Lake Tahoe Area
North Lake Tahoe
At the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tahoe's North Shore offers a more intimate Tahoe experience. Here, you'll find everything from cozy cabins to elegant mountain lodges nestled among towering pines surrounding the shores of the largest alpine lake in North America. With 21 beaches and lots of elevation, North Lake Tahoe offers every imaginable year-round outdoor activity. From boating and star-gazing, to ballooning, golfing, mountain biking, climbing and para-sailing in summer, and skiing, boarding, ice-skating, sleigh riding, snow-shoeing and cross-country in winter, you're sure to find something that suits your mood and sensibility.
Whatever you're doing, the North Shore offers solitude, un-crowded slopes and trails, and a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere. And, of course, the views are spectacular. If you're interested in a Lake Tahoe vacation without the hustle and bustle, let Tahoe Destinations find the perfect North Lake Tahoe vacation rental or lodging for you.
North Lake Tahoe, California
Tahoe’s North Shore, with its pristine lake views, plenty of great California sunshine and breath-taking scenery, is the place people go to relax, renew and refresh all year round.
Whether you’re interested in world-class skiing, spas, long hikes or you’ve settled on a lazy summer spent by the crystal blue waters of the lake, your visit to North Lake Tahoe, California will revive your spirit and feed your soul.
North Lake Tahoe, CA is only 62 miles from Reno, 92 miles from Sacramento and 188 miles from San Francisco.
North Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Welcome to village life. If art, culture, and community, coupled with unparalleled scenery on the shores a pristine alpine lake, are what you’re looking for, you’ll want to visit Tahoe’s North Shore, Nevada. Here you’ll find all the coziness and comfort the North Shore has to offer in the form of private beaches, golf courses, and festivals and fairs, combined wit the excitement available at any the area’s five casinos.
If you want to try a little bit of everything Lake Tahoe has to offer, try Tahoe’s North Shore, Nevada.
North Lake Tahoe, Nevada is a quick 45 minute drive from Reno/Tahoe International Airport.
South Lake Tahoe
Tahoe's South Shore is a night lover's paradise. Once you've finished skiing or boating or biking, you can kick back with some great music by a nightly headliner like Tony Bennet, Bonnie Raitt or Robin Williams, dance to live music, or catch a cabaret act. And for those wanting a little more excitement, South Tahoe's six all-night casinos are always open.
While late nights and music traditionally characterize South Lake Tahoe, it's also home to some of the area's most pristine parks and wilderness areas such as Emerald Bay State Park, in addition to a number of fascinating historical and geological sites. Our selection of South Lake Tahoe vacation rentals and accommodation options includes resorts, hotels, rental houses, condos and more.
Lake Tahoe History
For untold centuries before explorers John Fremont and Kit Carson discovered Lake Tahoe in 1844, the Lake Tahoe Basin was a summer gathering place for three bands of peaceful Washoe Indians. Lake Tahoe held a spiritual meaning for the tribe and many sacred ceremonies were held along the southern shores.
The California Gold Rush lured emigrants and fortune seekers to the rugged Sierra. Prospective miners used passes to the north and south to circumnavigate the treacherous Tahoe Basin. The first West-to-East road across the mountains, the "Bonanza Road," was built to handle travelers eager to cash in on Virginia City's massive Comstock Lode which was discovered in 1859. Highway 50 now covers this route.
Way stations, stables and toll houses sprang up along the route. These stations were the basis for most development in the area, from Friday's Station at Stateline, which served as a Pony Express stop, to Yank's Resort in Meyer's, which was built in 1851.
The discovery of the Comstock Lode not only increased traffic, it inflated the use of the Tahoe Basin's natural resources to a dangerous level. Wood was needed for fuel and to support the labyrinth of mines being constructed beneath Virginia City. Between 1860 and 1890, Tahoe's forests were nearly stripped of trees. The decline of the Comstock Lode may have been the saving of the Tahoe forest.
Reports of Lake Tahoe's beauty did not go unnoticed by the wealthy families of San Francisco. By the turn of the century, the lake had become a haven for the well-to-do. Popular hotes of the era included the Tallac House, Tahoe Tavern and the Glenbrook Inn. This period marked the heyday of steamship transportation around the lake, with mail and supply delivery around the lake, and lavish transport for visitors.
During the '20s and '30s, the roads through the mountains were paved, bringing in greater numbers of people and sparking growth of smaller, middle-class lodges.
Development at Lake Tahoe began in earnest in the 1950's. Roads to the Basin began to be plowed year-round, enabling permanent residence. The 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley put Lake Tahoe firmly on the map as the skiing ceter of the western United States.
In 1968, growing environmental concerns caused California and Nevada to form the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to oversee environmentally responsible development in the Basin. Work began on a master plan designed to improve the local tourism industry while protecting the fragile environment on which it is based.
Today, Lake Tahoe continues to offer visitors a bit of may historic eras. While hotel/casinos and ski resorts draw millions of guests each year, the main attraction continues to be the quiet beauty of the Sierra and the timeless inspiration of the lake itself, little changed from the days of the Washoe Indians.