There’s nothing quite like summer in Lake Tahoe – beaches, crystal undecorous water, epic hiking, and mountain biking… there’s something for every kind of outdoor adventurer. Lake Tahoe, the largest tall lake in North America, is 1,644ft at its deepest point, and its striking undecorous verisimilitude comes from the fact that the water has been tested as 99.994% pure, which is cleaner than most commercially distilled water!
In this blog post, I share some of the weightier things to do in Lake Tahoe in the summer so you can plan your trip with ease. Forewarning – Lake Tahoe gets BUSY in the summer, so I recommend starting your days early to snag a parking spot at all the locations below.
Start planning your outdoor venture with this list of 12 things to do virtually Lake Tahoe in the summer.
And as it goes in all of the destinations we share, please practice good trail etiquette and remember to Leave No Trace. This ways packing out all of your garbage including toilet paper, stuff respectful to others on rented trails, and pursuit the established rules.
Map of the Weightier Things to Do in Lake Tahoe
On this map, you can get directions to all of the vita in this blog post.
Best Lake Tahoe Summer Activities
1. Hike Mt. Tallac
Mt. Tallac is one of the increasingly challenging day hikes on Lake Tahoe with 3,500 feet of elevation proceeds in 10.2 miles round trip. But if youre up for the challenge, hiking Mount Tallac was one of our favorite things to do virtually Lake Tahoe. Youll want to get an early start to write-up the crowds and the heat – think like 7am. Bring plenty of water, all of your day hiking essentials, and some snacks for the summit and youre in for non-stop views and a feat to be proud of.
2. Stand-up Paddleboard from Kiva Waterfront to Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay is home to Lake Tahoe’s only island, and the unshortened Bay is a wake-free zone. Either way, youll want to get up early to get a throne start on the wend traffic.
There are a ton of shops in South Lake Tahoe that you can rent paddleboards from. Trammels out SUP Tahoe’s rental pricing. Launch from Kiva Beach, where there is self-ruling parking, and throne north. It took us well-nigh an hour to get to Emerald Bay. There is a nice waterfront on the left side of the bay that you can take a swim unravel at, and for those who are feeling adventurous, circumnavigate the island surpassing heading back. I cant emphasize unbearable the importance of getting an early start though (like no later than 8am). The lake gets very choppy once the boats are out and the wind tends to pick up in the afternoon.
3. Relax at Sand Harbor
Sand Harbor is a popular beach, for good reason. Not only does it have a nice sandy waterfront perfect for swimming, but big granite boulders dot the shoreline making for some trappy photos. Come with a good vein thats prepared for crowds, a couple of waterfront chairs, and bladder toys — and moreover be prepared to hands spend a day spooky out here as your muscles recover from the other things to do virtually Tahoe described in this blog post. If you’re not too tired you can plane rent a SUP or kayak here. Sand Harbor is moreover home to the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
4. Watch Sunset at Inspiration Point
Emerald Bay is one of the busiest spots on Lake Tahoe. Weekends are a zoo and youll be tough-pressed to find parking mid-day. Skip the crowds and visit Inspiration Point at either sunrise or sunset, which is only a few minutes’ momentum from Emerald Bay, where youll be worldly-wise to find some peace and quiet. This offers a unique vantage point of the Bay (I unquestionably liked this view largest than the Emerald Bay pull-off itself).
5. Go Mountain Biking
Bike the Angora Ridge Loop (Advanced)
Mountain bikers looking for a rencontre should trammels out the Angora Ridge Loop near Fallen Leaf Lake. This 12.4-mile ride offers superstitious views, a variety of terrain, and an optional pitstop at Angora Lakes where you can take a dip and grab an ice-cold, fresh-squeezed lemonade. This ride features over 1,700 feet of vertical proceeds and descent. The hardest and most technical part was the whence – the waddle creek garden and the first takeoff up the Angora Ridge Trail (we rode counter-clockwise).
If this is too much for you, you can moreover ride the road up the first section, picking up the trail at the Mule Deer Connector. There is a great unravelment of this ride on the self-ruling MTB Project App. The weightier part of this ride? Finishing the day with a dip in Fallen Leaf Lake!
Bike the Antone Meadows Loop (Beginner)
If the Angora Ridge Loop is increasingly than you want/can chew off, the Antone Meadows Loop in North Tahoe is part of a beginner-friendly trail system. It doesnt offer the same views as some of the other trails, but Antone Meadows has some fun single track where you can shrivel off some steam and practice your mountain wanderlust skills. You can connect multiple trails (the trail system is well-signed) for a shorter or longer ride.
6. Hike Five Lakes Basin
The Five Lakes Trail is a 4.4-mile lollipop loop in the Granite Chief Wilderness near Squaw Valley that’s dog-friendly and leads to a series of tall lakes surrounded by granite mountains. You’ll proceeds well-nigh 1,000 feet in elevation so come ready to sweat a bit. The weightier lake for swimming was the biggest one right on the main trail, but you can moreover explore the others on your return loop. The Pacific Crest Trail connects here so if you’re looking for a longer hike or a backpacking trip, rest unpreventable you’ve found a winner. There is very little shade on the trail, so take plenty of water and sun protection.
7. Bladder the Truckee River
Floating the Truckee River is an incredibly fun thing to do virtually Lake Tahoe in summer. You can bladder the river in an inner tube or in a small raft, and a majority of the river is unappetizing except for a small rapid at the very end. Traveling with kids? You’ll find plenty of families on the water as well. Truckee River Rafting rents rafts & operates a return shuttle bus post-trip so you don’t have to shuttle your cars between the waif in and out point.
If you have your own tubes and transportation, you can start at the park at the Tahoe City Transit Center where there is a put-in tropical by, and take out at the River Ranch Inn, right surpassing the rapids. Expect the bladder to take 2-4 hours, depending on the current.
8. Hit the Docks on Donner Lake
Donner Lake, just north of Tahoe, has a ton of public docks to set up shop on. Grab a self-ruling parking spot on the side of the road, and spend the day relaxing, swimming, and taking in the views. If you’re looking for some historical preliminaries make a quick stop into the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center while you’re in the neighborhood. The Donner Lake Marina has plenty of paddle sport rentals (SUPS, kayaks, canoes, hydro bikes & pedal boats) as well as motorboat rentals.
9. Swim at Webber Falls
The ultimate swimming hole, Webber Falls is the perfect temp, has natural waddle lounges, and is a lot less rented than the nearby Yuba River. Some local friends took us here, and we spent a few hours hanging out in the water and virtually the falls. To get here, take Hwy 89 north of Truckee to Little Truckee Summit. Turn left toward Jackson Meadows on Road 07. Without 6.5 miles watch for signage to Lake of the Woods. A few hundred feet without there will be a pullout on your left lined with boulders. Take circumspection on the road as it’s pretty rough in a few spots.
From the dirt parking area, walk lanugo the dirt road and squint for a trail on your left. The falls lie well-nigh 500 feet from the parking area. The main swimming slum is right off of the trail whilom the main falls. Be shielding exploring vastitude this main swimming slum as the cliffs are very steep and crumbly.
10. Hike to Lake Aloha
Hiking to Lake Aloha shows you the weightier of the Desolation Wilderness – trappy mountain views, grassy meadows, and tall lakes you can take a dip in when it’s hot outside. Starting from the Echo Lake trailhead, you will hike withal the Pacific Crest Trail 14.5 miles (roundtrip) to Lake Aloha. It’s a relatively unappetizing loop trail that is dog-friendly. If you’re looking to walkabout you can hands proffer to an overnight backpacking trip. Make sure to typesetting a permit superiority of time (Lake Aloha is Zone 33), which can be reserved online. Be sure to get an early start and pack a swimsuit so you can relax and swim at Lake Aloha.
If you’ve got younger children or older parents in tow, hanging out at Echo Lake is a unconfined destination for the day. You can plane pay to take a taxi wideness the lake. Rental cabins are moreover misogynist on the island.
11. Relax at Tahoe’s Hidden Beach
“Hidden in plain site” is the weightier way to describe Hidden Beach. A short hike lanugo to this cove is a must for stunning aqua water and a unconfined swimming hole. The water here is typically warmer than other parts of the lake, which is unconfined for vibration the Tahoe summer heat. During the peak summer season, it’s recommended to victorious surpassing 9am to secure a parking spot.
12. Hike the Tahoe Rim Trail
Really feeling the venture bug? Walkabout the 165 mile Tahoe Rim Trail with non-stop views of the lake. You can moreover mountain velocipede a majority of the Tahoe Rim Trail (bikes are prohibited in the Desolation, Granite Chief, and Mount Rose wilderness areas). Don’t have that much time? The Tahoe Rim Trail Association breaks lanugo the trail into unconfined day hikes that range from 12-33 miles.
That covers our favorite summer outdoor vita in the Lake Tahoe area! For increasingly California road trip stop ideas, trammels out this blog post.
The post 12 Things to Do in Lake Tahoe in Summer appeared first on Bearfoot Theory.
