You've made the right choice. A ski vacation at Lake Tahoe puts you inside that picture-perfect image of a winter wonderland. Take your pick of 15 alpine and 13 cross-country ski areas. South Lake Tahoe's alpine ski resorts offer some of the steepest, deepest and most scenic runs in the West. All the areas offer childcare facilities, children's ski programs and complimentary shuttle bus service from South Shores lodging properties.

Boasting the largest concentration of ski areas in North America, Lake Tahoe offers skiers and snowboarders plenty of room to roam. Tahoe's lake level (6,200 feet) receives an average of 125 inches of snow annually, while the higher elevations receive as much as 500 inches per year. Generally, skiers can take advantage of Tahoe's sensational snowfall from November through April. Altogether, skiers can hit the slopes on one of the 182 ski trails in the midst of more than 8,800 total ski resort acres. The longest ski run in the area is 5.5 miles long. Lake Tahoe's greatest vertical drop is 3,600 feet. For thrill seekers and hobbyists alike, Lake Tahoe offers the variety of ski resorts needed to ensure that you get what you want.

All major resorts welcome snowboarders, offer excellent ski schools and complete equipment rentals. They also provide free ski shuttles to and from points throughout the South Shore. With the majestic peaks of the Sierra Nevada surrounding the Lake, the glorious views for the downhill skiers and snowboarders are breathtaking and magical.

Cross-country skiers, otherwise known as Nordic skiers, can skim numerous tracts of land right on the South Shore. Golf courses, racetracks as long as 15 miles, and special enclosed tracts of national forest are common sites that host the thousands of cross-country skiers enamored with the area's warm temperatures and reflective snow.

Downhill fanatics and cross-country enthusiasts alike trek to Lake Tahoe to take advantage of the area's unique, dry light alpine powder snow.