Heavenly Mountain Resort will reopen two trails at Lake Tahoe on April 18 and April 19, giving skiers and riders a one-weekend return to snow after the resort closed early on April 5 because of less-than-ideal conditions.
The resort said it will open Upper California Trail and Tamarack Return after a storm cycle dropped 25 inches of snow on the mountain. Access will be available through the Heavenly Gondola, with lift tickets and day passes sold online. Guests with a 2025/26 Epic Pass can use it that weekend, and anyone buying a lift ticket this season can apply that cost toward an Epic Pass for next season, according to Cole Zimmerman.
Zimmerman described the move as a thank-you to guests and pass holders who helped celebrate Heavenly’s 70th season. He said the team began looking for a way to bring people back onto snow as soon as the storm hit after the closure, asking what could be opened and whether snow could be moved from other runs to make it happen. He added that the resort started working hard to pull it together.
The reopening is unusual because Heavenly had already ended its season on April 5, and the resort is offering only limited terrain rather than a full return to winter operations. Still, the weekend will include skiing and riding, gondola sightseeing, the mountain coaster, the observation deck, and food and beverages, making it more than a token reopening.
A free shuttle will run from Heavenly’s California Main Lodge to the Stateline Transit Center starting at 9:30 a.m. and every 15 minutes, while free rides from Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe to Kirkwood will also continue. Zimmerman said the mountain is looking forward to another weekend of activities and said the team is excited to offer it.