Lake Tahoe... Summer vs Winter

LOVE hiking!

Oftentimes, Lake Tahoe is seen as a winter wonderland. As much as this is true, Lake Tahoe also is a great fall getaway too. We’ve experienced Lake Tahoe during the first week of October and the first week of January.

First, there is South Lake Tahoe and North Lake Tahoe. Our experiences were mostly in South Lake Tahoe, but we did hit the slopes on the north side.

SUMMER/FALL

Hitting the trails

Fall is a great time to visit. The lows are in the upper 40’s and the highs in the lower 70’s with plenty of sunshine. The fall is the shoulder season and therefore the crowds are down and prices lowered. Casino Resorts (which are actually in Nevada) range $100-$150 per night. Of course there are smaller, locally owned motels available. Lake Tahoe is also a big vacation destination for people willing to rent out their homes during certain times of the year. South Lake Tahoe has plenty of trails to explore. Check out this site to look up trails. They have day hikes, short hikes, easy hikes, everything is great. You can’t go wrong. We took an afternoon hike to a vantage point that looked over Lake Tahoe. It was worth every step, and I don’t think we crossed paths with more than 5 people.  After the nice hike we cleaned up and headed to Nevada to check out events or shows. Mount Bleu was hosting an Oktoberfest and we decided to check that out. It was great with everyone in full spirit.

Oktoberfest!

There was a live folk band and authentic German food/drink available. There was an older crowd there but nevertheless, it was great. We played some games at the casino but we are not big gamblers. Before leaving the next morning we took a drive around the lake. It is a must, such beauty and tranquility.







I did not get a chance to do this, but check out some time on the lake doing a booze cruise

WINTER

Picture perfect at Heavenly

As nice as Tahoe is during the summer and fall months, it gets a lot of traffic in the winter months. This is actually the peak season where hotel and resort prices go up about $100/night. If you and your significant other want a winter wonderland escape, Tahoe is perfect. If you want to round up 10 of your best buds and hit the slopes, Tahoe is perfect. If you do the latter, the most economical thing to do is to rent out a lodge. We used Tahoe Accommodations to rent out a 12 sleeper lodge that was a quarter of a mile from Heavenly Mountain slope entrance. This is a great way to save money, but also have everyone under one roof.  I was living in San Francisco at the time and my cousin drove over from Utah, so we had the benefit of having vehicles, but taxis are abundant. Plus who wants to drive in the snow anyway?

On lift at Northstar

Trails:

Heavenly Mountain: This will be your most easily accessible resort if you stay in South Tahoe. The setup gives nice views, while the trails vary on all levels. We actually visited when snowfall was low and the snow machine was in action. Not as great as the real thing but still had a blast.

Northstar: Located in North Tahoe, this is the premier stop. Outside of the amazing views the 93 trails give you, the “village” has top tier shopping and eating.

Squaw Valley: I did not have the opportunity to try this one out, but as the host of the 1960 Winter Games, there is a lot to offer. I hear it is phenomenal, but it is also a little harder to get to. Recently Squaw Valley combined with Alpine Meadows making it quite massive (270 trails & 6,000 skiable acres)

Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe are two trails off the beaten path. You see them coming into South Tahoe from the Bay Area.

Always remember to check Groupon or Amazon Local for deals. We used Groupon to get good deals on rental equipment!

Only food recommendation is Cafe Fiore on South Tahoe.