The Tahoe Area
Lake Tahoe is one
of the world's largest and most beautiful mountain lakes.
The lake is twenty-two miles long, twelve miles wide (35 km
X 20 km) and straddles the California and Nevada borders at
an elevation of 6200' (1800 m). The lake is formed by
unusual geography: water is trapped in a deep valley by a
ring of mountains which prevent melting snow from escaping.
The only outlet is the Truckee River at the north-west
corner of the lake. This mountain-ring watershed or "Tahoe
basin" accumulates lake water 1600' deep and holds a
sufficient supply to cover the entire state of California a
foot deep! Lake Tahoe is not a salt lake. Its water is cold
and fresh, but never freezes over.
Lake Tahoe's reputation as the "crown jewel" of American
lakes is well deserved. The azure-blue lake is surrounded by
scenic mountains, pristine forested slopes, world-class ski
resorts, thirty golf courses, hundreds of miles of hiking &
mountain biking trails, horse trails, paved
cycling/rollerblading routes, beaches, and more. You can
hike or ride into several nature preserves including
"Desolation Wilderness", a 63,000 acre (25,000 hectare)
road-less expanse of peaks, canyons and 70 alpine lakes.
Camera buffs will be thrilled with the scenic opportunities
including a much photographed Tahoe scene: Emerald Bay. Or
go fishing in Tahoe's streams or by charter on the lake.
Besides nature's finest, Lake Tahoe has numerous other
attractions. The Nevada south shore has the classiest
casinos in the country where well-known entertainers play.
You will be minutes from Virginia City - a preserved mining
town of the Old West. You can even get married on one of
the authentic paddle wheel boats or sailing vessels in the
middle of the lake! In fact, Tahoe is the honeymoon capital
of the American West! Click
here for details on weddings at Tahoe.
Tough restrictions on construction and new development
ensure that the lake and its surrounding environment
maintain their aesthetic qualities. Whether its cycling,
championship golf, casinos, beaches, water sports, skiing,
hiking, history, or nature at its finest, Tahoe has
something for you all year long!
Don't forget to check out all of the
Recreation Amenities that Incline Village has to
offer. You can go to
www.ivgid.org
to get more information on the state of the art Rec
Center, Private Beaches, Golf Courses, Tennis
Complex and Diamond Peak Ski Resort. The website
will give a detailed overview of each recreation
site along with seasonal operation hours and a fee
schedule for use. The Private Beaches require owner
granted access, so please coordinate access prior to
your arrival.
Activities (on site or nearby)
Hiking, Biking, Golf, Tennis,
Racquetball, Basketball, Fitness Center, Gym, Miniature Golf,
Fishing, Wildlife Viewing, Horseback Riding, Shopping, Restaurants,
Cinemas, Sightseeing, Swimming, Snorkeling/Diving, Boating, Sailing,
Waterskiing, Windsurfing, Parasailing, Jet Skiing, Rafting, Downhill
Skiing, Cross-country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Sledding
Tahoe
Golf
There are
more than thirty courses around Lake Tahoe, see the
golf map
and guide. There are numerous types of links: championship,
executive, desert, alpine, and finesse courses among the
trees. Edgewood (photo) ranks in "America's Top 100" and
Glenbrook is rated among the top 5 nine-hole courses in the
world! Six recommended courses are minutes to the east of
the lake in the Carson Valley. These six desert courses are
open all year (weather permitting) due to their lower
altitude (about 4000' - 1200m). "Golf Digest" recently
ranked the newest of these desert courses, Genoa Lakes, in
the top one percent of American golf courses. At lake level
(6200' - 1800m), courses are open from late April to
October. Locations of all recommended courses are on the
Tahoe golf map. Included in the
golfers' guide are mens' distances, ratings, fees,
telephone numbers, and professional comments for the
selected courses. With the guide, you can select your
desired courses and call from home for tee times.
In typical Tahoe fashion, members of your group can ski and
golf simultaneously from November to June. And the true
addicts among you can ski, golf, hot tub and lose their
shirts in a casino all in the same day!
Tahoe Skiing
 From
this page, you can link to the
Tahoe Ski Map and trail maps for the following resorts:
Heavenly Valley, Squaw Valley, Kirkwood, Sierra Tahoe,
Alpine Meadows, Mt. Rose, Diamond Peak, and Northstar-at-Tahoe.
For those of you that
recognize the superb value offered by spring skiing, ski
season ended on June 1/91, May 10/92, July 4/93, May 15/94,
July 23/95, June 10/96, May 15/97, July 4/98, July 4/99, May
24/00, and May 10/01. From early April on, spring skiers,
golfers and summer enthusiasts get six to twelve weeks of
great condo rates, zero lift lines, and bikini weather.
One of the things that we enjoy about skiing at Tahoe is the
absence of crowds. The typical Tahoe ski lineup is less than
one minute long. Lineups sometimes appear, but only at
certain times and on certain lifts.
Tahoe Hiking and Riding
 There
is access to four massive wilderness areas and the 106 Tahoe
trails (permits, etc.). The four preserves have no roads or
services of any kind. Trails through these and along the
Tahoe Rim have spectacular scenery particularly when the
fall colors arrive. Trail altitudes range from 4500' to over
10,000' (about 1400m to 3000m). For those that want to
escape on horseback, recommended stables are available for
that purpose.
Tahoe Biking
Tahoe is a
Mecca for cyclists and mountain bikers. Roller blade
enthusiasts share the dozens of miles of paved routes such
as the Truckee River Trail. At higher altitude, the forest
service has prepared loose-surface biking trails with a
variety of difficulty levels. There are also competitive
racing courses such as the 100-mile "California Death Ride"
over four local mountain passes. Pictured below are four
bikers on the famous "Flume Trail" at the northeast corner
of the lake.
Rental shops
and service locations mean that you don't have to bring your
own equipment.
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