Considered the clearest lake in the United States, it’s no wonder Lake Tahoe is a premier vacation destination. Visitors flocking to the blue waters come not only from California and Nevada, which both share the shores, but from all over the world. While that speaks for itself in ensuring you’ll love this destination, it also means you can expect crowds. We’d recommend three days in Lake Tahoe to get in a lot of the highlights the area has to offer, but if you plan on doing extended hikes or extra time lounging on the beach, you may want longer. Don’t worry, we have plenty of tips for you on how to avoid the crowds, make the most of your time, and even experience Lake Tahoe on a budget. Read on for our three-day itinerary as well!
How To Avoid The Crowds At Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a well-known winter destination for those looking to hit the slopes, but its busiest season is summer. Both weekdays and weekends are busy, with holiday weekends being the most crowded. Visiting the weekend of July 4th, I found the best way to avoid the crowds was to get an early start to the day, find lesser-known gems, and pick beaches that require a hike. Of course, you can visit during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, but snow comes early and lingers late. If you’re planning on getting out on or into the water, the summer temperatures are already cold enough, and it could be flat-out dangerous to dive in any other time of year.
How To Do Lake Tahoe On A Budget
Hotels in Lake Tahoe aren’t cheap, with your typical budget chains costing over $200 per night. To save your money for meals and activities, your best bet is to camp. There are plenty of great campgrounds that cost anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars per site/per night. You should also consider looking at campgrounds or hotels within a 25-minute drive of the water. The towns of Truckee and Carson City are great places to start. Beware, campgrounds in Lake Tahoe can fill up months in advance, so if you want to do this destination on a budget, book early. We got a lucky, last-minute spot at Prosser Family Campground in Truckee. While the campground itself was far from roads and beautiful, there were no flush toilets or showers. This meant we had to pay to use showers at Fallen Leaf Campground, which took extra time out of our day.
How To Plan Your Trip To Lake Tahoe
That brings us to our next point: plan ahead! Traffic around Lake Tahoe can get busy and cell service is a hit-or-miss when you’re not in one of the larger towns, so having your days well mapped out is essential. This is a hard trip to “wing” unless you are ok with missing out on some highlights and going with the flow. It’s best to plan your days based on the various sections of the lake. Trying to go from an attraction on one side to the other could mean a lot of time in traffic and looking for parking.
Transportation For Lake Tahoe
The closest airports to Lake Tahoe are going to be Sacramento (2 hours from South Lake Tahoe) and Reno (35 minutes from Incline Village). There is an Amtrack bus station in South Lake Tahoe as well as an Amtrack train station in Truckee. On the northern part of the lake, there is free and clean public transport via Tart. We found that you sometimes had to wait longer than expected and stops weren’t always close to trailheads. They also offer an on-demand, curb-to-curb service that we did not try out, but that could be a great option for those traveling without a car or hoping not to spend time finding parking in each location. In South Lake Tahoe, you will need to rent a car or rely on expensive Uber and Lyft rides. Throughout our itinerary, we’ll fill you in on each location’s parking situation.
Your 3-Day Lake Tahoe Itinerary
This itinerary is based on my own experience traveling July 4th weekend of the summer of 2023. You’ll always want to double-check if there are any road or activity closures on the state parks website or through the local tourism authorities.
Day 1 — North/Northwest Section of Lake Tahoe
Clear Kayak Rental
If there is any place to splurge and try a clear kayak rental, it’s at one of the clearest lakes in the world. There are two major clear kayak rental companies in Tahoe — Clearly Tahoe and Wild Society. One does not seem preferable to the other, and while Clearly Tahoe has more launching options, Wild Society does have some coupon deals on their site. We went with Wild Society which launches from Kings Beach. Renting a clear kayak is a surefire way to start the trip off on a good foot. You’ll need to arrive early, which can help you get some of the limited free parking in the lot just one shop over. With just a two-hour-long rental, we were able to get past Speedboat Beach and past the tip of Stateline Point. The whole time, we had breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance and the beautiful homes along the shore. The rugged rocky cliffs mirrored the large boulders we could see in the water below. While the clear kayaks can get a bit foggy, throwing just a small amount of water inside the boat can really enhance your view. If kayaking isn’t your thing, consider renting a stand-up paddleboard!
Coffee At Tahoe Waterman's Landing Public Year-Round Beach Club
Talk about a cafe with a view! At Tahoe Waterman’s Landing, you’re practically sipping your coffee right on the water. After expelling some energy with the kayaks, this is the perfect pick-me-up. While you could sit out on the public beach, sitting at the counter and watching the boaters adds some entertainment as you savor your sips. There is a small lot and street parking here.
Historic Stateline Fire Lookout Hike
In my opinion, the Historic Stateline Fire Lookout hike is largely underrated. This short but steep paved trail will give you panoramic views of both Crystal Bay and Agate Bay. What makes it truly unique is that you’ll start your hike in Nevada and reach the “summit” in California. On top of the gorgeous landscape, there are interesting historical placards, benches to relax, and additional trails awaiting you. Street parking spots are available along Lakeview Ave, and there were plenty open even on July 4th weekend.
Incline Village
As soon as you pass the Nevada border, you’ll notice the casinos start to pop up. While we really don’t think you need a lot of time in Incline Village, you will have plenty of opportunities here to stop for a quick bite. We grabbed a sandwich from Mountain High Sandwich Co. They have plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options.
Sand Harbor
As one of the most popular and most beautiful beaches on the lake, the Sand Harbor parking lot fills up fast and you are not allowed to walk into this beach. Arriving after 5 pm, we realized they reopened the lot, so while we did not get to spend a whole day relaxing on the beach there (not that we wanted to due to the crowds), we did get to dip into the frigid waters. Make sure that you stroll the short boardwalk trail behind the Visitor’s Center to get some slightly elevated views. Seeing the water from above is the best way to get those shots of the rocks visible under the surface that you see online.
Sunset At Cave Rock
While we definitely wouldn’t have minded spending some more time at Sand Harbor, we knew we didn’t want to miss the sunset at Cave Rock, and you shouldn’t either! Cave Rock was formed over three million years ago and faces the west, so it is largely regarded as the supreme sunset spot of Tahoe. There isn’t a lot of parking along Cave Rock Drive, so you may want to give yourself a grace period to make sure you don’t miss the sunset. There is just a short (less than a mile), relatively flat trail that will lead you to some beautiful vistas, but a bit of rock scrambling is necessary to get up to the best viewpoints. BE CAREFUL. There were definitely some precarious ledges and some people taking risks to get photos. We highly recommend getting your epic pics a safe distance from the cliff face.
Day 2 — Truckee and Eastern Lake Tahoe
Truckee
While you may obviously be tempted to spend all of your time in Tahoe at the lake, I do encourage you to take the time to explore the nearby town of Truckee. Truckee gives you Wild West vibes with a bit of a boujee facelift. Here, wander the streets pretending you’ve gone back in time and shop the boutiques! You can’t miss Word After Word Books, a bookstore meets record store. No day is complete without coffee, and a place with pumpkin year-round is a major plus in my book. If you agree, head to Zuri Coffee Co. before grabbing some delicious, affordable, and predominantly gluten-free bites at Whole Treats Bakery. If you wanted to spend a full day in Truckee, you could consider the Truckee Railroad Museum, heading to the Donner Party Memorial, biking or walking the highly-praised trails along the Truckee River (these looked amazing), or taking a whitewater rafting trip.
D. L. Bliss State Park
When we originally headed to D. L. Bliss, it was in the hopes of hiking the first two miles of the 16.4-mile Rubicon Trail. While we’ve heard this trail is amazing and definitely something that you should look into for your trip, upon learning that the road was closed and there would be a hike involved simply to get to the trailhead, we made a change of plans. Deciding on a beach day, we hiked down to Lester Beach. In other years, you can drive the winding road down. Lester Beach was beautiful, and our favorite of the beaches on the lake. We were able to have space largely to ourselves, while most other beaches were crowded with people practically on top of each other. That being said, we’re pretty sure the hike is what deterred most people, and probably when the road is open it can get just as crowded. I’d suggest looking up if there are any beaches closed in Tahoe while you are visiting that you are still permitted to hike into if you want a relaxing day of lounging because we really feel like we lucked out with this one!
Day 3 — South Lake Tahoe
Sunrise At Inspiration Point
Now if there is anyone that hates waking up early, it’s this author, but you would be thoroughly disappointed to miss the sunrise on Lake Tahoe. The best time to see the sunrise will be when you are on the southwest end of the lake, looking towards the east. Probably the most well-known and iconic spot for this is Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point provides sweeping views of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island (the only island in Lake Tahoe) below. It’s truly hard to express the peacefulness that awaits you in this future moment of yours. You’ll experience the lake in its quietest moments and wake up with a watercolored sky. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking available at this time of day.
Eagle Falls
Before the sun has fully risen, drive just a couple of minutes up the road to Eagle Falls. Walk down to the lower falls to see a beautiful view that, while similar, can rival Inspiration Point for the “best sunrise angle.” Be careful on the rocks and give plenty of space between you and the water as there have been fatalities in this area before. After you’ve soaked in all you can of the sunrise, cross the street and hike the short one-mile loop to upper Eagle Falls. You’ll continue to get beautiful vista points, benches to relax, and a fun bridge to cross over the water on. There is a parking lot with plenty of space at this time of day.
Hike Down To Vikingsholm
Just a few minutes further down the road you’ll come to the parking lot for Emerald Bay State Park. While this will be packed later in the day, you should be able to get a spot here if you arrive before 10 am. From there, take the steep 1.7-mile out-and-back trail down to Vikingsholm. Vikingsholm is a mansion-turned-museum that can make you truly feel like you’ve been transported to Scandinavia. The architecture here is amazing, from the stone facade to the intricate wood carvings to the grass roof. While my visit was too early in the day to enjoy an interior tour of Vikingsholm, there is beach access and trails where you could enjoy some time before they open. After climbing back to the parking lot, make sure you have a bit of extra time on your parking ticket to enjoy yet another amazing Emerald Bay overlook.
Cuppa Tahoe
While that might seem like a lot to do before you’ve even had your coffee, I promise it’s worth it to avoid the crowds and not waste your time looking for parking. Now head to Cuppa Tahoe for your sweet, sweet reward. Cuppa Tahoe is a cafe and bookstore that brings all the cozy vibes you could ever desire. There will likely be a line, but the coffee is worth the wait. I mixed flavors to create a white chocolate praline latte and it was just as good as it sounds.
The Shops At Heavenly Mountian Resort
There isn’t really an extensive downtown shopping district/walkable area in Lake Tahoe, but it is worth snagging some free two-hour parking in front of the Raley’s across the street to walk around the shops at Heavenly Mountain Resort and pick up some souvenirs. In the summer, you can consider playing some mini golf in the space that shifts into their winter skating rink. This is also where you can take a scenic gondola ride up to the slopes of Heavenly Mountain Resort, but as this is $69 per person, we opted not to. If you do head up the mountain, make sure to find paid parking elsewhere, as they ticket swiftly and heavily in Tahoe. We may have considered splurging if the mountain coaster or zipline at the top were open, but sadly they were not during our visit. What we indulged in instead was pizza from Base Camp Pizza Co. and WOW! We split a Fire Roasted Medley pizza with gluten-free dough and my celiac boyfriend rated it within the top three pizzas he has had in his life (maybe second only to our Christmas pizza in Oxford). As someone without celiac who thoroughly enjoys bread, this was still one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. You can’t skip this!
Aloha Rolled Ice Cream
Before beginning our eight-hour drive back to Los Angeles, we stopped for one final treat. At Aloha Ice Cream, I ordered one of their specials: a rolled Thai tea ice cream!
For Those NOT On A Budget…
As this itinerary was crafted by an author on a budget, we did not experience and therefore cannot honestly review some of the more extravagant options and activities Lake Tahoe has to offer. There are plenty of spas, skiing/snowboarding resorts, premier golf courses, wine tastings, and luxury boat rentals that could help you fill even more days in this immaculate destination. Be sure to check out Visit Lake Tahoe for more information!
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