The Top 10 Things To Do In South Lake Tahoe, CA
Tahoe’s gorgeous lake, coupled with the endless hikes boasting breathtaking views, make it a must-visit. Come in the summer for hiking, kayaking, and boating, or visit during the winter to hit the immense slopes. You will be in awe.
#10 - Hiking & Bike Riding
Endless opportunities for hikes and bikes! South Lake Tahoe has a great bike path that winds through campgrounds, runs parallel to the lake, and takes you through the forested paths. It allows you to take in a lot of scenery and also easily stop along the way at the beaches or for a quick bite at one of the many Read Morefood options along the way. We enjoyed Sonney’s BBQ and Sno-Flake, good for some midday grub and shakes. Hiking is all around you...you’re in the mountains! Some of our favorites were the Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm hikes at Emerald Bay and The Lighthouse trail and Rubicon trail in D.L. Bliss State Park. There are also hiking trails with spectacular views atop Heavenly after the gondola ride. The hikes range from easy to expert, flat to hilly, so do some research, and pick a few that look good for you! Many of the hikes end at a beach so you can even bring your suit and hop in to cool off in the lake! Work up an appetite and dine at one of Tahoe’s great restaurants afterward, such as The Lake House or Scusa Italian. Yum!
The boat about to set off on another adventure.
#9 - Boat Cruise
See Lake Tahoe from a different perspective by hopping on one of the cruises. Departing out of Zephyr Cove, take a ride aboard one of their boats. The M.S. Dixie II, the largest cruising vessel in South Lake Tahoe, is a 500-passenger paddle-wheeler that offers both daytime and dinner voyages. The Tahoe Read MoreParadise, a luxury yacht, departs for a scenic sunset cruise. The lake also offers sailing cruises, and smaller, more intimate boat tours, and for a bit of a party, you can take the Rum Runner that departs from Camp Richardson. Many include drinks, so hop in and have some fun on the water!
Photo provided by Unsplashed.
#8 - Snow Sports
Hit the slopes and have some fun in the snow! Tahoe offers many ski and snowboard resorts so you have plenty to choose from! In South Lake Tahoe, you’ll want to head to Heavenly, a massive ski resort that offers 97 trails that are accessible by 28 chairlifts. With so many trails, there are options for all skill Read Morelevels! Heavenly gets around 360 inches of snow per year and can make snow for 60% of its trails, making it one of the best places to ski, snowboard, or sled!
Harrah’s Casino in South Lake Tahoe.
#7 - Casinos
Ching, ching! Get the fun rollin’ at Stateline by visiting one of the hotels and casinos along the Nevada side of the lake. Try your luck at Harrahs, Harveys, or Hard Rock and have some fun! The hotels and casinos feature slots, tables, sports tvs, pools, restaurants, and entertainment! We stayed at Hard Rock for a Read Moreportion of our stay to get the feel of this area. It is great for nightlife, gambling, and fun. The casinos are also next door to Heavenly Village and the Gondola, and close to beaches on both sides.
#6 - Heavenly Village And Gondola
Fantastic Views! We enjoyed riding up the gondola and seeing Lake Tahoe from an incredible height! You can purchase tickets ahead of time and ticket booths open at 9:30, so we arrived a little early at 9:15 to get in line and the gondola started running at 10 am during the summer months. Definitely stop at the Read MoreObservation Deck on the way up for unparalleled picture opportunities and sweeping views. After you take some pictures, get back on the gondola and continue up on the 2-mile ride. At the top are the rollercoaster, ziplining, tubing, and more available if you purchased Epic Adventure tickets. Then, take the chair lift up to access the hikes that we hear are fantastic! There was a possibility of a storm when we went, so they closed the hikes, but we were still able to ride up and back down. It was very picturesque! Heavenly Village is also great for staying the night, drinks, coffee, restaurants, such as Basecamp Pizza, shopping, art galleries, and dessert! Baked Bear ice cream sandwiches anyone? They also have a pool, mini golf, and kids area, as well as a cinema and magic show. So there is definitely plenty to see and do!
#5 - Beaches (Zephyr Cove, Pope, Baldwin, Sand Harbor, & Hidden Beach)
Lake Tahoe is made up of many beaches surrounding its sandy shores. They have many things in common, including their gorgeous lake views, but each also offers something unique. You can’t possibly visit them all in one trip, so scope out some near where you are staying, or pick some favorites ahead of time. Some hotels Read Moreand resorts have access to their own beach so make sure to look for that! Some include Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach which are west of Stateline and on the way to Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss State Park. At both of these state parks you have beaches too! There are also Zephyr Cove, Sand Harbor, and Hidden Beach east of Stateline. Some beaches have more parking than others and many charge a fee to support keeping the lake clean and beautiful. Or you can find street parking, simply walk, rent a scooter, or ride a bike! You can’t go wrong with any of the beaches!
#4 - Water Sports
Get out on the water in any way you can! While the water will be cold, even in the summer months, it is worth it! We had a great time renting jet skis at the Beach Retreat and Lodge marina where we happened to be staying. This gave us access to the beach and an easy walk up to all rentals. People also did pedal Read Moreboats, kayaks, SUPs, pontoon boats, and more! We also took advantage of kayaking at El Dorado Beach, which had plenty of parking, public access to the beach, and rentals. We had rain come in during July so the rental places did close early, so we recommend starting early and checking the weather. We also visited Zephyr Cove that had plenty of boat, water craft, helicopter tours, cruises, etc. available. These are also easily bookable at Heavenly Village or Ski Run Marina. This marina also had shops, great food, such as the Riva Grill and Artemis Artemis Mediterranean Grill, and gelato! There are so many different water sports to do and so many places to do them along the lake. Tahoe is wonderful for fun on the water!
#3 - D.L. Bliss State Park, Lester Beach, Rubicon Trail, Lighthouse Trail, Balancing Rock, & Calawee Cove
Beautiful surroundings here among nature with different options for everyone. They have a campground and a parking lot right on Lester Beach. However, come early, because the parking lot was full, so we decided to start our hike from the main road. The trail led us to the start of the Rubicon trail and the Read MoreLighthouse trail. We took the lighthouse hike to see the small, but highest elevated lighthouse. It offered great views and gave us some exercise! We stopped at Lester Beach to hop in the lake and also visited the adjoining Calawee Cove. Families had made it a beach day with water toys, rafts, beach umbrellas, chairs, etc. We did not see rentals here, but not sure if they provide them on other days. This was the clearest part of the lake that we saw and a great beach for boats to dock in. On the way up, we took the Rubicon Trail and it was stunning! The lake unfolds below you with beautiful greens and blues making up for the uphill trek. We highly recommend it!
This hike was well worth this view!
#2 - Eagle Falls
A great hike! This trail is connected to the Emerald Bay Vikingsholm trail, so you can do them in either order. We started with Eagle Falls and although there is a parking lot, it was full, so we parked along the street. The walk-up gave us some of the best views of the Bay! Look for the Eagle Falls trailhead sign along Read Morethe road and take a look at the lower falls on the lakeside of the street. Then, head away from the lower falls and start towards the bridge. You can choose to do the Eagle loop and reach a vista point, or continue to Eagle Lake. For the lake, make sure to cross the bridge and immediately look for stairs that we almost missed because we were looking at the watering hole and waterfall. The water was a little low when we went, but still awesome to walk along. The lake trail will take you through the gorgeous greenery for about 2 miles up and end at Eagle Lake, where people are swimming, relaxing, or just taking it all in. The fresh air and mirror-like lake was a nice retreat among the trees.
#1 - Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm, & Inspiration Point
A must-see! We highly recommend visiting this state park and taking in the breathtaking views. On the way, stop at Inspiration Point for photo ops you won’t want to miss! Then head over to the Vikingsholm parking lot. This will be crowded and they do charge a fee, but you are able to park along parts of the Read Morestreet for free. Be sure to read the signs. The Vikingsholm hike is about a mile down to stunning Emerald Bay where you can visit the Vikingsholm castle, take a tour, rent kayaks, or jump into the lake. Many people brought rafts, bathing suits, food, etc. and made it a day. Just remember you will have to walk it back up. There is also a small island that has a tea house you can ride out to. Fantastic place to dock a boat and they also offer a cruise out to Emerald Bay. We decided to hike back up the way we came because we had already hiked Eagle Falls, but the two trails do connect, so you can do both in one day! It is all uphill on the way back, but so refreshing! Shady with the sounds of a babbling brook. Absolutely beautiful!
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South Lake Tahoe Travel Tips FAQ
Is South Lake Tahoe worth visiting? South Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places in the world and is definitely worth a visit. It’s great for people of all ages and there’s activities for all types of personality types.
What is the best way to visit Lake Tahoe? Having a rental car is by far the most convenient option. Finding parking spots isn’t difficult in the area and there’s so much to do spread around the 70 miles of shoreline.
What is the best month to go to Lake Tahoe? For Summer activities, September is the best month to visit Lake Tahoe. It will be less crowded than July or August and still be warm enough for water sports. For Winter fun, February is a the second snowiest month of the year and less crowded than December or January. But, Lake Tahoe has such great weather that it’s great to visit anytime!
How do you get around South Lake Tahoe? You have many options such as walking, renting bikes or scooters, riding on trolleys or buses, or booking a ride on the Lake Link shuttle.
Is there a free shuttle in South Lake Tahoe? There is a free shuttle that offers on-demand rides on Lake Tahoe's South Shore. It’s called the Lake Link microtransit shuttle and rides can be booked through their official app.