Lake Tahoe
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Lake Tahoe - by David Mark from Pixabay




Description
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake at 1,800m altitude in the Sierra Nevada, straddling the states of California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in North America and the 2nd deepest in the country (501m) after Crater Lake in Oregon. Most of the lake's watershed is national forest land but that doesn't detract it from being a major tourist attraction both in summer (outdoor and nautical activities) and winter (several ski resorts). The Nevada side also offers several lakeside casino-resorts. The major tourist centers are South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Stateline and Kings Beach whilst from a natural attraction perspective the most popular site is arguably Emerald Bay in the southwest.
Access & Transport
Truckee, 20km away from King's Beach and Tahoe City has an Amtrack train station and airport but the closest major air gateway is Reno, Nevada about 60km away. Sacramento is 160km to the southwest via CA-50.
Instructions & Recommendations
We strongly suggest outdoor enthusiasts to spend at least one night and combining a visit of the lakeshores with a hike in Eldorado National Forest.
Environmental & Social
This is a green activity unless you are planning to use a motorboat. Revenues from tourism help the rural economy but the commercial pressure for development of the shores is intense so, depending on what you do and where you stay, tourism can have a negative environmental impact.
Conclusion
Tahoe Lake offers travellers not only beautiful views but also a mix of nautical and mountain activities which makes it a great multi-day regional base for families, mixing lakeside time with an exploration of the surrounding moutains and hiking options
Key positive
Gorgeous scenery
Worth visiting in all seasons
Family friendly destination
Key negative
Time consuming to get to
Suitability
Suitable for all ages and the shoreline is accessible for visitors with reduced mobility in many places but not all trails
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h 30m
est. visit time:6h
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo