klqkauai

Is there a better choice of areas to stay in Lake Tahoe for a week, South shore vs. North shore? Any help would be most appreciated. We plan on going in June.

MichelleY

We love the North Shore. South shore is more congested and has the huge casinos.

MY

janisj

It depends on why you are going to Tahoe/what sorts of things you like.

Outdoorsy things, lower key casinos - northshore or parts of the west side.

Bigger casinos, nightlife, more "action" - southshore.

Suzie

Huge casinos, ha! A bit of an overstatement.

When we go in the summer we stay on the west side. The water is much calmer on the west side as compared to the north and the east as mid afternoon is really rough. June is not really crowded there yet as the weather is still quite a bit cooler than July and August. Here is a partial list of the things we do when we go. Everything at the lake is accessible so don't worry too much about exactly where you stay unless you find that what you want to do is more concentrated in one part of the lake.

South Lake Tahoe:

You can shop and eat at the village area, take a scenic ride on the Heavenly gondola or visit casinos.

Zephyr Cove is nearby and is good for lake cruises and water craft rentals or walk on the beach.

Other great beaches in SLT are Pope, Camp Richardson and Baldwin. All of these are past the Y which is really now a 4 way light but habits are hard to break!

You should visit the Tallac site.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recreation/tallac/

Also if you are interested in fish this is pretty interesting:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recrea...streampc.shtml


Hikes to take from South Lake Tahoe are the Moraine Trail which is a pretty easy hike of 1 mile (one-way) Walk a relatively flat trail through the forest and along the shore of picturesque Fallen Leaf Lake. Take Highway 89 north approximately 3 miles from South Lake Tahoe to Fallen Leaf Road. Continue approximately 2/3 of a mile to Fallen Leaf Campground. Drive through the campground and park just before campsite #75 on the right. There is no fee for day use. Look for the trailhead sign near the parking area.

Another hike is Angora Lakes which is an easy hike and hikers are rewarded with several lakes. I know in the summer you can rent row boats or just swim and lay around on the sandy beach but I don't think it starts by Memorial Day. It’s only ½ mile and the scenery when you get there is great. The lake is surrounded by cliffs and giant rocks. Take Highway 89 north approximately 3 miles from South Lake Tahoe to Fallen Leaf Lake Road and turn left. Turn left at the first paved road. Continue to Forest Service Road 12N14 and turn right. Watch for bicyclists along this road. Continue past Angora Lookout to the road's end at the parking lot.


On the West side as you head north on 89:

Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay – short side hike to Eagle Falls or Cascade Lake & Falls
http://www.vikingsholm.com/

Eagle Falls / Eagle Lake Trail starts at Eagle Falls Picnic Area, highway 89 across from Emerald Bay. Permits are required on this hike and a self-registration station is at the trailhead. The hike is only about 2 miles round trip to Eagle Lake (only about 1/3 mile to the falls); the terrain varies from steep to flat and crosses beautiful Eagle Falls on a steel footbridge.

Emerald Bay - Vikingsholm Trail starts at the parking area on the north side of Emerald Bay, on Highway 89. It's a wide, well-maintained trail, but fairly steep, about 2½ miles round trip. At the bottom of the trail is a picnic area, as well as world-famous Vikingsholm, a replica of a Scandinavian castle.

Cascade Lake & Falls – Turn into the Bayview Campground across fro Emerald Bay Inspiration Point, drive to the end and park at the trailhead. Take the trail that veers left. Spectacular views of the 200 foot high falls and Cascade Lake can be seen from this short trail.

Further north on 89 you can find any or all of the following:

DL Bliss – nice beach but very hard to get into so if you go get really early start.

Meeks Bay – great beach, there is a grill shack right on the beach. Paddle boats and tricycles available for rent. Beautiful views of the lake.
Sugar Pine Point – Beautiful grounds and daily tours of the Ehrman Mansion
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=510


Chambers Landing – It has 2 beach sections. One part is roped off as private and the other part is open to the public. Not really great sand, and the shore is rocky. The best part is the dock with the historic Chambers Bar at the end. This place will be hopping on that weekend. Many people boat in and the dock is like a party at happy hour, reduced Chambers Punch prices.

You can also rent bikes and ride along the bike path from Tahoe City southward all the way to just south of Sugar Pine (the bath ends/begins just prior to Meeks Bay)


River rafting out of Tahoe City. Take an ice chest full of your favorite beverage and food supplies. Rafting is completely weather dependent. Some years when there is too much or too little snow the rafting season is affected. Check to see when rafting begins. Here’s a link to one of the companies with an online coupon:
http://www.truckeeriverraft.com/taho...017/direct?c=1

In Tahoe City you can continue around the lake or head north on 89 toward Squaw Valley:

North Lake Tahoe:

If you head east from Tahoe city toward the north shore stop in at Carnelian Bay at Garwoods which is a great lakeside restaurant. Order up a Wet Woody – Rum drink.
The beach at the Hyatt is very nice. So is the dock. Sometimes they serve drinks on the dock. They also have an activity desk on the beach so you can rent stuff or schedule a sail etc. This side of the lake gets really rough after about 2:30 so water sports or sails should be scheduled early or late after the lake settles down.

Sand Harbor just outside Incline is a great Beach.

Squaw Valley

If you go north on 89 instead it takes you to Squaw Valley. You can take the tram up to High Camp for a great day of hiking around or sitting at the pool and giant Jacuzzi or ice skating. Lots to do there.

klqkauai

Suzie - Thank you so much for taking the time to send me so much info on Tahoe. We've never been there before and I appreciate your input as well as the others who have responded to my posting.

elnap29

Also bike trails are wonderful from Camp Richardson (near South Shore). It's like hiking in the middle of the woods, but on a bicycle. You can bike from beach to beach. Take a picnic lunch.