Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, spanning 166,200 acres and crosses the border of California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is known for its crystal clear blue water, stunning beaches and world renowned ski resorts. People visit Lake Tahoe from all over the world and it has been a popular vacation destination for decades. Though there is something to do for everyone, Lake Tahoe is a dream for anyone who loves the outdoors. It’s an outdoor lover’s paradise!
I am a buyer for a local outdoor retailer in Louisiana and every season I attend tradeshows to see the newest gear and products that are coming out for the upcoming seasons. These tradeshows take place all over the US and this year’s Spring/Summer tradeshow happened to be in Reno, Nevada. I had never been to Nevada so I was super excited to cross off another new state (state number 26 for me)! When I pulled up the map to see what was near Reno, I realized Lake Tahoe (Incline Village, NV) was less than an hour’s drive away so I knew I had to visit. Luckily my boss, Lindsey, is awesome and was totally on board with adding a couple of days on to our work trip so we could go exploring Lake Tahoe together. Her sister, Jessica, even tagged along for the adventure. We may not have had very much time, but we really enjoyed our girls weekend in Incline Village!
We all loved our trip so much, I have decided to put together this post to help you plan your perfect trip to Lake Tahoe as well!
WHEN TO VISIT
Trying to decide when to book that trip to Lake Tahoe but aren’t sure when the best time to go is? This really depends on what activities you’re looking to do while visiting. If you want to go skiing, then obviously you would want to go in the winter. If you’re looking for lesser crowds, visit in the spring or fall (off-season). However, we went the second weekend of June and I can not express to you how perfect the weather was! We had nothing but sunshine and mild weather the entire weekend. It was warm enough to dip your toes in the water, but cool enough to enjoy hiking and biking without sweating. I’m sure July through September would be just as great if you’re looking for warmer weather.
GETTING TO LAKE TAHOE
We flew into the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and picked up our rental car at the airport. (We got lucky and got a Jeep Wrangler which made our trip to Lake Tahoe even more perfect!) We made our way to Incline Village, NV which is an adorable ski resort town situated on the Northeast corner of the lake. The drive from Reno to Incline Village was about 50 minutes. The drive is a bit steep and winding at times as you’re going through the mountains and to a higher elevation, but it was still a very easy and pleasant drive.
WHERE TO STAY
Honestly, I don’t think we could have picked a better place to stay. Incline Village, NV was the perfect home base for a short weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe! We drove through many other lakeside towns (I’ll get to that later) but out of every town we saw, Incline Village was our favorite. We loved how peaceful and quiet it was. The other towns were so touristy compared to Incline Village.
We stayed in the sweetest cabin that we booked through Airbnb. The location was absolutely perfect! It was tucked away in a quiet mountainside neighborhood and it was only about a 5 minute drive into town.
WHERE TO EAT
We were only in town for 1 full day so we didn’t get to try very many restaurants but below is a list of the places we did get to try. I’m vegan and had no problem finding options at all of these places!
- Alibi Ale Works – I had the Watermelon Poke and it was absolutely delicious!
- Thai Recipe – I ordered the Spicy Eggplant Stir-fry and it was amazing!
- Mofo’s Pizza – Lindsey and Jessica ordered 2 different pizzas from here (all I know is one was a greek pizza) they both said it was delicious!
- Inclined Burgers and Brews – This place had beyond burgers which were really good. They also had shoestring fries.. yum!
- Starbucks – You know the drill here, I don’t need to tell you.
WHAT TO DO
There is an endless amount of activities to do around Lake Tahoe, so it really depends on how long you’re visiting for to decide how much you’ll be able to do. We were only in town for one full day so I’ll share our short weekend itinerary below.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY – TRAVEL DAY
We arrived in Incline Village in late afternoon on a Friday. We had to head back to Reno to pick up Lindsey’s luggage since it was delayed (traveling can be so fun, right?), so we didn’t have too much time to explore the area on our first day. But here is what we were able to do anyway:
- Arrived at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport
- Picked up rental car
- Stopped for lunch in Reno
- Made the drive to Incline Village, NV
- Checked into our Airbnb
- Drove to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park to get a first glance of the lake
Notes:
-There is no public lake access in the town of Incline Village. But you can head southeast on Tahoe Blvd/Hwy 28, towards Sand Harbor, you will find several public access areas along the highway. It’s about a 5 minute drive so you really don’t have to go too far at all!
-There are a few parking lots before the state park that don’t require an entry fee. You’re able to park for 20 minutes and take one of the trails down to the lake for some gorgeous views. We stopped at Memorial Point.
-I would recommend trying to get to Incline Village before dark if possible. The roads can be steep and curvy so it’s much safer to drive during the day!
-Our Airbnb’s elevation was at around 7,000 ft. This may not be a concern for most people but if you live at sea-level and don’t visit high elevations often, this can affect you a little bit. I’m prone to altitude sickness but I was fine here! I did feel more tired and out of breath than usual but I didn’t experience the same symptoms I would have at 8,000ft or higher. Just make sure to stay hydrated!
DAY 2 – SATURDAY – FULL DAY OF EXPLORING
We were so excited to start our full day of exploring so we set our alarms for 6am and made sure we were out the door of our Airbnb by 8am. We really didn’t have any plans for the day so we just figured everything out as the day went on.
Here is a breakdown of how we ended up spending our day, where we ate, etc.
DAY 2 MORNING:
- Stopped for coffee & breakfast at Starbucks in Incline Village
- Rented electric bikes from Tahoe Multi Sport in Incline Village
- Rode along the East Shore Trail to Sand Harbor
- Stopped at Hidden Beach to enjoy a dip in the water
DAY 2 AFTERNOON:
- Enjoyed lunch on the patio at Alibi Ale Works
- Took a spontaneous drive around the entire lake
- Took a photo with the “Welcome to California” sign at the state border
- Stopped in King’s Beach for a Lake Tahoe souvenir
- Stopped at Emerald Bay State Park to see the only inlet (and island) on Lake Tahoe
- Saw Eagle Falls at Emerald Bay State Park
DAY 2 EVENING:
- Picked up take out from Mofo’s Pizza and Thai Recipe for dinner
- Enjoyed dinner & spent the evening relaxing at the Airbnb after a full day of exploring
Notes:
-If you want to rent bikes, make sure to get there early when they first open or make reservations ahead of time. They get pretty busy, especially in the summer. There are several companies to choose from that rent bikes, but we chose Tahoe Multi Sport and had such a great experience!
-Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with you for your bike ride. There are no places to stop for food or drink along the East Shore Trail.
-When we drove around Lake Tahoe, we made the drive counter-clockwise, but I would recommend driving it clockwise instead so that you’re always in the lane closest to the lake for the best views!
-I would have loved to spend more time in the Emerald Bay area, so definitely plan out your day so you can spend a few hours hiking and exploring the state park!
-Parking near Eagle Falls was a nightmare. It took us a while to find a spot because there were so many people visiting this area. Definitely try to avoid weekends and go early to try to beat the crowds!
-All of the towns you’ll drive through around the lake are much more touristy than Incline Village, especially once you get closer to South Lake Tahoe. We are so glad we chose to stay where we did because there were way too many people (and too much traffic) in the other towns!
DAY 3 – SUNDAY – MORNING AT EMERALD COVE
Unfortunately, our time at Lake Tahoe was coming to an end but we still had one more perfect morning to spend at the lake! Here’s a recap of how we spent out last few hours:
- Checked out of our Airbnb
- Grabbed coffee and breakfast at Starbucks in Incline Village again
- Headed to back Memorial Point to park and then walked to Emerald Cove (which was absolutely stunning!)
- Enjoyed lunch at Inclined Burgers and Brews
- Said goodbye to Lake Tahoe and headed back to Reno
Notes:
-Jessica saw a bear right outside of our Airbnb Sunday morning. So make sure to keep an eye out and be bear aware!
-Sand Harbor (part of Lake Tahoe State Park) gets full very fast! We weren’t able to visit because the parking area was full each time we tried to go. I wish we would have tried to go earlier in the day to beat the crowds.
-Emerald Cove was probably the prettiest spot we found along the lake. The water was so bright, the rocks were perfect for sunbathing and it was quiet and tucked away from everyone. I would highly recommend checking it out!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Typically I am a planner and I have all the details of a trip planned out before I go. I know exactly what I want to do while there, I’ve looked at street view 100 times so I know exactly what to expect, and I usually even have a few placed picked out that I want to eat at. For this trip I never got around to doing any preplanning and I feel like it was still perfect. However, here are a few things I would have done differently if I could have:
- I would have loved to rent kayaks or paddleboards and explore the lake that way. But we chose to rent E-bikes instead because – #1 it was cheaper and #2 it took less energy. We were too exhausted and oxygen deprived to be paddling for hours!
- I wish I would have known what the elevation would have been ahead of time so I could have hydrated more and been more prepared for my body to acclimate to the elevation change.
- I would have loved to have done some real hiking. There are so many state parks and National Forests along the loop and I’m sure they have some great trails!
- I would have loved to find a local coffee shop to check out. I’m a sucker for a cute coffee shop!
Even though there are a few things I wish I would have done differently, I can still honestly say we had the BEST time! I cannot wait to go back and visit Lake Tahoe again!