Great Itineraries

Great Itineraries

If You Have 3 Days

On your first day stop in South Lake Tahoe and pick up provisions for a picnic lunch. Start in Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area and check out Tallac Historic Site. Head west on Highway 89, stopping at the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center and the Emerald Bay State Park lookout. Have a tailgate picnic at the lookout, or hike down to Vikingsholm, a reproduction of a Viking castle. In the late afternoon explore the trails and mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park; then backtrack on Highway 89 and U.S. 50 for dinner in Stateline or in South Lake Tahoe. On Day 2 cruise on the Tahoe Queen out of South Lake Tahoe or the M. S. Dixie II out of Zephyr Cove and then ride the Heavenly Gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe. Carry a picnic for lunch high above the lake, and (except in snow season) take a walk on one of Heavenly's nature trails. You can try your luck at the Stateline casinos before dinner. Start your third day by heading north on U.S. 50, stopping at Cave Rock and (after turning north on Highway 28) at Sand Harbor Beach. If there's no snow on the ground, tour the Thunderbird Lodge (reservations essential) for a glimpse of life at an old-Tahoe estate just south of Incline Village, or else continue on to Crystal Bay. If you have time, drive to Tahoe City to see the Gatekeeper's Cabin Museum, or make the 45-minute drive up to Reno for dinner and some nightlife.

If You Have 5 Days

Spend your first morning at Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area. After a picnic lunch head to the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center and the Emerald Bay State Park lookout. Hike to Vikingsholm or move on to Sugar Pine Point State Park. Have dinner in South Lake Tahoe. On your second day take a cruise to Emerald Bay or a half-day cruise around the lake; back on land, ride the Heavenly Gondola, and possibly take a hike. Spend the late afternoon or early evening sampling the worldly pleasures of the Stateline casinos. On Day 3 visit Cave Rock, and the Thunderbird Lodge (reservations essential) just south of Incline Village, where you can have a late lunch before heading to Crystal Bay and playing the slots, or to nearby Kings Beach State Recreation Area, where you can spend the late afternoon on the beach. That evening, drive up to Reno for dinner and entertainment. On your fourth day hang out at Sand Harbor Beach. If the high-mountain desert appeals, spend Day 5 in the Great Basin, touring Carson City and Virginia City and the vast expanse of the eastern Sierra. Alternatively, head to D. L. Bliss State Park for a hike; then drive to Tahoe City for lunch and a tour of the Gatekeeper's Cabin Museum. Afterward, visit Olympic Valley and ride the cable car to High Camp at Squaw Valley for a sunset cocktail.