Skiing and Snowboarding

Lee Canyon. Southern Nevada's skiing headquarters is a mere 47 miles northwest of Downtown Las Vegas. Depending on traffic and weather conditions, it can take less than two hours to go from a 70°F February afternoon on the Strip to the top of a chairlift at an elevation of 9,370 feet. Lee Canyon is equipped with three chairlifts—two quads and a triple—plus a tubing lift (Las Vegas's only one!). The ski resort also offers complimentary coaching for beginners to intermediates, and has a terrain park, a ski shop, rental equipment, and a day lodge with a quick-serve restaurant and full-service bar. Clothing rentals are available. There are 195 acres of slopes: 20% of the trails are for beginners, 60% are intermediate, and 20% are advanced runs. The longest run is 3,000 feet, and there's a vertical drop of nearly 1,000 feet. You know you're at the closest ski resort to Las Vegas when you see the slope names: Blackjack, High Roller, Keno, The Strip, Bimbo 1 and 2, and Slot Alley. In the summer, Lee Canyon is still worth a visit, with scenic chair rides, hiking trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course, which at 9,300 feet, is the highest course in Las Vegas. For skiing, the lifts are open from about late November to early April. Lift tickets are best purchased online and in advance at leecanyonlv.com. Information on transportation and lodging partners in Las Vegas is also found on the website. A telephone call can get you an update on either snow conditions or driving conditions in Nevada. 6725 Lee Canyon Rd., Mt. Charleston, Nevada, 89124. 702/385–2754; 702/593–9500877/687–6237; www.leecanyonlv.com.