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Outdoor
Lover’s Paradise
By Katherine E. Hill
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Visitor’s Centers
Incline Village
South Lake Tahoe
Stateline
Tahoe City
Truckee
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Summer in Tahoe is an outdoor
lover’s paradise. Mountain biking, boating, hiking, kayaking,
rock climbing, golfing, about any outdoor activity that can be
imagined has a home in Tahoe.
And, don’t forget that the lake
level is at 6,225’, so give yourself a day to acclimate to the
higher elevation before doing any strenuous activities.
For more information on any of
these activities, check with a local visitor’s center.
Boating
The Tahoe-Truckee region is home
to the largest alpine lake in North America – Lake Tahoe. The
lake spans 12 miles across and is 22 miles long, giving boaters
a wide expanse to cruise, fish or water ski and wakeboard.
There also are a number of other
lakes for boating in the area including Fallen Leaf Lake and
Echo Lake on the South Shore and in the Truckee area there’s
Donner Lake, Boca, Prosser and Stampede reservoirs.
 There are about a dozen marinas
and scores of public boat launches scattered around Lake Tahoe,
so there’s no excuse not to get that boat, or sailboat, into the
water. Or, if you want to leave the captain duties to someone
else, book a cruise on one of the local charters from a private
sailboat for you and your friends to the paddlewheelers that
offer daily cruises.
The perfect day on the lake should
include cruising the shore, playing on one of the many beaches,
doing a little sightseeing and dropping anchor for a picnic
lunch on board.
While cruising down the West Shore
keep an eye out for Eagle Rock, a volcanic outcropping towering
above the lake, Fleur du Lac, a palatial lakefront development
that was the setting for part of “The Godfather, Part II” and
the Ehrman Mansion, part of Sugar Pine Point State Park. You can
drop anchor, swim ashore to the beach at D.L. Bliss State Park,
and take a short hike to the lighthouse hidden among the trees
south of the beach. Further down, Emerald Bay is one of the
lake’s treasures and is home to Vikingsholm Castle and the Tea
House on Fannette Island. The beach is a great spot for swimming
and for a picnic. Look for Eagle Falls descending from high
above the bay, and you can reach the Tea House on the island by
approaching from the south and looking for a small cove on the
west corner. If you want to stay overnight and explore the area,
get a spot at the Boat Camp; spaces go fast so make reservations
early.
On the South Shore, Camp
Richardson and the Tallac Historic Site offer great spots for
swimming and relaxing on the beach. South Lake Tahoe also has a
number of great public beaches perfect for a little relaxing.
Cave Rock sits on the East Shore
and is one of the lake’s natural wonders. Named for the small
caves cut by waves when the lake was 200 feet higher during the
Ice Ages, Cave Rock is not a rock, but the neck of an old
volcano. It also is a sacred site for the Washoe, the native
peoples of Lake Tahoe.
The East Shore has many small
coves and beaches along its shoreline that are great for
swimming. Skunk Harbor is a popular spots for boaters and hikers
with the Newhall Party House located on the shore and the
remnants of an old pier in the harbor. George Newhall owned a
West Shore estate and built the East Shore house for parties.
 One of the grandest sites on the
lake is the Thunderbird Lodge with its famous Card House,
infamous underground tunnel and storied history as the former
home of George Whittell. The estate is not accessible by boat,
but public tours are held throughout the summer.
Sand Harbor is home to the Lake
Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and is a favorite beach spot for its
sunny location and sandy beach. Heading north of Sand Harbor are
public nude beaches, so be mindful of where you go ashore.
Before heading out for a day on
the lake be sure to pack food and drinks, sunblock and all of
your beach supplies for a little frolicking along the lake’s
many beaches. Also, check the boat for lifejackets, radios (cell
phones get spotty reception) and other safety equipment.
And, make sure you know where
you’re going and how to get back. Check the landmarks around the
boat launch for buildings and other manmade objects for a point
of reference. This will ensure you’re not late for that dinner
reservation you’ve made.
On the Water
There are many ways to enjoy being
on the water with kayaking and personal watercraft among the
favorite summer pastimes. From Tahoe City to Zephyr Cove, there
are scores of retailers with rental equipment available.
For a different view of the lake,
parasailing is a popular pastime around the lake where you can
soar above the lake by yourself or with a friend, or two. If you
are looking for a truly breathtaking experience at the lake,
Lake Tahoe Balloons on the South Shore offers hot air balloon
rides that are amazing (they launch and land from a barge on the
lake). You can even take a windsurfing lesson if that’s your
fancy.
If you’re looking for a mellow
day, pack a lunch, grab the beach chair and a book and head down
to the beach. Tahoe has scores of great beaches.
If an exhilarating experience that
you can brag about to your friends back home is what you’re
after, whitewater rafting is in your future. A number of
rafting companies offer guided tours along a stretch of the
Truckee River with Class I to III rapids waiting. For a more
gentle ride, floating the Truckee River between Tahoe City and
River Ranch is a popular and relaxing way to wile away the
afternoon.
Golfing
 The Tahoe-Truckee region is a golf
lover’s paradise. The region is home to championship courses
designed by golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Sr.
and Robert Trent Jones Jr. There are courses that look as though
you could play a round into Lake Tahoe. And every course boasts
stunning views of the Sierra Nevada.
The North Lake Tahoe-Truckee area
is home to 10 courses, with another four in South Lake Tahoe,
including Edgewood Tahoe, the home of the Celebrity Golf
Championship.
Rock Climbing
Big walls and boulders attract
climbers of all levels to the region from Donner Summit to Big
Chief to Castle Peak. Rock climbers have their favorite spots,
but for those unfamiliar to the area or new to the sport, guide
companies offer rock climbing trips for all levels. There’s also
climbing walls and gyms around the lake that can help you
improve your technique or get you familiarized with the sport.
Fishing
 Fishing is a popular pastime for
Lake Tahoe visitors with the Mackinaw trout the king of the
catch. But, the Mackinaw lives 200 to 400 feet below the
surface, so a guide is your best for snagging one. Other fish
include the Kokanee Salmon, Mountain Whitefish, and Cutthroat,
Brown and Rainbow trout.
Favorite hot spots include Spooner
Lake on the East Shore, Echo Lakes and Fallen Leaf Lake on the
South Shore. In the Truckee area, there are Boca, Stampede and
Prosser Creek reservoirs, Martis Lake, Donner Lake and
Independence Lake.
Fly-fishing is popular along the
Truckee River, and private fishing lakes are available at
Sawmill Lake at Northstar-at-Tahoe and Quail Lake at Homewood
Mountain Resort. The Resort at Squaw Creek also has a private
lake in Olympic Valley.
Mountain & Road
Biking
Mountain biking is a popular sport
among locals and visitors with dozens of trails scattered
throughout the region. From the Flume Trail to the Tahoe Rim
Trail, hundreds of miles of trails await mountain bikers. All
you need is a bike and the stamina to tackle the grueling Sierra
trails.
Northstar-at-Tahoe offers one of
the most unique experiences around the lake with its mountain
bike park with something from beginner to advanced from
cross-country to downhill mountain bike trails. They also offer
lift access to the trail system. The park has more than 100
miles of trail, a jump park and skills development areas. It’s
also home to a popular mountain bike race series.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort offers a
network of 16 trails ranging from single track to dirt roads,
with access by two chairlifts to the top of the park.
For the road bikers, the area
offers miles of paved bike trails and routes around the Lake
Tahoe and Truckee region. There are dozens of miles of paved
trails around the West and North Shores, down the Truckee River
Canyon and through Olympic Valley. On the South Shore, there are
sections of paved trails along Highway 89 and an expanse that
spans Highway 50 from the California end into Nevada.
Hiking
 Hundreds of miles of hiking trails
meander through the varied terrain of Lake Tahoe and Truckee
from the barren landscapes of Desolation Wilderness to the
forests of Granite Chief Wilderness to the meadows and peaks in
Truckee. The trail systems are as varied as the landscapes with
short hikes to ponds and waterfalls to multi-day excursions into
the back country.
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 164-mile
loop trail encircling Lake Tahoe with moderate to difficult
hiking with elevations ranging from 6,300’ to 10,333.’ The trail
is open to hikers and equestrians, with some portions open to
mountain bikers. The trail is marked and trailheads access
points are positioned around the lake. Camping also is allowed
with a U.S. Forest Service permit.
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