and Northstar.
Priority Reservation Days for the core season (Dec. 8-April 4) for Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood are also available for pass holders. For more information and to make reservations, guests should visit EpicPass.com.
Heavenly and Northstar will follow the State of California’s guidance for indoor dining within the state’s Purple Tier and there will be no indoor dining offered at either resort. While the resorts will not offer any indoor dining options until further notice, both resorts will have grab and go food options available for outdoor consumption. Restrooms will be open with limited capacity. Heavenly and Northstar encourage guests to bring their own water, food and snacks.
Heavenly will have beginner and intermediate trails open for skiing and snowboarding with Patsy’s, Maggie’s and Ridge Run trails open. Skiers and riders must use the California Base Area to access the mountain, with the Gunbarrel Express, Heavenly Tram, Powderbowl Express, Canyon Express and Patsy’s chairlifts opening at 8:30 a.m. To begin the season, there will be no skiing or snowboarding access from the Heavenly Gondola.
The Heavenly Gondola will open for sightseeing on Friday Nov. 20, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 3. The ticket window will be open at 9:30 a.m. Beginning Dec. 4, sightseeing will be open based upon availability determined day-of and will have reduced hours of operation, with day-of purchase beginning at 11 a.m. to prioritize skiers and riders. There will be no online purchase option for sightseeing and guests much purchase at the Gondola Ticket Windows.
Northstar will open with a variety of beginner trails: Lumber Jack, Skid Trail and Upper and Lower Main Street. Skiers and riders will access trails using the Big Springs Express Gondola, Highlands Gondola, Vista Express, Arrow Express and The Big Easy chairlifts. Opening day will begin at 8:30 a.m. and guests can enjoy the mountain until 4 p.m.
Heavenly and Northstar will continue to expand and open terrain as conditions allow. Kirkwood Mountain Resort is planning to open on Friday, Dec. 4. Guests are encouraged to visit SkiHeavenly.com, NorthstarCalifornia.com and Kirkwood.com for updates on terrain, conditions, and our approach to safety this winter.
Early Season Conditions
With limited early season terrain, skiers and riders can expect certain days to book up and as resorts expand terrain, they will be able to accommodate more guests. Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood require all skiers and riders to observe all posted signs and warnings. Closed trails may contain hazards due to limited natural snow coverage and snowmaking operations. For the safety of all guests, please keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
Epic Pass Provides Exclusive Early Season Access for Pass Holders
Prices for Epic Pass options will increase on Sunday, Nov. 22. With Tahoe resort openings just around the corner, Vail Resorts Epic Pass holders get the mountains to themselves with exclusive early season access through Dec. 7 with any Epic Pass product, including the Tahoe Local Pass, Tahoe Value Pass or an Epic Day Pass.
Additional Resources:
A letter from CEO Rob Katz on our approach to winter
Pass holder reservation details
Latest updates on about the upcoming winter season at Heavenly
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Media Note: Photos available for media use, please click links for Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood images.
Media Contacts: Russell Carlton, rcarlton@vailresorts.com, Joanna McWilliams, Jlmcwilliams@vailresorts.com, Susan Whitman, Sswhitman@vailresorts.com
About the #TahoeTrifecta: Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood
The #TahoeTrifecta offers skiers and riders three world-class resorts with more than 10,000 acres of terrain to explore and endless possibilities for on-mountain fun and incomparable après and dining options. All three resorts are located throughout the Lake Tahoe region, making multi-mountain ski trips accessible for travelers. Heavenly is the social Lake Tahoe mountain playground with truly inspiring beauty that spans two states (California and Nevada); Northstar is California’s relaxed luxury destination offering attentive focus on creating timeless moments and peace of mind for every guest, in a pristine setting with top-tier amenities; and Kirkwood is the California resort that provides a pure mountain escape with an authentic community of like-minded skiers and riders that make it their winter escape.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 37 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.