South Lake Tahoe

A brilliant-blue alpine lake straddling California and Nevada, with kayaking in Emerald Bay in summer, skiing at Heavenly in winter and scenic drives around the lake.

South Lake Tahoe sits on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, spanning the city of South Lake Tahoe in California and Stateline in Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, with a surface elevation of about 1,900 m and a maximum depth of about 500 m, and it is famous for its clear blue water. The south shore draws the most visitors and has the greatest concentration of lodging and dining around the lake: on the California side are Heavenly Village, beaches and the Forest Service visitor center, while the Nevada side has the casino hotels. It's a year-round destination: Jun–Sep is for kayaking, swimming and hiking (the water stays chilly even in midsummer); the aspens turn gold from late September to mid-October; and from Dec–Apr you can ski at resorts such as Heavenly, Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe. The classic outing is a roughly 115 km drive around the lake on Highways 89, 28 and 50, taking in Emerald Bay, the Rubicon Trail, Sugar Pine Point, Sand Harbor on the north shore, Thunderbird Lodge and Cave Rock in a single day; hikers can head into Desolation Wilderness or climb Mount Tallac. Getting there: the nearest major airport is Reno-Tahoe International, about an hour's drive away; it's about 3.5–4 hours by car from the San Francisco Bay Area. Allow 3–5 days. In winter, tire chains are often required on mountain roads, and in summer the parking lots at popular beaches fill up by morning, so set out early.

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Where to eat

Itineraries