Just south of Tahoe City, at the end of Tonopah Drive (off Highway 89). Elevations: top 6,610 feet; base 6,330 feet; vertical drop 280 feet.

West of Truckee; take Soda Springs exit off I-80, then 3 1/2 miles down old Highway 40. Elevations: top 7,960 feet; base 7,135 feet; vertical drop 825 feet. Facilities: 6 lifts, lessons, rentals, child care, shuttle bus, snack bar, and restaurant.

10 miles west of Truckee, just off I-80 (take Castle Peak exit). Elevations: top 7,800 feet; base 7,200 feet; vertical drop 600 feet. Facilities: 9 lifts, night skiing, lessons, rentals, snack bar, and restaurant.

Ski Way, Incline Village. Elevations: top 8,540 feet; base 6,700 feet; vertical drop 1,840 feet. Facilities: 7 lifts, lessons, rentals, snack bar, restaurant.

7 miles northwest of Tahoe City, at the end of Alpine Meadows Road (off Highway 89). Elevations: top 8,637 feet; base 6,840 feet; vertical drop 1,730 feet. Facilities: 13 lifts, lessons, rentals, snack bar, restaurant, bar, and shuttle bus.

At the Kirkwood Ski Resort on Highway 88, 28 miles south of South Lake Tahoe. 80 kilometers of groomed trails with skating lanes; tours; lessons; rentals; restaurant; lodge; child care; and shuttle bus.

Take Highway 89 south to Pickett's Junction; at the junction take Highway 88 west to Kirkwood. Although slight of the way, this ski area enjoys some of the heaviest snowfall in the region, and remains open through to the Fourth of July. Elevations: top 8,852 feet; base 7,800 feet; vertical drop 2,000 feet. Facilities include 11 lifts, NASTAR races, lessons, rentals, bar, snack bar, restaurant, store, and shuttle bus.

This 20-square-mile expanse, America's largest alpine ski area, straddles the California-Nevada stateline a couple of miles to the south of South Lake Tahoe's "casino district"; West Heavenly lies in California, and Heavenly North in Nevada. In California, approach via Ski Run Boulevard, off Highway 50; in Nevada, Benjamin Drive, off the Kingsbury Grade, leads straight to the base of the mountain. Heavenly's elevations: top 10,167 feet, base 6,500 feet; vertical drop 3,600 feet.