Tips & Tricks: All Things Lake Tahoe

How to Get There:

There are two major airports near the Lake Tahoe area - Reno-Tahoe Airport, Nevada (45-minute drive) & San Fransisco Airport, California (4-hour drive).

When to Visit:

The best times to visit Lake Tahoe depends on what you are feeling up to. Lake Tahoe has both a large Winter and Summer tourist crowd. Peak months are from March to May and from September to November. Please note that certain attractions do close for certain months of the year like the famous Heavenly Ski Resort & Alpine Coaster (Tentatively open: November to April)

Things to Do:

Heavenly Ski Resort:

* The first stop you should hit is Heavenly Ski Resort, and no this is for winter activities but for amazing SUMMER activities. Taking a gorgeous and adventurous ride up 2.4 miles via gondola to reach this what feels like being on top of the world. From there you will see how absolutely stunning this place is, and you can always grab a quick drink and relax and enjoy the views for a while at the observation deck. One big thing most people don't realize is that at the top of Heavenly Mountain there is ton of shorter trail heads (0.2 - 1.3 miles) that you do not want to miss. These trails are often overlooked when you try to inquire about hiking in Lake Tahoe since they are hidden at the top of this mountain, but these trails have amazing skyline views that you do not want to miss. Heavenly also has a bunch of fun activities for adults and kids! My personal favorite being the Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster. While there are hundreds of alpine coasters across the US, and you may want to skip and save that experience for a separate vacation - DONT. This alpine coaster is unlike any other - has amazing views of the lake verse the typical forest view you normally get with these types of coasters. Overall, it's an experience you will never forget. The gondola ride and one ride on the alpine coaster cost 85 dollars for an adult and 58 dollars per child. While there are additional activities that can be bundled in, these are the two I recommend the most to ensure you truly have the best experience when visiting Lake Tahoe.

Emerald Bay State Park:

Accessing this park can be difficult due to the lack of parking spaces, so be sure to arrive early! (Parking is 10$) Located in South Lake Tahoe off of California State Route 89. This is one of Lake Tahoe's most visited and photographed locations. The emerald blue water is pristine and essentially see through, unlike anything you have seen before. There is a one-mile hike from the parking lot downhill to reach the small beach nestled upon the lake, and it is quite steep so be prepared you will have to walk back up. The bottom of this trail gives you spectacular views of Lake Tahoe's only island- Fannette Island which is also home to Vikingsholm a 38-room mansion build in the lake 1920's featuring Scandinavian architecture and amazing craftsmanship. Tours are offered in select months of the year and run at no more that 15 dollars a person

Cascade Falls Trail

Located within Emerald Bay State Park is a 1.4-mile-long trail with slight elevation gain, the trail is considered to be of moderate complexity. This round-trip trail leads you through a small forest and stone lead path with a few difficult rocky portions (as pictured to the right) to navigate. The falls are fed by snowmelt and therefore can be dried up certain times of the year, so it is best to always research before you go. The top of the trail head offers multiple small pools of water to relax and let your feet cool off in while you enjoy a quick snack and take in the scenery before heading back down. There is an additional trail head at the peak of the trail for cascade falls that leads you on to overlook Cascade lake - but this is by permit only since Cascade Lake is private. This hike is also much more strenuous, but if it's something you would enjoy, I highly recommend it.

Sand Harbour Beach:

This by far was my absolute favorite stop this trip. This was the place that took my breath away. There is something different about going to a beach being surrounded by trees and mountains. This is the perfect place where you can spend all day doing amazing activities, and just relaxing. Be sure to arrive early though as for most placed in Lake Tahoe parking is very limited and fills up fast (Parking is 10$ a day). This is the perfect place to have a picnic and enjoy the wonders that this lake has to offer.

Be sure to rent of bring a pair of goggles and a snorkel. This park also has Kayak & Stand-up paddle board rentals for a variety of prices and times to fit your needs (see link below). The famous Bonsai rock is a two-mile paddle from this launch location. The paddle from the beach to Bonsai Rock can be considered moderate with having to navigate through all the boulders that ride the shoreline on the north end, but it is amazing. With the extremely limited parking for Bonsai rock, I do find this to be the best and most scenic way to get there. Bonsai rock is also a great place to do a small cliff jump and experience a little bit of a thrill on your adventure. If you are feeling extra adventurous and up to the challenge, if you continue kayaking an additional mile to see the famous Chimney Beach. Chimney beach provides a bunch of small coves to turn into and take in the beauty and enjoy the piles of boulders this location holds, and even do some additional cliff jumping which is about 2x the height of jumping of bonsai rock. On this additional adventure you will pass a historic stone lighthouse landmark located at Thunderbird Lodge. Once back at sand beach there is a small boardwalk leading between both beaches

within the park. Just off the boardwalk you will see a small cove of rocks. This is the perfect location to end the day. You will be climbing on the rocks like you were 10 years old again, but you will have some amazing photos to share. You can even climb down into the water of the bay and have photos taken from above (trust me they will look amazing).

Pro Tip: Kayaks that are being brough into Lake Tahoe if you decide not to rent require a special AIS sticker so make sure apply in advance.

Kayak Rentals:

https://sandharborrentals.com/rentals-and-demos/

D. L. Bliss State Park:

Just a few miles passed Emerald Bay State Park brings you to another crown jewel of the Lake Tahoe Basin. D. L. Bliss state park is best known for the Rubicon Trail, and for Balancing rock. Balancing rock is a natural attraction that is just a short 0.5-mile trail. Balancing rock consist of a 130-ton bounder perched upon a rock with a very small connecting point defying gravity - although the rock will soon fall as the waste of the connecting rocks has been slowly showing signs of deterioration. The Rubicon Trail is what this state park is mostly known for this sought-after trail is polluted heavily with foot traffic throughout all times of the day. This trail runs along the lake connecting both B. L. Bliss to Emerald Bay state park this is a 16.4-mile round trip hike. Personally, I recommend doing what we did which was hike from one park to the other, and then uber back to your car to save more time for additional adventures. Since the trail is the same forward as it is backwards you can save 8 miles of walking time since it will be something you have already seen.

South Lake Tahoe:

While I do find the North Beaches to be the best, South Lake Tahoe is where I would recommend you stay. There is a small town filled with great outdoor dining options, small shops, and even casinos if you are feeling lucky. There is also plenty of Airbnb rentals in the area just up the sides of some mountains that offer a spectacular view of the lake at low prices. There are also small breweries all around this area to offer you some night life if you are up to spending a night out.

Other:

* If you have a kitchen where you are staying get food outside of Lake Tahoe to save money since there is a huge mark up.

*Rent a CAR - trust me. The lake is a huge place with all parts of it a reasonable drive from no matter what side you stay on. Trust me you will want to see it all, and ubering for an hour to get to the other side can get pretty expensive.

* Visit Heidi's Pancake House it's a local favorite with I'm sure you can guess amazing pancakes.