Caples Bowl
Mild bowl that offers great views of the frozen Caples Lake
Difficult Freeride Skiing
- Distance
- 11 km
- Ascent
- 754 m
- Descent
- 1 km
Kirkwood
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a year-round resort in California south of Lake Tahoe that focuses on skiing and snowboarding in winter. Kirkwood is one of the region's largest resorts, and is well known for having one of the highest average snowfalls and a broad selection of advanced skiing terrain. The 2 mi ridgeline is of particular note making this resort popular for cliff drops and cornices.
Explore Kirkwood with curated guides of the best mountain bike trails, ski routes, and more. With over 80 3D trail maps in FATMAP, you can easily discover and navigate the best trails in Kirkwood.
No matter what your next adventure has in store, you can find a guide on FATMAP to help you plan your next epic trip.
Get a top trail recommendation in Kirkwood from one of our 6 guidebooks, or get inspired by the 80 local adventures uploaded by the FATMAP community. Start exploring now!
Routes in Kirkwood
Inner Middle Rim
Great above treeline chute
Moderate Freeride Skiing
- Distance
- 3.8 km
- Ascent
- 175 m
- Descent
- 448 m
Scout's Route
An intermediate descent down from the top of the Snowkirk Lift.
Moderate Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 1.7 km
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 120 m
Whiskey Shots -> Whiskey
An advanced top-to-bottom run at Kirkwood Bike Park via Caples Crest, Whiskey Shots, and Whiskey.
Severe Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 2.1 km
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 252 m
Upper Corral
A more technical, but less-steep finish to the Vista descent.
Difficult Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 1.6 km
- Ascent
- 30 m
- Descent
- 76 m
Caples Crest
An intermediate-level descent from the top of the mountain on doubletrack.
Moderate Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 2.5 km
- Ascent
- 17 m
- Descent
- 186 m
Emigrant Bowl Approach
The way into the Emigrant Bowl (known as West Side by the locals) now that the Covered Wagon lift has closed.
Moderate Ski Touring
- Distance
- 2.3 km
- Ascent
- 234 m
- Descent
- 67 m
Vista -> Lower Corral -> Red Cliffs
An advanced top-to-bottom descent of the Kirkwood Bike Park via Vista, Lower Corral, and Red Cliffs.
Difficult Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 2.8 km
- Ascent
- 4 m
- Descent
- 252 m
Thunder Bowl Exit
The way out of the Glove Rock/Thunder Mountain bowl and back into the main ski area.
Moderate Ski Touring
- Distance
- 651 m
- Ascent
- 161 m
- Descent
- 44 m
Thunder Mountain and Glove Rock approach
An approach line to be done either on foot or with skins.
Moderate Ski Touring
- Distance
- 1.1 km
- Ascent
- 113 m
- Descent
- 43 m
Lake Margaret Trail
Bring your swimsuits and fishing gear, it's a beautiful lake! And don't forget insect repellent.
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 3.7 km
- Ascent
- 67 m
- Descent
- 123 m
Horseshoe Canyon Trail
Between the Silver lake trail and the Thunder Mountain trail, the Horseshoe Canyon trail gives you stunning landscapes!
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 4.6 km
- Ascent
- 446 m
- Descent
- 3 m
Stovepipe
A great zone to finish a ski tour back to Chair 3
Moderate Ski Touring
- Distance
- 1.7 km
- Ascent
- 96 m
- Descent
- 203 m
Thunderbowl Rights
Steep bowl that is out of bounds from Glove Rock to the skier's left of Palisades Ridge
Difficult Freeride Skiing
- Distance
- 454 m
- Ascent
- 9 m
- Descent
- 177 m
Diving Board
A zone with a few medium cliffs with better than average takeoffs
Difficult Freeride Skiing
- Distance
- 296 m
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 113 m
Dan Cliffs
An extremely technical area with multiple lines and airs off a big rock
Difficult Freeride Skiing
- Distance
- 340 m
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 96 m