Two million year old Lake Tahoe lies 6,225 feet above sea level, just west of Carson City. It's the US' biggest alpine lake and an eerie 1,645 feet deep, also the nation's sixth largest lake by volume. It's one of the region's biggest tourist attractions all year round, with snow in winter and glorious sunshine in summer. Nevada's famous casinos are also easily accessible from the lake, making it a hugely popular tourist all-rounder.
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Northern California Highlights
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The Eagle Falls to Eagle Lake hike is one of the most popular Lake Tahoe walks, a mere quarter of a mile long and accessible to most people. Make it and you're rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. But there are lakeside walks for every level, from short and sweet to long and arduous.
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The spooky Donner Memorial State Park preserves the site of the Donner Camp, where the infamous Donner Party perished in 1847
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Ride the gondola at Heavenly, with totally awesome views
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Take a choice of sightseeing tours including photographic tours to the region's most beautiful spots
You can also enjoy fishing charters, river rafting and tubing, kayaking and canoeing, wine tours and wine tasting. Or visit South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena and skate to your heart's content against a stunning backdrop.
Gambling is legal on the Nevada side of the lake, mainly on the South Shore in Stateline, the North Shore at Crystal Bay and Incline Village.
Old Truckee Jail Museum delivers a fascinating peep into the olden days. The museum is one of the few surviving 1800s jailhouses of its kind in the West and one of the few remaining original buildings in Truckee. It was in use from 1875 until 1964, today it's an excellent little museum. The opulent Hellman-Erhman mansion was built by the west coast banker Isaias W. Hellman. The Architect Walter Danforth Bliss was hired to design him a summer house from natural local materials and the result, finished in 1903, is really lovely, truly opulent. The Tahoe Trout Farm is a fascinating attraction to the south of the lake. The owner is extremely knowledgeable and you can take the fish you catch away to cook yourself. Such fun.
You could literally spend a lifetime wandering the shores of the US' most beautiful fresh water lake. It goes on forever, it's remarkably beautiful and very well set up for tourists. The trails are clearly marked, there's something going on all year round and the scenery is so lovely it will blow your mind. What's not to like?
South Lake Tahoe itself is the biggest city in El Dorado County, California, and it's mainly geared towards tourists. As such there's loads to do. But the main attraction, as always, is the beautiful lake itself, disappearing into the blue distance, rimmed by sandy beaches and dotted with spotless flotillas of boats.