Yet another Tahoe ski resort requiring parking reservations this year

Earlier this week, Palisades Tahoe shared the full details of its new paid parking system for both Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows this winter. 

The resort cited the initiative as an attempt to reduce Lake Tahoe’s notoriously frustrating ski traffic. Palisades Tahoe sits on state Route 89, one of only two roads that connect Interstate 80 from San Francisco with towns on the north shore. The popular Northstar California Resort (which also has a parking reservation system) sits on the other road, leading to extreme traffic backups as vehicles slow and stop for extended periods when resort parking lots are full. On crowded days, the backups can lead to problems for nonskiers, including delays for school buses and emergency vehicles, commuter backups, and gridlocked highway on- and off-ramps. 

“After careful consideration and research, we’re confident this program will improve the arrival and departure experience, and have a positive impact on the ease with which our entire community gets around during peak periods,” said Dee Byrne, Palisades Tahoe president and chief operating officer, in the September news release. 

While locals may see this as another attempt to bend to tourist priorities, the Palisades reservation program has a twist bound to make some local skiers grumble a little less: The majority of parking reservations are slated to be completely free. While a paid reservation allows guests to book their parking well in advance, free reservations are slated to be available on an ongoing basis through the winter. Reservations are also required only on weekends and select midweek holidays; otherwise, parking is expected to continue to be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations are also not required for anyone arriving after 1 p.m. — perhaps as a nod to local afternoon skiers who know to search for second- and third-row parking after the first-chair crowds have left for the day. 

The option to reserve paid parking for the season is set to be active this fall at ParkPalisadesTahoe.com. Reservations are $30 per day, and guests can hold up to 10 reservations at a time. Free reservations are scheduled to open every Tuesday during the season for the upcoming weekend, with half released at noon and half at 7 p.m. 

Guests who arrive without a reservation and park anyway can expect to be assessed a $100 fine. If the fine is not paid on time, guests are “subject to increasing penalties including season pass suspension and tow,” says the resort’s FAQ page. The fine also applies to skiers who don’t show up or fail to cancel the reservation before the 8 a.m. cut-off time. 

All Vail- and Alterra-owned Tahoe ski resorts now require parking reservations, as Vail Resorts announced a parking reservation program at Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood earlier this year. Funds generated from the parking program will be put toward transportation initiatives to mitigate traffic, including those run by the resort and countywide and statewide programs. 

Earlier this week, Palisades Tahoe shared the full details of its new paid parking system for both Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows this winter. 

The resort cited the initiative as an attempt to reduce Lake Tahoe’s notoriously frustrating ski traffic. Palisades Tahoe sits on state Route 89, one of only two roads that connect Interstate 80 from San Francisco with towns on the north shore. The popular Northstar California Resort (which also has a parking reservation system) sits on the other road, leading to extreme traffic backups as vehicles slow and stop for extended periods when resort parking lots are full. On crowded days, the backups can lead to problems for nonskiers, including delays for school buses and emergency vehicles, commuter backups, and gridlocked highway on- and off-ramps. 

“After careful consideration and research, we’re confident this program will improve the arrival and departure experience, and have a positive impact on the ease with which our entire community gets around during peak periods,” said Dee Byrne, Palisades Tahoe president and chief operating officer, in the September news release. 

While locals may see this as another attempt to bend to tourist priorities, the Palisades reservation program has a twist bound to make some local skiers grumble a little less: The majority of parking reservations are slated to be completely free. While a paid reservation allows guests to book their parking well in advance, free reservations are slated to be available on an ongoing basis through the winter. Reservations are also required only on weekends and select midweek holidays; otherwise, parking is expected to continue to be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations are also not required for anyone arriving after 1 p.m. — perhaps as a nod to local afternoon skiers who know to search for second- and third-row parking after the first-chair crowds have left for the day. 

The option to reserve paid parking for the season is set to be active this fall at ParkPalisadesTahoe.com. Reservations are $30 per day, and guests can hold up to 10 reservations at a time. Free reservations are scheduled to open every Tuesday during the season for the upcoming weekend, with half released at noon and half at 7 p.m. 

Guests who arrive without a reservation and park anyway can expect to be assessed a $100 fine. If the fine is not paid on time, guests are “subject to increasing penalties including season pass suspension and tow,” says the resort’s FAQ page. The fine also applies to skiers who don’t show up or fail to cancel the reservation before the 8 a.m. cut-off time. 

All Vail- and Alterra-owned Tahoe ski resorts now require parking reservations, as Vail Resorts announced a parking reservation program at Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood earlier this year. Funds generated from the parking program will be put toward transportation initiatives to mitigate traffic, including those run by the resort and countywide and statewide programs.