Kirkwood Mountain Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirkwood Mountain Resort |
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 Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Location in California
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Location in the United States
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| Location | Thimble Peak Covered Wagon Peak Alpine County, CA Amador County, CA |
| Nearest city | Kirkwood, California |
| Coordinates | 38°41′02″N 120°04′05″W / 38.684°N 120.068°W |
| Vertical | 2,000 ft (610 m) |
| Top elevation | 9,800 ft (3,000 m) |
| Base elevation | 7,800 ft (2,400 m) |
| Skiable area | 2,300 acres (930 ha) |
| Runs | 65+ total 12% beginner 30% intermediate 58% advanced/expert |
| Longest run | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) |
| Lift system | 15 lifts (2 high speed quads, 1 fixed-grip quad, 6 triple chairs, 1 double chair, 1 surface lifts, 2 magic carpets) |
| Lift capacity | passengers/hr |
| Terrain parks | Bandit Park Outlaw Park |
| Snowfall | ~500 in (1,300 cm) |
| Snowmaking | limited acreage |
| Night skiing | None |
| Website | www.kirkwood.com |
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a fun place to visit all year round. It is located in Kirkwood, California, south of Lake Tahoe. In winter, it's a popular spot for skiing and snowboarding. When summer arrives, people enjoy hiking and mountain biking here.
Kirkwood is one of the bigger resorts in the area. It's famous for getting a lot of snow each year. It also has many challenging slopes for advanced skiers. The top of the mountain has a long, flat ridge about 2 miles (3.2 km) long. This makes Kirkwood a great place for exciting jumps and drops. For example, during the 2005-2006 ski season, Kirkwood received an amazing 804 inches (2042 cm) of snow! On average, it gets about 472 inches (1199 cm) of snow each season. This is second only to Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Kirkwood is about 33 miles (53 km) south of South Lake Tahoe, California. It is part of the Eldorado National Forest.
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Winter Fun: Skiing and Snowboarding
Kirkwood offers many trails for skiing and snowboarding. In the 2008-2009 season, two new surface lifts were added. These lifts help skiers reach areas that used to require a hike. These areas are called Vista Ridge and Fawn Ridge. You can often find these lifts running a few days after a big snowstorm.
Ski Training Programs
The Kirkwood Ski Education Foundation (KSEF) helps young skiers learn and improve. Their ski team trains early in the morning before the lifts open to everyone. KSEF has many programs for different ages and skill levels. For example, the development team practices free-skiing on weekends. They also work on basic skiing skills. The race team focuses on becoming better at ski racing.
Freeskiing Championships
Kirkwood has even hosted big events! In 2009 and 2010, it was home to a part of the North American Freeskiing Championships. This exciting competition took place in an area called "Cirque," which is usually closed to the public.
Summer Fun: Biking and Hiking
When the snow melts, Kirkwood becomes a great place for summer activities. Many people come here for mountain biking and hiking.
Mountain Biking Trails
Some well-known mountain biking trails, like "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," are very close by. From early July to early September, chairlifts #1 and #2 are open. This means you can take your bike up the mountain and ride down most of the front-side trails. There's also a special trials course near the base of chair #1. You can rent bikes if you don't have your own. It's a good idea to reserve bikes 2 or 3 days in advance. Sometimes, big groups rent all the bikes before the lifts even open! They offer different types of bikes, including lighter downhill bikes and heavy-duty ones.
Other Summer Activities
Hikers also enjoy the downhill trails in the mornings. You can buy lift tickets to ride up. However, there is no charge if you want to ride your bike up the mountain yourself. Kirkwood also has a gym with a pool and spa. You can use these if you have a membership or rent a room. There's also a climbing wall and a ropes course. Plus, there's a free disc golf course for everyone to enjoy!
Where to Stay: Facilities
In recent years, many new places to stay have been built at Kirkwood. These include condominiums and time-share properties. This means you can find comfortable lodging right at the resort.
A Brief History of Kirkwood
Kirkwood is one of the newer ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area. It opened later than others mainly because it was harder to reach. The mountain passes made travel difficult. Also, it's over 30 miles (48 km) from South Lake Tahoe. However, in 1971, Highway 88 was opened for year-round travel. Snowplows from Caltrans kept the road clear. Because of this new road, Kirkwood was able to open for business in 1972.
Who Owns Kirkwood?
Vail Resorts, Inc. bought Kirkwood Mountain Resort in April 2012. Vail Resorts also owns two other resorts in the Tahoe area: Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California. After Vail Resorts bought those other resorts, they made many big improvements. When they bought Kirkwood, there were no immediate plans for upgrades.
