Lake Tahoe is a gorgeous place to visit that I absolutely loved & highly recommend!
Tahoe Tips:
Make South Tahoe your base! There are far more things to do in the South Tahoe area than any of the other spots you can stay around the lake.
Tahoe is primarily a ski town and a lake town, so most folks choose to visit in the snowy months or June-August for the most lake usage.
There are bike paths throughout the city and a trolley in town that you can utilize as well.
Hop around the South Tahoe Beer Trail! I detail the breweries below, but this website has a handy map and information.
There are a ton of great hikes in the Tahoe area, most are about 20 minutes from town. Many trails will either be closed or difficult to hike due to snow for a majority of the year, so be sure to check conditions ahead of time on websites like AllTrails. Also be bear aware! Tahoe is full of bears both in neighborhoods and on trails.
Stateline, Nevada is directly adjacent to South Tahoe. This city is full of casinos and somewhat trashier vibes.
Doing a Northern California trip? Check out my San Francisco recommendations here (update coming soon!) and my Yosemite National Park Guide here.
Bend, Oregon has very similar vibes to Tahoe, so if you like one you’ll like the other. My Bend guide is linked here.
South Lake Brewing Company
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
The Hangar: My absolute favorite stop in Tahoe! The Hangar is a beer bar and bottle shop with a fantastic beer selection. Their outside area is truly majestic. They also have frequent food pop-ups.
DL Bliss State Park to Emerald Bay State Park via Rubicon Trail: This section of the lakeshore is incredibly beautiful. There are a couple of access points to the water as well. The route I took was 6.8 miles long, 62 flights up, and took about 3 hours.
While I do love this trail, I would highly recommend not actually doing the AllTrails route. This route has you park on the side of the road, walk down a very steep section, walk across the road, walk through a campsite, and then join the Rubicon Trail. This first stretch has zero views and is just unnecessary. Park at the Rubicon Trail access point, at DL Bliss State Park, or at Emerald Bay State Park.
South Lake Brewing Company: A fun brewery with delicious beers and great branding. They have a nice beer garden on the side of the building and a small patio space out front. South Lake offers flights in the form of skis and snowboards which is adorable and their beers are arguably the best in Tahoe. Get Rad pizza is also based here for your food needs. South Lake will soon be opening a second taproom in the village neighborhood near Stateline.
Stay at The Jeffrey Hotel: A super cute and very Tahoe-esque hotel. Enjoy contact-less check-in, a fireplace, a mini-kitchen, and a plethora of thoughtful touches. They also have a fantastic upper patio space with a firepit and chill vibes. The Jeffrey is within walking distance to a TON of different spots in The Village and Stateline.
Secret Cove: This is a fun “secret beach” on the Nevada side of the lake. The water in insanely pretty here and I highly recommend a visit. It is a little difficult to access—you can park at Chimney Beach when that lot is open, but it is not year-round, so when it is closed you need to park on the side of the road. Depending on where you are able to get a spot it can be a very steep start down to the beach, so be prepared. It is about a half mile from the road to the beach. This is a nude beach, but early in the morning you can generally avoid anything too crazy if you want to.
Dragonfly Bagel: A delicious bagel spot that also serves beer and wine at night with some New Orleans flair. Located directly next to Sidellis Brewing.
South of North Brewing Company: A fun brewery housed at the Base Camp Hotel with a fantastic outdoor space. They have a full food menu with delicious sandwiches and snacks. They have live music every night, fire pits and are super dog friendly. South of North exudes chill vibes, their beer is solid and they also have several guest taps.
Eagle Lake Trail: This a great hike to an absolutely stunning lake back in the woods. This trailhead is in a popular area near Eagle Falls and Emerald Bay, so start early. You will also get to see Upper Eagle Falls at the start of this trail. Overall this hike took just over an hour, was 2.5 miles long, and 36 flights up.
Cold Water Brewery & Grill: A delightful woman-owned, food-focused brewery. Their food menu rotates seasonally and is the perfect spot for dinner after a day of adventuring. They have a large and diverse tap list as well. In the summer they open an adjacent taproom, The Runoff, to allow for more service and seating outside.
The Idle Hour: A cute wine bar right on the lake. You can choose between a glass of wine, a tasting or a bottle. They also have a small food menu. This is the perfect spot to catch the sunset and beautiful views of the lake.
Sidellis Brewing: Sidellis is a barrel aging and sour-focused brewery, but they always have a variety of beers on tap that can please anyone’s palate. Their kitchen serves up a simple but delicious menu to accompany their brews. There is also a nice back patio space. Their flight boards are shaped like Lake Tahoe, and their Stouts are particularly delicious!
Eagle Lake
The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
El Dorado Beach: A large public beach with restrooms, a snack shack, picnic tables, and kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals. The water is extremely clear and stays shallow for quite a long distance out into the lake.
Inspiration Point: A nice viewpoint to stop at while you’re around the trails. There is a box for a $5 fee based on the honor system. I highly recommend going early, I was the only one there at 8am and there were cars backed up trying to get into the parking lot all afternoon long. There are restrooms and nice informational signs here as well.
Cascade Falls Trail: This is a pretty easy trail that was 2.5 miles, 28 flights up, and took just over an hour to complete. It is essentially a straight line from the trailhead in the campground to the waterfall. There are great views of Cascade Lake nearly the entire hike. There isn’t a great viewpoint for the waterfall itself since you end at the top of it, but it is still a nice hike overall.
Lakeside Beach: Another nice beach with restrooms, a snack shack, and a playground. This is a great spot to catch the sunset, but bring bug spray. There are fees to enter from Memorial Day to Labor Day when a gate attendant is present.
Fallen Leaf Lake Trail: There are multiple access points to the Fallen Leaf Lake Trail, so you can choose where you’d like to jump in. The trailhead is inside a campground, but you can keep to the left to drive along the road with the trail. If you follow the AllTrails route it is 3.6 miles and mostly flat. The water here is gorgeous (like everywhere in Tahoe!) and there are views of Mount Tallac.
The Jeffrey
Other ideas:
Kings Beach: The public beach for North Tahoe. There are kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals on this end of the lake as well.
JavaHut: A solid coffee shop right along Kings Beach.
Cuppa: A cute bookstore, café and coworking space. The staff here is super friendly and the pastries are great—I’d skip the bagel though.
Monkey Rock Trail: This is a nice 2.7 mile long, 22 flight up hike to Monkey Rock—which actually looks exactly like a monkey. It takes just about an hour and has great panoramic views from the Nevada side of the lake. You do have to pay to park at the trailhead, they will 100% give you a ticket if you don’t.
Alibi Ale Works: An average brewery with a full food menu. They have 3 locations in the area: the Brewery & Barrel House in Incline Village, NV, Incline Public House in Incline Village, NV and Truckee Public House in the city of Truckee.
Free Bird: A cafe with two locations in town with coffee, smoothies, and a small food menu.
Lake Tahoe AleWorX at the Y: A self-pour beer bar and pizza restaurant offering mostly local brews. They have a great shared outdoor space with the neighboring businesses.
Lake Tahoe AleWorX Stateline: This is the Nevada location for AleWorX with more self-pour taps, a full bar, and a food menu.
Revive Coffee and Wine: A cool spot with a nice outdoor space, but be aware that their hours are not always accurate.
Stateline Brewery & Restaurant: A very mediocre brewery with below average beers and below average service. Highly recommend that you skip this basement spot. Also to note if you do choose to visit, it is called Stateline but it is actually in California, not in Stateline, NV.
