Lake Tahoe Summer Activities

It's Monday morning, and you've a busy week ofat Sand Harbor State Park ( or head into town for
events and activities planned. Sun is streaming inburritos, burgers, beer and rest after a long ride.
through the tall pine trees outside the condo' and theIn the summer you can ride the Heavenly tram or
gentle squawking of birds and the smell of pine waftsgondola and go for a hike, enjoy the views or grab a
through the open window in the cool summerbite to eat at the Adventure Peak Grill, a full-service
morning. No time to eat. This is Lake Tahoe: a giantoutdoor restaurant and bar. (
crystal pond surrounded by California, Nevada, sun,Tahoe Road Biking
fun and mountains. You can't just waltz up to a spotSeveral times through the summer you can get in on
like this and expect to be able to handle it. It's big,a large group ride that goes all the way around Lake
and there's a lot to do. You need a plan...Tahoe on smooth paved roads. The 72 mile ride
Your choose-you-own Tahoe adventure begins nowaround the lake is perhaps the most popular long ride.
You roll over and open your eyes, eager to meetIt has high traffic in areas, and has long strenuous
the day, your wife/girlfriend/best buddy/sonclimbs. The popular Death Ride ( organized by a local
daughter appears and says, "honey/babe/pardnerbike club is held every July and covers 129 miles and
daddy, what do you want to do today?" The best15,000 feet of climbing. Also, the Tahoe Sierra
plan of attack is, like reading a book, start at the topCentury ( runs every September and circumnavigates
and work your way down...Lake Tahoe on a supported bike tour.
LodgingCamping and backpacking in Tahoe
As a major vacation destination Lake Tahoe hasThough Tahoe is most known for its hotels,
thousands of hotel and motel rooms, a stunning arrayrestaurants and casinos, some people prefer to camp
of gambling opportunities, and enough diningon their vacation. And honestly, if you're looking for a
establishments to feed tens of thousands! It you'rereal adventure, you should be sleeping on the ground.
into hole-in-the-wall burger or burrito shops try Izzy'sThere are lots of options for camping right down on
Burger Spa or Taco Taqueria in South Lake Tahoe orthe lake at Nevada Beach just minutes from Stateline
T's Rotisserie in Incline. If you want something fancyand South Lake Tahoe along highway 50 in Roundhill,
poke around in any of the bigger casinos in SouthNevada. You can see sunset views over Mt. Tallac
Lake Tahoe, Incline Village or Cristal Bay for someand the Desolation Wilderness right from your
swanky four star dining. Of course all the Skicampfire.
Resorts, like Heavenly Tahoe, have some awesomeOr, get way off the trail on an overnight excursion
dining high up on their slopes that are open yearinto the Desolation Wilderness ( Permits ( are
round and accessed via a tram or gondola ride.required, so pick one up at the Ranger Station near
Tahoe has every kind of room for you from discountCamp Richardson on your way to the trailhead. The
economy lodging to high end luxury hotels with casinoscenic Pacific Crest Trail ( skirts the western rim of
gambling just steps away. If your tastes and budgetthe Tahoe Basin, and the Tahoe Rim Trail (
fall somewhere in between you'll have no troublecompletes the 150 mile loop for a two week
finding exactly what you're looking for. Specials andbackpacking trek with resupply stops every few
deals on lodging and dining rates abound as youdays.
would expect for such a popular destination.Tahoe Water Adventures
Shopping and Concerts in TahoeLake Tahoe is a large body of water. As the second
If you're not quite equipped for a rugged adventuredeepest lake in the United States it is 1,637 feet
of mountain climbing and grueling backpacking, youdeep, 22 miles long and 12 miles wide. So there's
can hit the awesome shopping centers and gamblingmore than enough space on its shimmering surface
in the town of South Lake Tahoe, or line up ticketsfor any kind of water recreation you can imagine.
to the nightly concerts by national headliner musiciansWaterskiing
and comedians at the casino showrooms all aroundAll summer sail boats stream across the lake and
the Nevada side of the lake. From our awesome localmotor boats tug around happy people waterskiing,
bands playing intimate concerts at small venues totubing and wakeboarding. Water temps are 65 to 70
huge stage productions with big-name artists, Tahoedegrees, but you wouldn't be sorry if you wore a
gets the best concert acts in the country. Or enjoywetsuit.
the Lake Tahoe Shakespeaer Festival (Skiing, tubing and wakeboarding are really popular on
Roll over the mountains to Reno, Nevada for a seriesTahoe. The many public, private and secluded
of free concerts through the summer in Wingfieldbeaches are great places to launch a day of motor
park ( and the plaza at Harrah's in downtown Reno.boating with family and friends. And the Sierra
Lake Tahoe Summer AdventuresNevada Mountains, holding snow well into the
There are lots of adventures to be had in Tahoe, butsummer, makes a great backdrop to the festivities.
the two basic types are Land Adventures and WaterTahoe Beaches
Adventures.If all you want is to sit on the beach and float around
Land Adventuresin a raft, Tahoe is easy, it will oblige. You can go to
There's a lot to do in Lake Tahoe for lovers of theDL Bliss State Park, Pope Beach or Zephyr Cove for
outdoors in the summer time, so start with thea full service experience with food, beverages and
easiest and tamest and move up to the hardest andkayak rentals or Hidden Beach in Incline or one of the
most extreme. We get a bit of sun and goodmany access points around the lake for a more rustic
weather. Typical summer temps range fromnatural lakeside experience.
overnight lows in the 40's and high in the 80's:In Tahoe City you can rent a tube or raft and float
(averages). It get's plenty warm for hiking, biking orseveral miles down the Truckee River. Trips start
horseback riding and even camping, and we hardlynear the outlet of Lake Tahoe where highways 28
ever get rain in the summer time.and 89 intersect and end several miles down a scenic
Tahoe Mountain Biking and Hikingcalm lazy river.
Some would say that Tahoe is the best place on theIf you want to get out on the lake away from shore
west coast for epic cross-country mountain biking,you'll need the help of a motorboat. Rentals are
some would say the country, some would say theavailable all around the lake and you can rent anything
world. And you need look no further than the Tahoefrom a kayak to a large cabin cruiser. (
Rim Trail (tahoerimtrail.org) to get started. Bar none,Fishing in Tahoe
the best off road biking, remote wilderness hiking andAs a large open expanse of fresh water, Tahoe has
backpacking in the Tahoe Basin can be foundsome spectacular fishing opportunities! Whether
somewhere on this 150 mile long scenic trail. It's justyou're trolling out in the open or fly-casting in the
a matter of how far you want to ride or hike to getrocky shallows you can find lake trout as big as 10
it.pounds! Mackinaw trout, German Brown and Kokanee
By far the most popular section of the TRT forare the common sport fish in the lake.
hiking and biking is the Flume Trail (theflumetrail.com).Many lakes and streams dot the mountainous region
The Flume Trail began life as a siphon waterwayaround the Tahoe Basin so there is no shortage of
from Incline Village, Nevada on the east shore ofwater to fish.
Lake Tahoe over the Carson Range, down theEnjoy it while it lasts!
Truckee Meadows, and up to Virginia City, NV high inAt some point you make it back to bed. Either
the Virginia Range. (sun-baked and tired, or content from an entertaining
To access the flume park either at the Tahoeday in town, but you have to rest, so you can get
Meadows trailhead at Mt. Rose Pass on HWY 431, orup and do it again. Lake Tahoe isn't going anywhere
at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park on HWY 50 atand the fun things to do there are just getting
Spooner Summit ( Get a map when you rent a bikebetter! But your vacation can't last forever. So plan
or arrange your shuttle ride at any of the great localyour attack to take advantage of everything Tahoe
shops. Both rides finish just outside Incline Village, NVhas to offer.
where you can ride down to the beach to cool off