25 Places To Find The Soul Of Summer In Tahoe

Squaw Valley seems to love the idea of soul. After a laughable winter campaign focusing on the soul of skiing living at Squaw Valley, they took it one step further with their summer ad campaign. The Squaw website and some local billboards announce that you can discover the soul of summer at Squaw Valley. We’re not saying that there’s not some cool things that are happening around Squaw Valley during the summer time. In fact, SVSH actually does a pretty good job at marketing the village in the off season. There’s quite a bit of activity, relative to other mountain villages, and they haven’t even built the cement pond yet.

A ride up the tram does offer a chance to see Lake Tahoe, albeit from a distance. Bluesday Tuesdays have been gaining some traction in the village. There’s no doubt that the Wanderlust Festival has become one of the biggest summer events in North Tahoe. The Ironman event also attracted a lot of people last fall, although the jury is still out on whether anyone outside of the village was able to benefit from the event.

That said, it’s ludicrous to think that summer in Tahoe starts in Squaw Valley. We’re providing our list of 25 places to discover the soul of summer around Tahoe. They’re not in any particular order and we have very specifically avoided pitching commercial vendors. If you find yourself interested in any one, Google can lead you to the answers you need. The odds are pretty good that I will leave someone’s favorite place out, and that may be good. You know how that goes, your favorite place is never the same once it has been featured in Sunset magazine. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments.

1) Lake Tahoe – It’s really what brought most of us here. You can’t experience Tahoe from the lookout deck at High Camp. You need to get in the water and on the beach. With a 72 mile shoreline, there’s a lot of different experiences. We’ll provide specifics throughout the list. For now pick a beach: Speedboat, Skylandia, Pope, Nevada or Hidden and fall in love with Lake Tahoe, the right way.

2) The Tahoe Rim Trail – Hiking is one of the best things you can do in Tahoe, and the Tahoe Rim Trail is one of those places you need to experience. While few people experience the entire 165 miles, there are several sections that make great day trips.

3) Kayak or SUP Tahoe – If you really want to see a new view of Tahoe, the perspective and pace of a kayak or stand-up paddle board cannot be beat. There’s plenty of places to rent equipment or take a guided tour. Once you learn the lake and wind conditions, there’s nearly always a section of the lake that offers smooth paddling.

4) Cruise The Truckee River – You may not be up for a white water adventure, and that’s okay. The float from Tahoe City to River Ranch is a summer classic. There’s several vendors that do a great job making it easy to rent a raft and work out transportation. It’s also pretty simple to buy some River Rat tubes at the drug store and arrange your own shuttle. Depending on the time of day you go, you can have a leisurely float with the river to yourself, or join the party later in the day.

5) Whitewater Raft The Truckee River – If you need more adventure than the float trip, several companies offer whitewater trips along the Truckee River canyon. Most trips put in near Boca Reservoir and exit the river near Floriston. Odds are pretty good that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get wet. Things get real in the last 1/2 mile, where Jaws is always ready to upend your raft.

6) Bike The Truckee River Bike Path – There’s plenty of biking around Tahoe, with much of it requiring you to share a lane with cars. But the Truckee River Bike Path provides a family friendly route for casual bikers. The path extends from Squaw Valley almost to Homewood. Rentals are available in Tahoe City.

7) Truckee Thursdays – It’s no longer a little event serving mostly locals. Truckee Thursdays has become pretty crazily busy over the last few years. There’s an ever expanding assortment of vendors, food booths and activities right on Donner Pass Road. The music menu gets bigger and bolder each season. Parking has become an issue. It’s a great excuse to walk downtown or ride a bike.

8) The Flume Trail – The Flume Trail is one of those “you have to do it at least once” trails for mountain bikers. The single track trail along some steep cliffs of the east side of Tahoe is something you will not forget. Most people ride from Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Lake. There’s a couple of companies that offer shuttle services and bike rentals to make it easier for visitors.

9) Emerald Bay – It’s one of those must see places in Tahoe. It’s easy to see from Highway 89 from several vista points, but you’ll be happier to get up close. You can hike down to Emerald Bay from either the State Park or USFS parking lots. It’s an easy hike down, but a long and often hot hike back up the hill. Consider parking at DL Bliss State Park and hiking or kayaking the four miles into Emerald Bay.

10) The Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor – Normally, I would not suggest going to Sand Harbor, unless you like wall to wall umbrellas and traffic jams. But the evening is a different story. The lakeside venue for the Shakespeare Festival is unparalleled.

11) Waterskiing & Wakeboarding On Tahoe – As far as conditions for waterskiing and wake boarding go, Tahoe really isn’t that great. The water is relatively cold for most of the summer, there’s a lot of wind, and waves that can get so big that surfing is possible. But there’s also nothing like looking out at the snowy rim around Tahoe while you ride. There’s plenty of options for boat rentals and ski tows around Tahoe, and a little bit of knowledge will lead you to some of the quieter parts of the lake for smooth riding.

12) Mount Rose Summit Hike – First off, Mount Rose Ski area is on Slide Mountain. Turn to the north and you’ll see Mount Rose, rising to nearly 10,800 feet. While the summit itself seems desolate, the 10 mile round trip hike passes through several different habitats and offers some of the widest varieties of wild flowers in Tahoe. If you take the Relay Peak route on the way down, you’ll get some great Tahoe vistas as well. The weather can be radically different at the top. We’ve seen it snow at the summit in every month.

13) Lower Truckee River Float – There’s a reason they call it “Reno-Tahoe”, right? Most of us eventually end up in Reno anyways. It’s good to know there’s some great recreation in the Biggest Little City. Start the float at Mayberry Park, near the Patagonia building in the west part of Reno. Float in rafts or large tubes to the Whitewater Park in downtown Reno. Once you’re there, you can play in the standing waves with a kayak or a boogie board. If you time it right, there will be music in the park that day. This float is “wild”, meaning you’re on your own to make it work. With the exception of a dam portage or two, it’s easy floating.

14) Donner Lake – West End Beach at Donner Lake is one of the most family friendly beaches in North Tahoe. The venue has become very popular with kayakers and the SUP crowd. The 5 mile loop around the lake is a reasonable goal for intermediate paddlers, as long as you do it before winds pick up in the afternoon.

15) Speedboat Beach – The beach, also known as Buck’s Beach, offers some of the worst parking around Tahoe, but the effort is worthwhile. There’s a great little sandy beach and cove that is shallow and sandy for a long ways out, making it great for small kids. The big attraction is the many boulders in the water that offer some nice rock jumping opportunities. Lately, we kayak and SUP to reach Speedboat without the parking hassle.

16) Deep Fishing On Tahoe – To be honest, fishing from the shoreline of Lake Tahoe is not very rewarding. The clear water makes it difficult for fish to survive in the near shore environment. The best fishing in Tahoe requires a boat, and the deeper you go, the better. Fishing for Big Macs (Mackinaw or Lake Trout) and Brown Trout is the name of the game. There’s plenty of boats and charters out there to give you the access and knowledge needed to catch the biggest fish you are likely to find in fresh water.

17) Rock Climbing Around Tahoe – There’s some spectacular climbing opportunities around Tahoe. Every area of the lake offers pitches that offer you a chance to do some climbing in amidst some spectacular scenery. There’s a number of books that will bring you up to speed on routes around Donner Summit, Emerald Bay, DL Bliss and the east shore. Guided trips are available around Donner Summit.

18) East Shore Beaches – The east shore of Tahoe can be frustrating. As we have mentioned, Sand Harbor gets ridiculously crowded, and beaches in Incline Village are all private. But as you head down Highway 28 toward Spooner Summit, you’ll note that plenty of cars will park along the road. The hike to the lake can be anything from a short jaunt to brutal steepness. But once you’re there, you can usually enjoy your own little patch of sand and rocks by yourself. There are no private homes in the area and boat traffic is light. Because of this, some people forgo swim suits.

19) Commons Beach – While Commons Beach is not necessarily the best beach in Tahoe, it is conveniently located near the core of Tahoe City. That makes it convenient for grabbing lunch or beverages while on the beach. They also offer a Sunday concert series and movies on the beach on Tuesdays.

20) Cruise The Lake – Several boats offer scenic tours of Lake Tahoe. Tours last several hours and generally head across the lake, or voyage to Emerald Bay. Day tours offer history lessons, while night tours offer dinner and dancing.

21) Cruise Around The Lake – The road around Lake Tahoe can be frustrating due to summer coinciding with the peak construction season. But if you plan to not be in a hurry, and plan a few stops, it can make for a great afternoon or evening ride. Although the 72 mile ride can be done on a bike, most of the road does not have bike paths. The vehicles of choice for the trip around the lake are motorcycles and convertibles.

22) Get Historical – There’s several historic sites around Lake Tahoe. Each site provides a glimpse of the life of Tahoe’s rich and famous. The Vikingsholm and the Tallac historic sites are great places to start on the south shore, while the Thunderbird Lodge offers a more contemporary setting on the east shore.

23) Disc Golf – There’s a few courses around Tahoe that are free to play, and a few that will gladly take your money. It does not take much of an investment to get involved in this family friendly sport. Odds are pretty good that there’s a course in your home town too.

24) Picnic On The Lake – There are hundreds of places around the lake to pick up a great picnic lunch, and hundreds of places to enjoy your lunch. It’s actually quite easy to avoid crowded areas and find a place to enjoy lunch in a natural setting. There’s even a water taxi service that will bring you to some of the more popular lakefront dining options.

25) Pacific Crest Trail From Sugar Bowl To Squaw – It’s a hike that requires some planning and endurance. If you go early in the season, you will potentially lose the trail in snow. The 16 mile trail starts at the PCT trailhead near Donner Ski Ranch. If you bring your Squaw pass, you can probably ride the tram down into the valley, although the hike down Shirley Canyon might be easier. A beer in the village does taste quite good after the hike. 🙂