[Jill Sanford. Born and raised in a small Northern California town, Jill still lives in the Sierra Nevada region and loves writing about her favorite place on earth.]
The only thing better than a roller coaster ride is a roller coaster that takes you through the jaw dropping beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Imagine zooming along through the fresh mountain air with views of Lake Tahoe and other natural scenery. Heavenly Resort’s alpine coaster, the Ridge Roller, allows you to do all this and more.
Alpine Coasters are a popular European attraction that have begun to gain ground in the U.S. There is a general trend for winter tourism destinations to increase their summer activities.
The Heavenly Ridge Roller is like nothing else you have ever done before. Hop aboard and relax as it brings you up the mountain side. You'll be able to soak in the incredible alpine landscape.
The track is 3200 feet long and the total ride time is about five minutes. Once you reach the top, you will begin zooming over boulders and through windswept trees. Your adrenaline might be pumping, but try to sneak a glimpse of Lake Tahoe if you can remember to do so.
Not a thrill seeker? Take the gondola up instead and you will be able to view the lake and surrounding mountains from observation decks like this one.
Heavenly is a popular year round destination that offers skiing, sledding, a ropes course, hiking, and other family activities.
The resort purposefully factored in the surrounding natural beauty when they designed this roller coaster. You will be shocked and amazed by how incredible this destination is. Heavenly is located in the city of South Lake Tahoe.
The ride is purposely constructed to be lower to the ground to create a more intimate experience with the surrounding landscape. It only has room for one or two riders at a time and travels at 25 miles per hour, which feels faster than you might think.
Northstar also offers quality food and beverages onsite in lodges like this Tamarack, which is as cozy and rustic on the inside as it is out.
We love winters in the Sierra, but the warmer weather in this neck of the woods is just as great... maybe even better! Heavenly is your vacation destination where the whole crew will feel like there is something they can enjoy.
Even though this little guy is excited for snow, this level of enthusiasm for Heavenly Resort is what you can expect whatever time of the year you visit.
You can see for yourself what a cool and unique experience this ride is. And as you can see in the video below, you don’t need to wait for all the snow to melt to hop on board for the ride of a lifetime. It’s a good thing, too, because with the winter Tahoe just had there will be snow melting for months!
Address: Eldorado National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Heavenly Village, 4080 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
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