Lake Tahoe is a magnet for visitors who revel in unforgettable wilderness vistas, and there are plenty of ways to take in the magnificent natural beauty, whether it’s a bird’s-eye view from a lofty gondola or a gorgeous panorama from the ground.
Lake Tahoe is big, but the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail circles it completely. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) (775.298.0012; www.tahoerimtrail.org) leads a summer’s worth of guided hikes on various portions of the trail. Starting from any of nine trailheads, the group visits a number of scenic high points on both the California and Nevada sides of the lake, with hikes graded from easy to strenuous. (TRTA’s annual “thru-hike” of the entire trail would probably be in the latter category.) Groups or individuals can also volunteer in regularly scheduled trail-building and maintenance to improve and expand the Tahoe Rim Trail; planners can contact the TRTA to find out whether any of its regularly scheduled activities coincide with their group’s visit.
There are some less-strenuous ways to experience Tahoe’s gorgeous vistas. The Squaw Valley Cable Car (800.403.0206; www.squaw.com) takes visitors up 2,000 spectacular feet to Squaw’s High Camp, which is open year-round for activities that include skiing, ice skating, swimming (in spring and summer), a 102-degree hot tub, a visit to the Olympic Museum, or dining at any of five restaurants. Situated at 8,200 feet in elevation, the facility, featuring spectacular views, is available for company retreats.
Over on the South Shore, planners may also want to check out the Heavenly Aerial Tram (775.586.7000; www.skiheavenly.com), whose lower station is convenient to six casino properties in Stateline, Nev. The gondola covers 2.4 miles in just 12 minutes, depositing riders at the Deck, a 14,000-square-foot facility that sits at an elevation of 9,100 feet and offers views of the lake, Carson Valley to the east and Desolation Wilderness to the west. Visitors can then enjoy lunch at the Adventure Peak Grill or head outside to a park that features snow tubing or snow bikes—basically bicycle frames on skis.
Back down by the lake, the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course (775.588.2787: www.edgewoodtahoe.com) in Stateline has two restaurants that share a common attribute: breathtaking views of Tahoe’s blue water with the surrounding, frequently snowcapped mountains rising around it like distant granite fortresses. Edgewood’s main restaurant provides a year-round, indoor fine-dining experience for groups. The more casual Brooks’ Golf Bar & Deck offers both indoor and outdoor seating for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and is open May through October.
