Kirkwood Cross Country
Carson Pass / Hwy 88 · near Kirkwood / Markleeville · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Nordic & Snowshoe
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Apr; snow-sure high elevation (~7,800 ft)
What is here
- Activities
- classic · skate · snowshoe
- Setting
- meadow
- Amenities
- Snow-sure high elevation · Groomed classic & skate · Dramatic mountain setting · Rentals, lessons & lodge
- Best for
- Reliable high-elevation groomed skiing
- Features
- Some of the Sierra's best snow · Dramatic Kirkwood bowl · Groomed meadow trails · Rentals & lessons
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- High elevation & altitude effects · Cold, wind, sun exposure · Storms can close Hwy 88 · Layers, water, sun protection
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- Yes
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- xc-center
- Ability
- intermediate
- Snow
- 5
- Trail notes
- A high, snow-sure groomed center in a dramatic bowl off Highway 88 — classic and skate trails across meadows and through forest beneath Kirkwood's peaks, with some of the most reliable snow in the Sierra
- Terrain note
- ~7,800–8,200 ft; groomed meadow & forest; very reliable deep snow
- Intl tip
- A high, snow-sure groomed center in a dramatic bowl off Hwy 88 south of Tahoe — the surrounding valley catches and holds deep snow. Groomed classic and skate trails loop meadows and forest beneath volcanic ridges, from mellow beginner terrain to rolling intermediate tours, with a lodge, rentals, lessons, and snowshoe trails. At ~7,800 ft snow lasts into spring, but expect cold, wind, strong sun, altitude — and storms can close Hwy 88. Check road/trail conditions, dress in layers, hydrate. One of the Sierra's surest bets.
The guide
Kirkwood Cross Country, set in a spectacular high valley off Highway 88 south of Lake Tahoe, benefits from one of the most reli…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Kirkwood Cross Country — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.7, -120.06