Palisades Tahoe

I recently photographed a wedding at Palisades Tahoe, and it was absolutely incredible! The ceremony took place at the Cushing Pond location — a stunning spot surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. The couple held their reception at Olympic House Bar One, with cocktail hour outside by the Tram Car Bar, which added such a fun and unique touch to the day. The venue staff were so helpful and accommodating, ensuring everything ran smoothly from start to finish. From a photographer’s perspective, this venue is a dream — there’s beautiful light, scenery, and variety for portraits throughout the entire day. Palisades Tahoe is a perfect choice for couples wanting a mountain wedding that feels both elegant and adventurous!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of the parking procedure, which cost me $100 ($200 fine is reduced if you pay within 10 days. Say 2 I was able to park for free via the website. It also hadn’t snowed in a week, so groomers were I ‘n the menu this past weekend. We left as the storm hit, which may dump up to 8 feet this week. At least we had sun and short lines.

We will be spending a total of 6 days skiing here. They hadn't had much snow in a while at the beginning of our trip, but it is supposed to snow near the end of our time. Even with the snow drought, there was still a lot open despite many bare spots especially off-piste. The runs at Palisades were in better shape than Alpine where we did quite a bit of rock dodging near Sherwood. We stuck mostly to the blue groomers while we awaited the snow, but still enjoyed it. It was fairly busy on the weekend, but pretty manageable on the week days.

Far and away the best ski resorts in Tahoe. Our experience was super great. The snow was med but that's not Palisades fault. Everything else, the parking, the views, the foods, the lifts are all very satisfying. 9 out of 10!

I would rate 0 if I could. Christmas week, a huge storm cycle, and Palisades proudly delivers two tiny lifts like it’s a carefully curated art exhibit. Meanwhile, Heavenly somehow manages to open actual terrain, on an actual holiday, with actual guests waiting. It’s impressive how one resort treats Christmas like a reason to show up, while the other treats it like a suggestion. World-class snowfall, peak-season crowds—and the operational energy of a weekday maintenance day. Truly festive.