South Lake Tahoe Summer Mini Guide

Hellooooo and welcome to our little Tahoe Mini Guide!!!! I polled you guys on IG and y’all chose this as the first summer newsletter so here she is!! Tahoe is so very special and the place we are lucky enough to call home so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take care of her when you visit. Pick up after yourselves (& others!!), follow fire bans/guidelines, and drive/travel safely so we can forever KEEP TAHOE BLUE!

OK after that little (very important) mini disclaimer… let’s get into it!

p.s. this newsletter is so long and so full of info that google clips it in your email!! be sure to click “view entire message” at the bottom to see the whole thing!!

All the Goods in This Email

• Our Favorite Hikes

• Tahoe Beaches

• Fav Food/Drink Spots

• Fun/Unique Things to do

Our Favorite Hikes

Easy

Cave Rock (0.8 mi out and back, 101 ft elevation gain)

Short and steep climb to one of the best panoramic lake views. perfect for sunrise or sunset!!

Taylor Creek Loop (2.8 mi loop, 157 ft elevation gain)

A mellow, scenic walk through a little forest and marshland with boardwalks and creek views!!

East Shore Trail (5.2 mi out and back, 337 ft elevation gain)

Paved, lakeside path on the East Shore AKA the most beautiful stretch of shoreline in tahoe!! Can walk, bike, roller blade, or anything!

Moderate

Rubicon Trail (Vikingsholm Start) (5.2 mi out and back, 528 elevation gain)

Starts at Emerald Bay overlook and has a steep hill to get down to the water. Once at the water the trail goes for miles (all the way to D.L. Bliss State Park)! You can go as far as you want before turning! Epic shoreline views and rolling hilly terrain.

Vansickle Waterfall (2.2 mi out and back, 531 ft elevation gain)

Little hike from town to a seasonal waterfall!

Eagle Falls/Lake Trail (1.9 mi out and back, 429 ft elevation gain)

One of the most popular hikes because it is across from Emerald Bay. Short mileage that takes you past a waterfall and to a beautiful alpine lake!

Tamarack Lake (7.5 mi out and back, 900 ft elevation gain)

Less trafficked trail that takes you to an alpine lake! Great to escape the masses.

Hard

Maggie’s Peak (4.2 mi out and back, 1,778 elevation gain)

One of our absolute favorite viewpoints over Lake Tahoe!! It’s a consistently steep trail and requires a little scrambling to the top of a rock to get the view but absolutely worth it!

Mt Tallac (9.5 mi out and back, 3,300 elevation gain)

Challenging, high elevation hike to the most famous peak over Lake Tahoe (picture shown above)

Lake Aloha Trail (12.6 mi out and back, 1,863 ft elevation gain)

A long but stunning hike through granite landscapes to one of the most amazing lakes in the area!

Tahoe Beaches

Kiva Beach

One of the best dog-friendly beaches in Tahoe!!  Wide open space for them to run and insane mountain views. More “local” than other beaches so shhhhhh!!!

Pope Beach

Long, sandy shoreline with easy access. Great for swimming, lounging, hammocking and just a full on beach day! Can get crowded and will park out so get there early ish in peak summer 

Nevada Beach

Super scenic with a mix of sand and trees for shade, plus it’s dog-friendly in certain areas. Closest beach to town (on this list!)

Secret Beach

A tucked-away gem on the east shore with crystal-clear water and giant boulders. A bit of a walk down, but 100% worth it (clothing optional FYI lol) would not recommend bringing children.

Sand Harbor

Iconic Tahoe blue water + massive granite boulders. One of the most beautiful beaches in the area!! You need a reservation to visit!

Fav Food/Drink spots!

Breakfast

• Tahoe Bagel

• Crazy Good Bakery

• Getaway Café (sit down option)

Lunch

• Cool Beans Deli and Creamery (delish sandos)

• Sprouts Café (healthy spot)

• Divided Sky (dive bar/specialty sandos)

• Verde (huge burritos)

Dinner

• Rice (Thai)

• Naked Fish (sushi)

• Himmel Haus (German)

• Aleworx (specialty pizza)

• The Grove (Beach Bar & Grill)

Fun Drink Spots!!

• Idle Hour (wine)

• The Hangar (beer/outdoor vibes)

• South Lake Brewing (brewery)

• Coctail Corner (delish coctails)

Fun/Unique Things to do

Explore Emerald Bay/Fanette Island

Explore the Castle, rent kayaks and paddle to Fanette Island (can rent down at the beach), Hang at the Beach, Hike the Rubicon trail… so much to do!!

Go to the Summer Concert Series

Monthly concerts at a VERY COOL outdoor amphitheater right in the middle of town! Concerts go from June-September!

Paddleboard/Kayak on the Lake

Early mornings are the BEST when the winds are low and the water is glaaasssyyy.

Visit Thunderbird Lodge

A historic lakeside estate tucked along the east shore. It was built in the 1930s by a super eccentric millionaire, George Whittell Jr., who basically turned it into his private playground. You can take a guided tour of it or paddle to it from sand harbor!!

As ONE final reminder PLEASE take care of our beautiful Tahoe!!!

Happy Adventuring!!

Isabel & Sentry