4 days around Lake Tahoe

An easy first day on the south shore. Walk the old lakefront estates, spend the middle of the day at a smaller lake tucked into the forest, then ride up the mountain for a wide look back down at the water.

1. Breakfast

   A big breakfast before the shore

   Pancakes, eggs and potatoes, the kind of breakfast a day outdoors calls for. Fill up before you walk the old estates.

   Local tip Order something to go and fill your water bottle for the day.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Tallac Historic Site

   A set of lakefront estates from the early 1900s, with old cabins, gardens and pine-shaded paths, beside a long beach on the south shore. Walk it slowly in the morning before the beaches fill.

   Go when Morning, when the paths are quiet and the lake is flat.

   Local tip Walk to the beach at the end of the estate paths and look back at the mountains. In autumn the nearby stream often has spawning salmon, so ask at the visitor center next door.

   About 9 min by car or transit1.5 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Fallen Leaf Lake

   A quiet, deep lake in the forest a few minutes from the big one, with the mountains close above it. A good place for a picnic, a paddle or a slow walk along the shore.

   Go when Midday, when the forest road is bright and the lake is warm enough for a swim in summer.

   Local tip Bring a picnic, because there is little to buy nearby. The lake sits in a bowl of mountains and the light changes fast, so carry a layer.

   

4. Lunch

   A picnic by the lake

   Sandwiches, fruit and a bag of trail mix, picked up in town and eaten by the water.

   Local tip There is little to buy by the lake, so pack everything you need and take your rubbish back out.

   About 27 min by car or transit7.4 mi
5. 3
   EveningPick your hour

   Heavenly Gondola

   A gondola ride from the edge of South Lake Tahoe up the mountainside, with a long view over the lake and the basin from the top. Go in the late afternoon for the soft light, and check ahead on when it runs.

   Go when Late afternoon, so you are at the top for the soft light and the sunset (about 8:24 PM).

   Local tip It can be much colder and windier at the top than at the lake, so bring a jacket. Check ahead on when the gondola runs and on any weather closures.

   

6. Dinner

   A relaxed dinner after the ride

   Grilled meat, pasta or a big salad in South Lake Tahoe after the mountain, the kind of meal where nobody wants to hurry.

   Local tip Tables fill early in summer and on winter weekends, so book ahead.

The postcard side of the lake. A small bay with the lake's only island, a Scandinavian-style castle at the water's edge, a state park beach, then an old lakeside mansion. Start early, because the road and the car parks fill up.

1. Travel from Heavenly GondolaAbout 30 min by car or transit9.0 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Coffee and a pastry for an early start

   A strong coffee and something sweet or a breakfast sandwich, packed up and eaten at the overlook.

   Local tip Leave early for the overlook, because the road and the car park fill by mid morning.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time, go early

   Emerald Bay State Park

   A deep green bay with a small island at its mouth, seen best from the overlook on the highway above. Stop early, pull off where it is signed and take your time over the view.

   Go when Early morning, before the overlook fills and while the water is still.

   Local tip Park only where it is signed and mind the traffic on the highway. The view is the same from the lot as from the rail, so you do not need to hurry.

   

   About 14 min walk0.7 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Vikingsholm

   A Scandinavian-style castle built in the 1920s at the head of the bay. The walk down is steep and the walk back is a climb, so bring water and check ahead on when the house is open.

   Go when Late morning, before the heat builds for the climb back.

   Local tip The trail down is steep and the way back is all uphill, so carry water and take it slowly. Check ahead on when the house is open for tours.

   

5. Lunch

   A lakeside picnic lunch

   Bread, cheese, fruit and drinks, eaten on a beach or a granite point with the lake in front of you.

   Local tip Bring water for the climb back from the castle, and leave nothing behind.

   About 11 min by car or transit2.0 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth a few hours

   D. L. Bliss State Park

   A quiet state park with granite points, a sandy cove and the start of a shoreline trail to Emerald Bay. A good place to swim in summer or to walk by the water the rest of the year.

   Go when Afternoon, for a swim in summer or a long walk on the shoreline trail.

   Local tip The lake is cold even in August, so test the water before you go in. Check ahead on the park's entry and trail openings.

   

   About 21 min by car or transit5.4 mi
7. 4
   EveningA calm end to the day

   Sugar Pine Point State Park

   A big wooded point on the west shore with a lakeside mansion from the early 1900s, a pier and forest paths. A calm place to end the day, with the water gold in the low sun.

   Go when Evening, with the low sun on the water (about 8:24 PM).

   Local tip Walk out to the end of the pier and look back at the mansion in the trees. Check ahead on tours and on park hours before you drive.

   

8. Dinner

   Dinner on the west shore

   A simple dinner in one of the small lakeside towns, with a table on the deck while the light fades.

   Local tip Many kitchens close early outside summer, so check ahead.

Round to the north and east. The town where the lake meets its only river, a stone lodge built for a Nevada millionaire, then the beach with the most famous boulders on the lake, ending with the sunset on the water.

1. Travel from Sugar Pine Point State ParkAbout 29 min by car or transit8.0 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A slow breakfast in Tahoe City

   Eggs, a breakfast burrito or a pastry and coffee, eaten at a table in town before you walk down to the river.

   Local tip It is a busy corner of the lake, so go early at weekends.
3. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Tahoe City

   The town at the lake's only outlet, where the Truckee River leaves the water at a small dam. Walk to the bridge to watch the trout and the rafts, then along the beach park beside the town.

   Go when Morning, before the highway fills with weekend traffic.

   Local tip Walk to the bridge over the outlet and watch the trout in the clear water. The river path beyond it is flat and easy to shorten.

   

   About 34 min by car or transit11.8 mi
4. 2
   MiddayBook a tour

   Thunderbird Lodge

   A stone lodge on the Nevada shore built in the 1930s for a wealthy landowner, with a boathouse and a tunnel to the water. Visits are by guided tour, so check ahead and book.

   Go when Midday, on the tour time you booked.

   Local tip Visits are on guided tours only, so check ahead and book. Wear shoes you can walk in, because the grounds are uneven.

   

5. Lunch

   Lunch on the Nevada shore

   A sandwich, a burger or a bowl of noodles in Incline Village, between the lodge tour and the beach.

   Local tip Pack water for the afternoon at the beach.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.6 mi
6. 3
   EveningWorth the time

   Sand Harbor

   A beach on the Nevada shore with clear shallow water and huge granite boulders. Come for the last light, when the whole west shore turns pink. In summer an outdoor Shakespeare festival is held here.

   Go when Early evening, for the boulders and the sunset (about 8:24 PM).

   Local tip The lot fills early on summer days and the beach can be full by midday, so arrive early or late. Check ahead on parking and entry, and on any summer performance schedule.

7. Dinner

   A late dinner after the sunset

   Pizza, barbecue or something grilled in one of the north shore towns, once the sky has gone dark.

   Local tip Many places close early in the off season, so check ahead.

A day over the ridge. A museum on the story of the Donner Party, a glacial lake below the pass, an old railroad town and the valley that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.

1. Drive from Sand HarborAbout 42 min by car18.8 mi

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A big breakfast in Truckee

   A plate of eggs and potatoes in the old town before you go to the museum and the lake.

   Local tip Weekend tables fill, so be early.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Donner Memorial State Park

   A park on the shore of Donner Lake with a museum on the history of the Sierra crossing, including the Donner Party's terrible winter of 1846 and 1847. It is told with care here, and you can walk by the water afterwards.

   Go when Morning, when the museum is quiet and the lake is calm.

   Local tip The museum tells a hard story of the Sierra crossing and why it matters. Walk to the lakeshore afterwards for a lighter hour.

   

   About 25 min walk1.2 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   Donner Lake

   A glacial lake below the pass, calmer and warmer than Tahoe in summer, with a beach at the east end. Rent a paddleboard or just sit by the water.

   Go when Midday in summer, when the water is warmest.

   Local tip It is a calmer lake than Tahoe, good for paddling. In winter the road along the shore can be icy, so check conditions first.

   

5. Lunch

   A lakeside lunch

   A sandwich or a salad eaten by the water, with a cold drink and a view of the pass.

   Local tip There is little to buy right on the beach, so bring a picnic.

   About 20 min by car or transit4.9 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Truckee

   A railroad town with a historic main street of brick and wood buildings, a few minutes from the lake. Walk the old downtown and see the trains still passing through.

   Go when Afternoon, when the old main street is lively.

   Local tip Walk the old downtown and watch for the freight trains, which still pass close to the main street. Cafes and shops fill the old brick buildings.

   

   About 33 min by car or transit11.4 mi
7. 4
   EveningPick your season

   Palisades Tahoe

   The valley that held the 1960 Winter Olympics, now a big ski area. In summer take the cable car up for the view or walk the village; in winter this is the day for the snow. Check ahead on lifts and trails.

   Go when Late afternoon in summer for the view, or any clear day in winter for the snow.

   Local tip In winter this is a ski area, so go for the snow. In summer take the cable car for the view or just walk the village. Check ahead on lifts, trails and weather.

   

8. Dinner

   A last dinner in the valley

   A table in the village after a day in the mountains, with a hot dish in winter or something grilled in summer.

   Local tip Book ahead on holidays and weekends in ski season.