Summary 
| Difficulty | 2 Beginner-intermediate |
| Length | 1 to 3 miles round trip |
| Starting Elevation |
7000 feet |
| Cumulative Elevation Change |
+100, -100 round trip |
| Navigation | Map |
| Time | Several hours to half day |
| Season | December through mid-April |
| Snowmobiles Use | Not permitted [Please report illegal use of snowmobiles in this area.] |
| USGS Topo | 7.5' series, Tahoe City |
| Start | This tour begins in Talmont Estates. Drive south on Highway 89 from the bridge in Tahoe City for 1.9 miles. Turn right onto Pine Avenue, after 0.2 mile turn right onto Tahoe Park Heights, after 0.7 mile turn right onto Big Pine Drive, and after 0.3 mile turn left onto Silver Tip Drive. Drive 0.5 mile until Club Drive goes to the left and Silver Tip Drive is no longer plowed. Park here. This is a residential neighborhood where children play outside and dogs roam free. Please drive slow. |
Description
Paige Meadows is not one meadow but a series of half-a-dozen interconnected meadows that have been protected from the sprawl of Lake Tahoe development. It is an amazing place to appreciate the beauty of Sierra meadows.
Another feature of Paige Meadows is that it is 700 feet higher than the nearby lake level. This translates to more and better quality snow during warm spells.
It is a short tour from the starting point to the first of Paige Meadows. Once you ski into the first meadow, the next one becomes visible, and the pattern continues with each meadow. You can explore any number of them as you wish. For variation, ski in the woods that surround them.
Several notes are appropriate here:
Because of the multi-meadow configuration, take great care when entering each meadow so that you can find your return route; it is easy to confuse the meadows and there are often many ski tracks.
If you have been to Paige Meadows before and are thoroughly confident of your route-finding skills, Paige Meadows can be a pleasant location for a moonlight tour.
Finally, when driving back to Highway 89, take a moment to admire Lake Tahoe from the intersection of Big Pine Drive and Tahoe Park Heights.
Mileage Log
Numbers in parentheses
correspond to mileage points on map
Waypoint 1 to 2
Miles: 0.0 - 0.4
Elevation change: +50, -50 feet
From the trailhead (1) it is 0.4 miles to the edge of the first meadow of Paige Meadows (2). In this section first ski in the direction Silver Tip Drive appears to continue (west) until you reach a distinct crest. Next descend straight ahead (west) and down an open area until you enter the woods. Next continue west on an obvious path that drops 50 feet quickly. Finally, where the obvious route levels turn north (right) and ski 50 yards through trees until you reach the edge of the first meadow.
Explore as many meadows as you desire and then return to the point where you entered the first meadow.
Return to trailhead
Miles: 0.4 - 0.8
Elevation change: +50, -50 feet
Retrace the route for 0.4 miles back to the trailhead (1).
