Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada on the California and Nevada border, with ski resorts and lakeside towns.
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Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay within 10 minutes' walk of the beach in Lake Tahoe
- Places to stay with a level walk to the beach in Lake Tahoe
- Quiet places to stay in Lake Tahoe: few bars nearby
- Within 30 minutes by car of Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm
- Within 30 minutes by car of Heavenly Mountain Resort
- Within 30 minutes by car of Northstar California
Best things to do in Lake Tahoe
The one thing not to miss
Spend a day in Carson City, Nevada's state capital about 30 miles south of Reno, which grew up with the Comstock Lode silver strike and has been the capital since 1861.
Carson City1. Carson City
Nevada's state capital, about 30 miles south of Reno on the eastern edge of the Carson Range. It began as a stopover for California-bound immigrants and grew with the Comstock Lode silver strike; it has been the capital since 1861.
18,218 readers a month
2. Truckee
An incorporated town in Nevada County, California, with 16,729 residents at the 2020 census. Donner Lake lies within the town.
6,644 readers a month
3. Virginia City
A historic town in Storey County, Nevada, founded in 1859 after the Comstock Lode silver discovery. At its mid-1870s peak it had an estimated 25,000 residents and was one of the West's major mining centres.
5,691 readers a month
4. Donner Lake and Donner Memorial State Park
Donner Lake is a freshwater lake in Truckee, about 20 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe. Donner Memorial State Park preserves part of the camp where the Donner Party was trapped by snow in the winter of 1846 to 1847, a National Historic Landmark.
Check California State Parks for current opening and entry details. The history here is about a tragedy, so visit respectfully.
5,140 readers a month
Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain 5. Palisades Tahoe
A ski resort in Olympic Valley, northwest of Tahoe City, founded in 1949 as Squaw Valley and renamed in 2021. It hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Check the resort's site for season dates, lift tickets and conditions.
2,206 readers a month
Sources
6. Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm
Emerald Bay is a National Natural Landmark on Lake Tahoe and one of its most photographed spots. The state park holds Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion called one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America, and Fannette Island, the lake's only island.
Check California State Parks for access, parking and tour arrangements before you go.
1,760 readers a month
Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain 7. Heavenly Mountain Resort
A ski resort on the California-Nevada border at the south-east of the lake, opened in 1955. It has 97 runs and 30 lifts, and at 10,067 feet it is the highest of the Lake Tahoe resorts.
Check the resort's site for season dates, lift tickets and conditions.
1,361 readers a month
8. Desolation Wilderness
A 63,960-acre federally protected wilderness west of Lake Tahoe, crossed by the crest of the Sierra Nevada.
Wilderness access can be limited and may need permits; confirm current rules with the US Forest Service.
754 readers a month
9. Tahoe National Forest
A national forest northwest of Lake Tahoe covering 871,495 acres across parts of six counties, including the 8,587-foot Sierra Buttes peak.
589 readers a month
10. Northstar California
A mountain resort in Placer County near the north-west shore of Lake Tahoe.
Check the resort's site for season dates, lift tickets and conditions.
565 readers a month
Just missed the list: Thunderbird Lodge (11th by readers; a historic estate on the Nevada shore); Tahoe Rim Trail (12th by readers; the long-distance trail around the lake)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Carson City leads with about 18,218 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
Research required. Area notes for this destination are not written yet. The top 10 above is sourced; the rest of this page is an outline.
Affiliate disclosure: Booking links on this site are partner links. Once our partnership is active we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. How this works.