Lake Tahoe, california
Attractions Guide

Lake Tahoe is a magnificent alpine lake set amongst the vast forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This massive lake sits along the border of California and Nevada, and the area around the lake offers many different types of activities year-round. In the summer there's great hiking opportunities, as well as beautiful beaches offering swimming and kayaking. In the winter the area offers countless ski resorts to experience.

The lake's main city is South Lake Tahoe on the southeastern shore. Here you'll find The Shops at Heavenly Village, an outdoor mall which resembles a majestic mountain lodge.

Stateline, Nevada

Just a couple blocks away within walking distance of Heavenly Village is the Nevada border town of Stateline, which hosts four Las Vegas-like mega casinos.

Nevada Beach

A bit north of Stateline and South Lake Tahoe is Nevada Beach, where the pine forest quickly turns into a vibrant sandy beach, from which you can enjoy striking views of the surrounding mountains over the lake.

To the west of South Lake Tahoe is one of the lake's most scenic areas, Emerald Bay State Park with its bright blue waters. Here you can take amazing views over the bay as well as of nearby Eagle Falls which flows into the lake.

Nearby Eagle Falls you can hike down to the castle-like Vikingsholm, an impressive historic mansion which sits on the lakeshore and offers tours in the warmer seasons. This popular hike to Vikingsholm is about 1.6 miles round-trip. Adjacent to the mansion is a beach and kayak rental from which you can explore Emerald Bay and the nearby Fannette Island.

Just east of Emerald Bay is another vibrant sandy beach with stunning clear waters, Baldwin Beach. To the south of Baldwin Beach you can drive to the beautiful Glen Alpine Falls, which is located just off the road.

Eagle Lake & Cascade Falls

Nearby Emerald Bay are several hikes through the serene rocky forest, including the 1.8 mile (2.9 km) round-trip trail up to picturesque Eagle Lake, which is surrounded by mountains. Close-by is the 1.4 mile (2.3 km) round-trip trail to the lovely Cascade Falls, which also hosts views over Cascade Lake below. The Cascade Falls Trail begins from the Bayview Trailhead.

Maggies Peak & Granite Lake

From the same Bayview Trailhead is a more challenging and rewarding hike to consider, the Granite Lake Trail. This hike passes the serene Granite Lake before reaching the top of Maggies Peak South, from which you can enjoy incredible views over Emerald Bay and part of Lake Tahoe. This trail has about 1,750 feet (540 m) of elevation gain and a round-trip distance of 3.8 miles (6.1 km).

Sand Harbor

On the northeastern side of Lake Tahoe is perhaps the lake's most gorgeous beach, Sand Harbor. This beach's waters are vivid shades of bright green and blue, with bold rounded rocks sticking out of the water, all surrounded by incredible scenery. Sand Harbor sits at the eastern edge of Lake Tahoe's Crystal Bay.

Bonsai Rock

Nearby Sand Harbor is the picturesque Bonsai Rock, an iconic rock just off the coast which has a small bonasi-like tree atop it. You can pull off the highway and take a very short hike down to the water to admire this amazing natural feature.

Thunderbird Lodge

Just south of the Bonsai Tree is the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation, a lovely historic cabin-like mansion located which hosts a scenic lakeside garden and excellent lake views. You can make reservations if you'd like to tour this historic structure.

Stateline Fire Lookout

At the center of the northern side of Lake Tahoe is one of the lake's greatest lookout points, the Historic Stateline Fire Lookout (also known as Crystal Bay Scenic Overlook), which offers gorgeous views overlooking the lake and Crystal Bay from high above. You can reach this viewpoint via a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) round-trip trail starting from the bottom of Lookout Road.

Along the central western side of the lake south of Tahoe City is Eagle Rock, which provides breathtaking views over Lake Tahoe from a very different vantage point than those previously mentioned. You can reach the top of Eagle Rock with an easy 0.7 mile (1.1 km) round-trip hike.