Lake Tahoe, United States1-2 daySummer/Winter
Lake Tahoe
Ideal: Ideal for nature, lake views, skiing, hiking, road trips, and quiet holidays.
At 501 meters deep it is America's second deepest lake after Crater Lake, with enough water to cover all of California to a depth of 35 centimeters. Clarity was legendary: a white disk was once visible at 30 meters, though runoff from development has cut that to around 20 meters and cleanup efforts continue. Mark Twain wrote about the lake at length in Roughing It. The state line runs through the middle, so casinos sit only on the Nevada side.
Quick facts
- Length
- 35 km
- Area
- 502 km²
- Elevation
- 1,900 m
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Why go?
- To see lake and mountain scenery together
- For summer swimming, boating, and hiking; winter skiing
- To build a nature-heavy route away from the cities
Travel tip
Lake Tahoe feels very different by season — plan beaches and hikes for summer, ski areas for winter.
