South Lake Tahoe // Can’t Decide if Summer or Winter is Better for Outdoor Activities

California is many things, and ugly is not one of them. Over the past 6 years we’ve found ourselves driving Westward for at least one trip a year. Barely scratching the surface, I’d say we’ve seen a ton for someone who doesn’t live there. Been up and down the coast visiting the beautiful beaches, walked through the giant Redwoods, rock climbed the boulders in Joshua Tree National Park, and wandered the mountain towns in Northern California. Though we haven’t checked off Yosemite, I think one destination has got to be near the top spot in California. And that is Lake Tahoe! More specifically, the ever popular South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe, the crown jewel of the Sierra Nevada, straddling the boarder of California and Nevada. And it’s also the largest alpine lake in North America and the second deepest. The size and depth of Lake Tahoe aren’t what drops your jaw when you crest the rim on Highway 50 coming in from Carson City, it’s the color of the water. A blue, that depending on the day and time of year, can paint every shade of the blue pallet. In the shallows, the lake turns turquoise and glacier blue, but in the deepest parts of the lake, you find a deep, dark blue, similar to Crater Lake. If you don’t believe me, pick any place along its 72 miles of shoreline and see for yourself. 

World Class Skiing

The first time in Tahoe, a group of friends all met here to go skiing in the warm spring trip at Heavenly Ski Resort. There are eight world class ski resorts that surround Lake Tahoe, but none of the others come close to the view Heavenly has when skiing. Skiing down from the top of Sky Express chair, with corn snow under your skis, looking out at the cobalt color, surrounded by a rim of mountain peaks, is unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced. Plus, the resort, like the lake, across both California and Nevada, which is more just cool to say you’ve skied across two states in one day more than anything. 

Of course, my experience at one resort doesn’t capture all of the amazing skiing near Lake Tahoe, both at the resorts and in the backcountry. On the north side of the lake there are Palisades Tahoe (previously Squaw), Northstar, Diamond Peak, and Mount Rose. On the south side of Lake Tahoe, you have Heavenly, Sierra, and Kirkwood. Plenty of options for either the Epic Pass or IKON Passholders. And with the endless backcountry terrain in the surrounding Sierras, especially in the Squaw Valley, you’ll never run out of opportunities to ski from November into the early Summer months, chasing that infamous Sierra Cement. And I haven’t even scratched the surface here, but I did have a helluva time skiing Mott and Killebrew Canyons trying to find the steepest terrain at Heavenly. Sure it wasn’t the couloirs in the Wasatch, but the tree skiing was fantastic. Plus, with the low height and spaced out nature of the Jeffery Pines, skiing in the trees on almost all the runs is fun for everyone, not just the experts!

Mountain Biking

On our trip here this past summer, I had my mountain bike with me and was able to finally check out the trails that get talked about so much, the Corral Trail that cuts across the western face of Trimmer Peak on the south side of the lake. I’m usually a glutton for punishment of a tough uphill trail as much as I love technical downhills, but I won’t say no to a paved forest road that guides you up 4 miles and 1,300 feet to downhill trail. From there I hopped on the Armstrong Connector which eventually links up with the Corral Trail. What I loved about this riding is that it felt so different than anything in Utah, Oregon, or Colorado. Different in an amazing way. And though I rode it solo, my friends who were riding nearby later that day said the exact same thing.

The steep topography of the area blended in with smooth trails cut across the mountainsides seemed effortless, with the soil tending to be sandy. The trails snaked their way around massive boulders and rock outcroppings that rested on the steep terrain. This led to complex, but smooth drops and rollovers, connecting with the trails below. But that’s at the granular level, because the most shocking part was the trail was entirely through the remains of the Caldor Forest Fire that ripped through the hillside in 2021. Ten times out of ten, I’d much rather be riding in a dense forest than not, but getting to ride or ski through a burn is quite the unique experience. Not only is it visually striking to be able to look through the forest, past the charged remains of the pine trees, but also how fragile the ecosystem is. It’s hard to fathom one day riding your favorite trail system, with all the leaves and trees, and the next, it’s a barren landscape with only the definition of a bike trail showing signs of life. On the lighter side of things,

Hiking & Running

I think most people that visit Lake Tahoe explore the region via endless trail network that spans the Tahoe area like a web. With trailheads starting from the lake or the many pass roads that head up and over the rim. On our first spring trip here, we headed down to Secret Cove so we could find a trail that took us to the rocky coastline of the lake. Fortunately it was cold out, so the nude beach that the cove is known for, turned out to be an empty stretch of emerald water coastline for us to explore. Between the crystal clear water, the pine trees finding their way to grow between the rocks that stack over the edge of the lake, a the snow capped peaks that surround the edge of the lake, it’s just beautiful. The overcast skies added a new layer to the normally blue skies, which turned the water from an icy blue to the emerald green we saw on that day. The hike itself, wasn’t much to remember, but the destination to that beach was something I’ll never forget. 

Putting in more miles this past summer, Courtney needed to put in a 20 mile training run. So we found a segment on the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) starting from Kingsbury and headed out past Genoa Peak. On that trail, over the many hours that Courtney was running and I was riding my bike, I grew to fall in love with a new mountainscape. Tahoe’s terrain is unlike anywhere else. The trails are both sandy like the desert, yet covered by a dense layer of pine needles like the Pacific Northwest. The trails wind around, up, and over smooth boulders, rocks, and roots of the massive trees like up in the coastal woods of Maine. And though the trail’s characteristics are similar to many places in this country, the views are unlike anything else. The view of course of Lake Tahoe, peaking around every corner, below every rise in the trail, and of course the reward when hitting the tallest ridge on the trail. 

South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe, like many of the towns that boarder the lake, are great basecamps to get into the mountains or onto the trails. What makes South Lake a bit of an outcast compared to the quieter towns, is how developed it is. Maybe it’s the fact the Nevada state line is right next door, with all of their Casinos, or just the fact that huge hotel chains are all packed in to the town, bringing in thousands of tourists each year to ski or play. So if you’re looking for a quiet getaway, South Lake Tahoe is not the place, but if you’re looking for easy access, amazing breweries and restaurants, grocery stores, and pretty much close to everything, South Lake is the place to go.

I cannot stress enough, I barely scratched the surface of the infinite outdoor activities to do here. The rock climbing scene is world class, between the high quality granite walls and the million boulders that are scattered throughout the basin. The most obvious thing is all of the watersports to enjoy, whether it’s SUPing, kayaking, sailing, or wakeboarding, you name it. And all of the options are dog friendly here! Unlike in Salt Lake area where you can’t bring your dog into the Cottonwoods or in most reservoirs, dogs are allowed almost everywhere here, which was a huge plus when we got to bring Gregor this past summer.

If you get the chance or the opportunity, plan your next trip to South Lake Tahoe. And what I hoped you took away here is that, there really isn’t a bad time to visit! Winter will have you wrapped around it’s finger with how beautiful and fun the skiing is here. While Summer will drag you back each year for the endless opportunities to get into the mountains and on the lake.