Homewood ski resort will remain open to public.

Tahoe Ski World

skiing in Lake Tahoe

Homewood ski resort will remain open to public

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The good news arrived this week for anyone who has enjoyed the unique qualities of Homewood ski resort in Lake Tahoe.

Homewood has always been known as a neighborhood ski resort with beautiful views of nearby Lake Tahoe.

Known as a small “neighborhood” resort with gorgeous views of nearby Lake Tahoe, Homewood won’t be going fully private as expected. Homewood will still sell lifetime memberships as a private club, but developers announced this week the ski resort will not eliminate season passes or daily lift sales for the public.

“First and foremost, Homewood is and will continue to be reserved for all to enjoy. So, we are not closing our doors to passholders, or daily ticket buyers, and we will be open for all, including our local community.” said Harry Hirsch, the resort’s vice president and general manager.

Following a year-long attempt to go fully private, the plan reversal was due primarily by resistance from local organizations and feedback from Placer County. Opposing the issue was Keep Homewood Public, an unofficial organization of community members responsible for the ongoing resistance to the proposed private ski resort model.

NEW ADDITIONS: Located on the less populated, scenic west short of Tahoe – literally 280 steps across the street from the famed lake – Homewood plans to build an out-of-base gondola to replace the Madden triple lift. The resort also wants to add a new mid-mountain lodge at the top of the gondola and a new food and beverage outlet at the base area.

Located on Tahoe’s scenic west shore, Homewood ski resort offers great tree skiing for much of the season.

The eight-passenger gondola is subject to approval from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority (TRPA) and could be finished as soon as late 2024, depending on the agency’s analysis. The much faster gondola will replace the outdated, four-decade-old Madden chair, which has no safety bars.

The gondola is still subject to approval from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority (TRPA). It has been reported that Homewood has already ordered the gondola, and parts for the lift are already being stored onsite.

Additional upgrades include snowmaking infrastructure and improved grooming equipment. Infrastructure and amenity projects will include real estate offerings, community gathering spaces, and significant tree work across the resort. The additions are all consistent with the 2011 master plan, which was previously approved by the TRPA.

HOMEWOOD’S 60th SEASON: Homewood, which will be celebrating its sixth decade of operation this year, has struggled in recent years to attract skiers and riders, partly due to variable conditions resulting from its low elevation (6,230 feet at base level) and unfavorable exposure aspects. The ski resort has excessive road traffic, especially on weekends, caused by heavy demand by other nearby resorts (Palisades Tahoe, Northstar).

For a second straight season, Mt. Rose was the first Tahoe-area ski resort to open.

Homewood has eight lifts that access 67 trails with a summit of 8,740 feet. On a typical day, lifts open at 9 am and close at 4 pm. The average snowfall is around 450 inches per season and the resort gets approximately 300 days of sunshine per year.

Homewood has not announced an opening day for this season. For more information, visit www.skihomewood.com or call 530 525-2992.

TAHOE SKI RESORTS – TENTATIVE OPENINGS

  • Mt. Rose: opened Nov. 10
  • Boreal: opened Nov. 17
  • Palisades Tahoe: Nov. 22
  • Soda Springs: Nov. 24
  • Sugar Bowl: Dec. 1
  • Kirkwood: Dec. 1
  • Diamond Peak: Dec. 7
  • Granlibakken: Dec. 15
  • Northstar California: TBA
  • Heavenly: Nov. TBA
  • Sierra-at-Tahoe: TBA
  • Homewood: TBA
  • Tahoe Donner: TBA

 

Opposition saves Tahoe ski resort. Homewood ski resort will remain open to public.