A Winter Sports Wonderland A World-class Experience Only in Placer County
With terrain ranging from sea level to ski level, Placer County is an outdoor paradise any time of year.
Since Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics, Placer County has gained recognition as a top winter sports destination. (More on the Olympics at Squaw below).
While the slopes often get the most winter love, our miles of open, snowy landscapes offer plenty of cheap and even free places to enjoy your own winter wonderland.
Placer County is home to a multitude of ski and snowboard resorts with more than 12,840 skiable acres and 85 lifts.
While these resorts are some of the most popular go-to destinations during winter months, the county offers numerous alternatives for outdoor enthusiasts.
Placer County also covers miles of U.S. National Forest land, allowing public access for activities such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, sledding and snowshoeing.
There are plenty of locations that cater to beginners but also allow for intermediate and advanced athletes to hone their skills, while enjoying different parts of the county.
Snowmobiling is rapidly growing as more people are realizing the freedom and access to the backcountry that accompanies the sport.
Much of the forest land stretching from Kings Beach to Tahoma is open to snowmobile use in the Tahoe area. For those new to the sport, tours and rentals are available.
For folks looking to experience the sounds coupled with the sights of Placer County, snowshoeing, cross-country and backcountry skiing terrain is plentiful.
Scattered around the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe, backcountry ski enthusiasts can access thousands of vertical feet of open terrain, whether steps from the car or miles into the backcountry.
Cross-country skiers can access beautiful trails along the west shores of Lake Tahoe especially off of Interstate 80 near Soda Springs and just outside Foresthill.
Snowshoers can access the same Placer County recreation areas, along with a wealth of National Forest lands.
As many parents enjoy taking their children to the snow to experience sledding and tubing, lots of Sno Parks, snow play areas with sanitation facilities, are easily accessible and offer plowed, off-street parking. Some of these can be found at the Forest Service's China Wall off-highway-vehicle area near Foresthill, in addition to the myriad of hills spread throughout the Tahoe area.
With world-class slopes and vast expanses of snowy wilderness, set against the crystal blue backdrop of Lake Tahoe, Placer County’s Squaw Valley made for a perfect place to hold the Winter Olympic Games. So perfect, in fact, that the bid to host them was successfully put forward before the resort at Squaw even existed.
SQUAW VALLEY USA: HOST OF THE 1960 WINTER OLYMPICS
- First Olympics with a choreographed opening ceremony
- Men's biathlon made its Olympic debut
- Women's speed skating made its Olympic debut
- Only Olympic Games bobsleigh was not included
- The Olympic Anthem first played at Squaw Valley Games
- Frenchman Jean Vuarnet won first Olympic medal on metal skis in the men's downhill event
- The official opening of the games was done by Vice-President Richard Nixon
After CBS-TV was asked to review a videotape to see if a skier missed a gate, instant replay was born
Editor’s Note: Links to outside resources and information are provided as a courtesy but have not been independently verified by Placer County. Accessing the backcountry in winter comes with avalanche and exposure risks. Know the terrain and your abilities and take appropriate safety precautions.
Story produced by the Placer County Communications and Public Affairs Office
Author: Alex Boesch
Photography: Erik Bergen