2 Best Sights in Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area, Lake Tahoe

Three historic mansions—the Pope House, the Baldwin Museum, and the Heller Estate—open in late spring and summer, but you can stroll the grounds or picnic year-round. George S. Pope, who made his money in shipping and lumber and played host to 1920s America's business and cultural elite, commissioned the magnificent 1894 Pope House. The Baldwin Museum is in the estate that once belonged to entrepreneur "Lucky" Baldwin; today it houses a collection of family memorabilia and Washoe Indian artifacts.

With a spectacular floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, the Heller Estate, also known as Valhalla, was occupied for years by Walter and Claire Heller. (Tidbit: after their divorce, each visited the property on alternate weekends, though she held the title.) The estate's Grand Hall, Grand Lawn, and a boathouse refurbished as a theater host the summertime Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre Festival ( valhallatahoe.com) of concerts, plays, and cultural activities.

You can visit the site of a Washoe Indian settlement and walk self-guided trails through meadow, marsh, and forest at this U.S. Forest Service center. Forest Service naturalists organize discovery walks and evening programs in summer, and you may see spawning kokanee salmon digging their nests in fall. By 2024, extensive repairs should be completed to the Stream Profile Chamber, the Rainbow Trail's underground display with windows right into Taylor Creek.