California Ends Stay-at-Home Order for Tahoe Counties

Effective January 12, California has lifted its stay-at-home order for the Greater Sacramento region. Despite ICUs remaining below 15% capacity, California Gov. Gavin Newsom says that stabilization in ICUs and positivity rates allows for the region to exit the mandate.

Thanks to the order lift, the following California ski resorts are no longer affected by stay-at-home restrictions:

• Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar, Homewood, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs, Tahoe Donner, Bear Valley

Many of the above resorts are now accepting on-site lodging reservations again.

Despite Greater Sacramento’s exit from the order, other California regions still maintain seriously overburdened ICUs and remain subject to the stay-at-home mandate. The following ski resorts still exist in areas affected by the stay-at-home order:

• Badger Pass, China Peak, Alta Sierra (San Joaquin Valley Region)

• Mammoth, June Mountain, Mountain High, Snow Valley, Big Bear, Mt. Baldy (Routt County)

Our Take

While the lifting of this stay-at-home order will likely make a small difference as resorts start hosting guests on-site again, we’ve lived in Tahoe since the order came out. Many hotels and Airbnbs were not abiding by the government-mandated restrictions, and sheriffs in Placer and El Dorado counties were not enforcing them. And even if some places followed these guidelines, many visitors just decided to travel over the border and book a stay in Nevada instead. We’re glad that despite the flagrant rule breaking, COVID cases have stabilized enough for the stay-at-home order to be lifted.