Boating is one of the favorite pastimes of Tahoe
residents and visitors alike. Launch ramps are available
at (from west to east along the south shore) Cave Rock,
Camp Richardson, Lakeside Marina, Tahoe Keys Marina, Ski
Run Marina, Timber Cove Marina and Zephyr Cove
Marina.
Those who want others to do the driving should head
for one of the piers where cruise boats leave for jaunts
across the lake. You have your choice of two paddle
wheelers and two 55-foot catamarans, plus several charter
operations that will take you sightseeing, partying, or
fishing. The M.S. Dixie II and the Tahoe
Queen are the paddle wheelers. The Woodwind is
a catamaran, based in Zephyr Cove, with four daily
sailing cruises, plus a champagne sunset cruise. For
information, call (775) 588-3000. The Sierra Cloud
is the other catamaran, at the Hyatt Beach pier, with
scheduled daytime and evening cruises, (775)
835-1234.
Parasailing is available at Action Water Sports, at
the Hyatt beach (Incline Village), at North Shore
Parasailing in Kings Beach, and at Lake Tahoe
Parasailing, in Tahoe City (northwest shore).
Several marinas around the lake offer water skiing
lessons, including Kings Beach Aqua Sports, on the north
shore, (530) 546-2782.
Kayaks may be rented at Action Watersports, call (775)
831-4368.
Divers -- novices and experts -- enjoy the lake,
experiencing steep vertical drops near the shoreline,
with schools of various trout on hand, and dramatic
submerged granite rocks close to the beaches.
Lake Tahoe offers a year-round fishing experience. The
lake is free of ice during the winter months.
It's not necessary to bring your own boat to go
fishing on Lake Tahoe. On the North Shore, boat rentals
are available through Action Water Sports, at the Hyatt
Lake Tahoe, call (775) 831-4FUN, or at the North Tahoe
Marina (530) 546-8248, and Tahoe Water Adventures (530)
583-3225.
Marinas offer fishing charters, and experienced
anglers will take you out for a fishing excursion. South
Shore anglers can find several launch locations close to
Highway 50.
Fish to be found in the Lake Tahoe include several
species of trout -- mackinaw, brown, golden, rainbow,
eastern brook, and cutthroat -- plus kokanee and
whitefish. Ice fishing is a popular sport at several of
the high backcountry lakes.
Along the South Shore, public beaches are scattered
from Emerald Bay and Baldwin Beaches (via Highway 89) to
the town shoreline via Highway 50. Popular beaches in the
town of South Lake Tahoe include Kiva Beach,
Pope Beach, Camp Richardson Beach, and the
beach at Timber Cove. Other Highway 50 locations
include Regan Beach, El Dorado, Nevada
Beach (Highway 50 and Elk Point), and Zephyr Cove
Beach, also on Highway 50 on the Nevada side.
Some of the best beaches on the lake are found just
south of Incline Village, via Highway 28. Hidden
Beach, Sand Harbor. Chimney Beach,
Secret Harbor, and Skunk Harbor, are all
easily found from parking areas along Highway 28 and
Highway 50. Hidden Beach is at Lake Tahoe State Park,
about a mile south of Incline Village. Sand Harbor has
several small coves. Chimney Beach is 2.6 miles
south of Sand Harbor, where a winding trail leads to the
water. Another mile south, and you'll come across a
parking lot with a trail that descends to Secret
Harbor.
There's a stretch of road south of here where people
park beside the highway and take several trails down to
small isolated beaches. Don't be surprised if some of the
people you encounter are in the altogether. This is
Tahoe's clothing optional area. To the south, a dirt
walking road --the gate is locked -- leads down to Skunk
Harbor and another fine beach.
On or near the south shore are more golf courses than
you can play on a long weekend. Bijou Municipal Golf
Course features nine holes (2,015 yards). Edgewood
Golf Course is a championship layout on Highway 50 at
the South Lake Tahoe/Stateline border. It's the site of
the annual Celebrity Championship tournament and is a
beautiful lakeside course (7,563 yards), with a driving
range as well.
Glenbrook Golf Course has nine holes (5,154
yards)plus an 18-hole course. Lake Tahoe Golf
Course has 18 holes (6,588 yards). Tahoe Paradise
Golf Course offers a driving range and 18 holes
(4,070 yards).
Two courses are on the north shore, both at Incline
Village. The two Lakeview courses were designed by Robert
Trent Jones. The Championship Course has 18 holes
and 6,910 yards (par 72), and the Incline Mountain
Course is a much shorter 18-hole layout with 3,513
yards (par 58).
Caesar's and Harvey's offer tennis courts, for a fee.
Also on the south shore are free courts at South Tahoe
High School, South Tahoe Middle School. Incline Village
has 26 courts including seven at the Incline Tennis
Center and 12 at the Lakeside Tennis Resort, and more at
Zephyr Cove Park/Whittel High School.
You'll also find tennis courts at Kirkwood Ski and
Summer Resort, on Highway 88. A fee is charged.
You'll find campgrounds around the lake, ranging from
deluxe RV parks with full hookups and other facilities,
to primitive backcountry sites in the national forest.
In-between are the state park campgrounds. A good place
to check out the camping availabilities is the U.S.
Forest Service Visitor Center in South Lake
Tahoe.
Sugar Pine State Park, on the western shore,
offers year-round camping. D. L. Bliss State Park
offers summer and fall camping near the southwest corner
of the lake. Emerald Bay State Park, on the west
shore closer to South Lake Tahoe, also features
camping.
The Forest Service operates campground facilities in
the South Shore Recreation Area (Fallen Leaf
Campground). There are more forest campsites at Meeks
Bay, Kaspian, William Kent (all on the western shore
between South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City), and along
Highway 89 north of Tahoe City (Silver Creek, Hoose
Meadow, and Granite Flat).
Along the eastern shore, you'll find a Forest Service
campground at Nevada Beach, just north of
Stateline.
It's a bit removed from the lake, but you might like
to explore natural mountain beauty while staying at the
Stampede Recreation Area, beside the Stampede
Reservoir, north of Interstate 80, via Route 270. Also in
the same general area are five campground along Highway
89, north of I-80, and the Jackson Meadow Recreation
Area, via Highway 80 and Forest Road 07.
All of the above Forest Service campgrounds, operated
by California Land Management, take reservations at
1-800-283-CAMP.
If you're visiting South Lake Tahoe, the best place to
gather information, and to start a hiking vacation, is
the U.S. Forest Service Information Center on Highway 69.
Several trails are available from this site, including
Lake of the Sky, Tallack Historic Site, and Rainbow
trails. In this general area are the Mt. Tallack, Angora
Lakes, Clark, Glen Alpine, and Echo Lake trails, and
these are just a few. The Forest Service provides a trail
map for the area.
The ultimate hiking area is the Desolation
Wilderness, located in the high peaks above Lake
Tahoe's west shore. Here are huge masses of jumbled
granite, with a stunted pine forest. The main entrance to
the wilderness area is off Highway 50, west of Myers and
beyond the first major ridge. Travel here is limited to
horseback or foot, and overnight hiking permits are
required.
The state parks in California offer many hiking
opportunities.
Emerald Bay State Park has a scenic trail that
descends to the beach and leads to Vikingsholm, an
historic mansion which is in the style of a Scandinavian
castle. D.L. Bliss State Park, on the same part of
the Lake, offers easy hiking, plus camping, with swimming
at Lester Beach.
Sugar Pine Point State Park, farther along the
western shore, offers summer and winter camping, hiking
and water activity.
The Tahoe Rim Trail has been a long time in the
building, and is nearing completion. Much of it is now
available for hiking. This trail, when finished, will
offer a 150-mile loop along the lake's rim, along high
ridges and across subalpine and alpine meadows. Tourist
offices have information on this great experience (also
see Cycling, on this page).
Hiking near the North Shore is just as good.
Spooner Lake offers an easy two-mile loop walk.
The hike to the summit of Mt. Rose is a six-mile hike,
only for experienced and hardy hikers.
The areas close to the lake offer many cycling
opportunities. The Tahoe Rim Trail has sections
which are suitable for cycling. Near Incline Village is
the Flume Trail, which offers up to 25-miles of
exciting riding starting at Spooner Lake. Another
challenging and popular ride starts at Highway 267,
heading north on a route to Martis Peak with wonderful
views of Mount Rose, and the Truckee/Donner Summit
area.
Another route begins at Spooner Summit, on
Highway 50, about one mile east of the Hwy. 28 junction.
The trail climbs Genoa Peak and leads along the crest of
the Carson Range. It ends on the Kingsbury Grade, above
the lake's southern shore. Along the way are satisfying
views of the lake and the Carson Valley (to the east and
way down) For North Shore bike rentals, try Village
Bicycles (775) 831-3537, and Porter's Ski and Sport (775)
831-3500.
While visiting the South Shore, check out the
Pope-Baldwin Bike Path, a paved trail that leads
from the South Shore beaches to Emerald Bay and the state
park there. The South Lake Tahoe Bike Path starts
near El Dorado Beach, and is part of a series of trails
through South Lake Tahoe, and running into Stateline,
Nevada.
For details on bikes trails along the South and North
shores, and in the Tahoe Coty/DSquaw Valley area,
Go Here.
Kirkwood Ski Area (Highway 88) is a place for
experienced mountain bikers. Kirkwood and other ski
areas, including Heavenly and Squaw Valley,
offer lifts for you and your bike up the mountain, and
then let you find your way down. Squaw Valley is also
great for cyclists who are lifted in the giant cable car
to High Camp, where trails lead around the tops of the
ridges.
On the North Shore -- in the Crystal Bay-Incline
Village area -- Zephyr Cove Stables (775)
588-5664. offers horses for trail riding in the nearby
forests. Northstar Stables is just north of Crystal Bay,
call (530) 562-1230.
South Shore riding operations include Camp
Richardson's Corral, which rents horses by the hour,
or are able to arrange pack trips. Sunset Ranch also has
horses for hire.
Kirkwood (the ski and summer resort) and
Sorenson's Resort are located south of the lake, and both
have riding available. Kirkwood has its riding operation
on Highway 88, just south of Caples Lake. It's about 45
minutes' drive from the lake. Sorenson's rustic
all-weather resort, in the
beautiful Hope Valley (via Highway 99), also offers
riding by the hour or by pack trip.
There is no end to skiing opportunities, and the Tahoe
area boasts the most downhill ski slopes anywhere within
an hour's drive of each other. You have your choice of 15
downhill operations and 13 cross-country courses.
Here is a short summary of the ski areas. For much
more information on ski hills, go to the Skiing
Page.
Downhill
Alpine ski resorts include Heavenly Ski Resort
(South Lake Tahoe with Nevada and California sites),
Sierra-at-Tahoe (Highway 50), Squaw Valley
(located between Truckee and Tahoe City), Alpine
Meadows (next door to Squaw Valley), Sugar
Bowl, Donner Ski Ranch, and Tahoe
Donner are off Interstate 80. Boreal is found
at the Highway 80 Donner Summit.
Diamond Peak is a few miles from Incline
Village. Donner Ski Ranch is found at the summit on
Interstate 80. Granlibakken is close to Tahoe City
on the California side. Homewood is midway between
South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City via Highway 89.
Mount Rose Ski Area is just east of Incline
Village. Northstar-at-Tahoe is in the same general
area, north of Crystal Bay, via Highway 267.
Kirkwood is an increasingly popular ski hill --
with the deepest snow and the highest runs in the region
-- located on Highway 88, a 40-minute drive from South
Lake Tahoe.
All the larger resort operations feature snowboarding,
and have ski rentals and instruction. In the south shore
area, the ski areas have a free shuttle service between
locations.
Cross-Country
Gliding across the snow -- whether you call it
cross-country or Nordic -- is one of the great pleasures
of a winter day at Tahoe. Cross-country courses are
located around the lake. Here is a short summary of a few
of these operations. For more information, go to
the Tahoe Cross Country
Page.
In the Crystal Bay/Incline Village area, Diamond
Peak Cross-Country has a Nordic and snowshoe center,
located 5 miles north of Incline Village. Groomed trails
-- covering 35 miles -- provide a backcountry experience,
at a high altitude. For information, call (775)
832-1177
Northstar at Tahoe, on Highway 267, features a
Cross Country and Telemark Center, with 40 miles of
groomed trails, including striding, skating, and telemark
lessons, plus ski rentals. Info: (530) 562-2475.
The cross-country center at Spooner Lake, on
Highway 28 near the junction with Hwy. 50, is 10 miles
from Incline Village. The mountain and lake views are
spectacular, and the Carson Ridge Trail is one of the
longest in the region. For info, call (775) 887-8844.
The north shore, where Incline Village and Crystal Bay
curve around the northeast corner of the lake, is a good
place to begin a winter ride. Several companies rent
machines, and the national forest provides the trails. To
begin planning, try one of the following:
Eagle Ridge Snowmobile Outfitters, (530) 546-8667
Snowmobiling Unlimited (530) 583-5858
Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center (775) 588-3833
If sleigh rides are more to your liking, check out the
possibilities at Northstar Stables, across the California
line (530) 562-1230.
