Attractions in Lake Tahoe

There is a lot to attract people to Lake Tahoe. Big, blue water, pine trees, tall snow-covered mountains, wildlife and a bit of Wild West history. Several of the biggest attractions are Emerald Bay on the South Shore, Squaw Valley and Tahoe City on the North and West Shore, the Lake Tahoe State Park on the East Shore and the casinos and ski resorts of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline. Also popular are the historical areas of Truckee and Donner Lake and Reno and Virginia City.

When you are in the south part of the lake, the biggest and best attractions will be Emerald Bay and Sugar Pine Point State Park. Here you can enjoy the water, hike the trails of Desolation Wilderness and look up at Mt. Tallac. Also in the South Shore area are the casinos of the Nevada side of the lake. Harrah's, Montbleu, Harvey's and the Horizon are open for gaming, dining and special events. Also nearby is the popular Heavenly ski resort with their aerial tram and zip lines.

A lot of visitors come to see the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. This beautiful area is a small town in itself with a ski resort, river fishing, mountain bike trails, a ski village and special events. Just north of Squaw Valley is the small town of Truckee. They are famous for getting some of the deepest snow and coldest temperatures in the area. The downtown area is a charming place that has not changed too much from the old railroad days. The trains still chug through town and you can enjoy a great meal and some shopping.

Just west of Truckee is the Donner Lake Memorial where members of the ill-fated Donner Party perished during the winter of 1846-47. At this lake you can go fishing, swimming or just get away from the Tahoe crowds.

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