Palisades Tahoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palisades Tahoe |
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The Village at Palisades Tahoe, July 2007
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 Palisades Tahoe
Location in the United States
Palisades Tahoe
Location in California
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| Location | 1960 Olympic Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA |
| Nearest city | Truckee, California Reno, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 39°11′46″N 120°14′06″W / 39.196°N 120.235°W |
| Vertical | 2,850 ft (870 m) |
| Top elevation | 9,050 ft (2,760 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,200 ft (1,890 m) |
| Skiable area | 3,600 acres (1,456.9 ha; 14.6 km2) |
| Runs | 177+ |
| Longest run | 3.2 miles (5.1 km) Mountain Run |
| Lift system | 30 |
| Lift capacity | 58,000 per hour |
| Terrain parks | Yes, 2 |
| Snowfall | 400 in (1,020 cm) |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Night skiing | No |
Palisades Tahoe is a super fun ski resort in the western United States. You can find it in Olympic Valley, California, nestled in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. It's northwest of Tahoe City.
It opened way back in 1949 and was first called Squaw Valley. But in 2021, the resort changed its name to Palisades Tahoe. This was because the old name used a word that many Native Americans found offensive. Guess what? It even hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics!
Palisades Tahoe is the biggest ski area around Lake Tahoe. It's famous for its exciting and sometimes tricky ski runs! The resort has a base that is 6,200 feet (1,890 meters) high. It offers 3,600 acres (1,500 hectares) of skiable land across six different peaks. To get around, there are 23 chairlifts, four carpet lifts, a tramway, and a gondola. This gondola connects it to another ski area called Alpine Meadows. Palisades Tahoe also has the only funitel in the United States! The highest point is 9,010 ft (2,750 m) at Granite Chief. On average, it gets 400 inches (33.3 feet; 10.2 meters) of snow each year. About 600,000 skiers visit every year. The resort also hosts fun summer events.
The 1960 Olympics made the resort very famous. Over the years, it had different owners. In 2012, it joined with nearby Alpine Meadows. Together, they became Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. This meant skiers could access 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of terrain with 43 lifts and over 270 runs!
Contents
A Look Back: History of Palisades Tahoe
How the Resort Was Built
A former star skier named Wayne Poulsen bought the first 2,000 acres (810 ha) of land for the resort. This was from the Southern Pacific Railroad. Wayne had skied in the area before. In 1931, he even placed third at an Olympic tryout nearby!
Later, a man named Alexander Cushing fell in love with Lake Tahoe. He visited the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1946. After some disagreements about the resort's future, Cushing took charge. He became the chairman of the Squaw Valley Ski Corporation. The resort officially opened in 1949. Cushing stayed in charge until he passed away.
Hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics
Palisades Tahoe became very successful after hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics. This was all thanks to Alexander Cushing's hard work! At first, Innsbruck, Austria, was the top choice for the Olympics. But in 1955, Cushing convinced the International Olympic Committee in Paris. He showed them a small model of his planned Olympic site. He won the bid!
The 1960 Winter Olympics were special. They were the first to be shown live on TV! This meant millions of people could watch the games as they happened.
During the Olympics, Palisades Tahoe was named a California Historical Landmark. A special marker was placed there. It called Palisades Tahoe a "Pioneer Ski Area of America." The marker celebrated 100 years of organized skiing in the Sierra Nevada.
Palisades Tahoe also hosted World Cup ski races in 1969. Skiers competed in slalom and giant slalom events. American skier Billy Kidd won the men's slalom race! That year, Palisades Tahoe had a record amount of snow. Over eight feet (2.4 m) of new snow fell, which even canceled some of the downhill races.
Changes in Ownership
In 1971, the state decided to sell Squaw Valley because it was losing money. An Australian company, Mainline Corporation, bought it for $25 million. But in 1974, that company had problems and Squaw Valley was for sale again.
In 1978, a sad accident happened at Squaw Valley. The tram came off its cables. Four people died and 31 were hurt.
Later, in 2010, a company called KSL Capital Partners bought Squaw Valley. In 2011, they announced that Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski Resort would join together. This meant they would have the same owners and management. A year later, they officially merged under the name Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. They offered joint lift tickets and free shuttles between the two resorts. This allowed them to work as one, but still keep their unique styles. In 2017, KSL Capital joined with another company to form Alterra Mountain Company. This company then became the main owner of Squaw Valley.
Connecting to Alpine Meadows
Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, LLC wanted to connect to the Alpine Meadows resort. They planned a "Base-to-Base" gondola.
Some groups, like Sierra Watch, worried this gondola would harm the Granite Chief Wilderness area. In 2019, they even filed a lawsuit. But in 2020, they dropped the lawsuit. This was after Squaw Valley promised to protect the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog.
The gondola was built and opened in 2022. It now connects Palisades Tahoe with Alpine Meadows. It even crosses through a private ski area called White Wolf Mountain.
Why the Name Changed
The word "squaw" is now seen as offensive by many Native Americans. The Washoe tribe, who are native to the Lake Tahoe area, spoke out against its use. Because of this, the resort announced on August 25, 2020, that it would change its name.
Ron Cohen, the resort president, said they loved their history. But he also said there was strong proof that the word "squaw" was offensive. The new name, Palisades Tahoe, was officially announced on September 13, 2021. The Washoe tribe was very happy about this change.
Since then, the ski resort and the Washoe tribe have been working together. They teach resort guests about Washoe culture. The resort now offers a Washoe cultural tour and an exhibit about their way of life. The main road to the resort was also renamed "Olympic Valley Road" in early 2022.
Skiing and Snowboarding Terrain
The mountain has different directions for its slopes:
- North: 50%
- East: 40%
- West: 2%
- South: 8%
How Much Snow Falls?
Palisades Tahoe gets a lot of snow! The annual snowfall can be more than 500 inches (41.7 ft; 12.7 m).
