Appreciated in the summer for its hiking opportunities and natural beauty, in autumn for the fall co

Clarity (97 percent pure), deep bluish color, elevation (at 6,229 feet), mountainous and wooded setting in the Sierra Nevada, and size (22 miles long and 8-12 miles wide) combine to make Lake Tahoe one of the most attractive freshwater lakes in North America. The extraordinary blue color occurs because of the lake s remarkable depth, as much as 1,645 feet, with about 1,000 feet as the average. This third deepest lake in North America could cover a flat area equal to the size of California with 14 inches of water.
When John Fremont became one of the first white men to see the lake, in 1844, the area was sparsely populated by Washoe Indians. It is thought that Tahoe comes from a Washoe Indian word meaning water in a high place or lake in the sky. The lake is indeed in the sky, easily the largest alpine lake in North America.
Appreciated in the summer for its hiking opportunities and natural beauty, in autumn for the fall color of its aspen trees, budget hotels paris france and in winter for its ski areas, the Tahoe basin attracts year-around enthusiasts. If you visit in spring or autumn, you ll find that the crowds have thinned.
The political struggle to achieve sensible, but restrained development of the Tahoe area is an ongoing challenge. Ruining the natural beauty, over-drawing the available fresh water supply, and polluting the water purity are major concerns. The political decisions must be agreed upon by the two states, six counties, and perhaps budget hotels paris france 20 agencies with various authorities. A third of the lake rests in Nevada, with the rest in California. The lake nestles between the main north-south Sierra Nevada and an eastern offshoot, the Carson Range.
Lake Tahoe lies between the two main routes that immigrants took to California. Today these routes are Interstate 80 and Highway 50. Sacramento is the Central Valley metropolis from which both highways reach into the mountains. Lake Tahoe is about two hours from Sacramento and four hours from San Francisco, allowing for the mountain climb and depending on weather conditions. Another alternative is flying to Reno, Nevada, and renting a car for the drive west to Lake Tahoe.
As early as 1870, Lake Tahoe flourished as a resort, where tycoon Lucky Baldwin built a sizable lodge and took guests around the lake in his 168-foot steamer. Early visitors caught legendary numbers of trout.
budget hotels paris france Several historic estates at the southwest budget hotels paris france edge of the lake can be visited to recall the early era. Overall, the area is called the Tallac Historic Site, interpreting the lifestyle budget hotels paris france of the swells roughly 1890-1920. One grand house, the Pope Estate, can be toured with a docent to see the way wealthy banking and lumber families lived with their many servants budget hotels paris france in rustic splendor during Tahoe s summers. The Baldwin Estate is now a museum store and information center. Another structure, Valhalla, shows the nuances of high forest architecture that money and taste could create in this choice stand of virgin Jeffrey pines at the edge of the lake.
The Forest Service is a major information source for all kinds of adventure travel in the Tahoe Region, summer and winter. Their summer headquarters is the Forest Service Visitor Center budget hotels paris france on Emerald Bay Road, not far from the year-around budget hotels paris france headquarters at 870 Emerald budget hotels paris france Bay Road. The summer Visitor Center budget hotels paris france opens typically on Memorial Day and stays open full time through September, then weekends in October. One interesting aspect budget hotels paris france of the Visitor Center is the Stream Profile Chamber, where you view trout swimming through a diverted section of the stream, Taylor Creek. budget hotels paris france This is especially intriguing in autumn as the Kokanee salmon in Lake Tahoe swim upstream to spawn, at which time they turn bright budget hotels paris france red before perishing. There is a quarter-mile budget hotels paris france loop trail, the Rainbow Trail, revealing a wetlands environment. At the Visitor Center or the all-year headquarters you can purchase maps of the region. The best map to begin with would be the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit map, showing the overall area. More specialized maps, such as one for hiking the Desolation Wilderness, can also be obtained.
In summer, you can tour the lake by car and enjoy the outdoor activities of camping, hiking, kayaking, and fishing. Bicycling is popular on paved trails and on rough mountain terrain. For example, a paved trail out of Tahoe City along the Truckee budget hotels paris france River allows secure biking on a path in a major scenic location. Nearby, at Alpine Meadows, mountain biking trails budget hotels paris france can be enjoyed. Every Tahoe community has its dedicated bike shop ready to rent bikes and provide maps. In Truckee, one dependable provider is The BackCountry shop. They can set you up with a bike in summer or snowshoes in winter.
The drive around the lake is a classic travel experience, budget hotels paris france comparable budget hotels paris france to the carriage-ride circuit set up in Yellowstone at its founding. The Nevada side of the lake has a special scenic tranquility, partly because the owners of the land eschewed development until the era of state parks took over. Stop at all the scenic turnouts on the Nevada side, and you can savor the lake. The boulders at Scenic Wayside, the beach at Sand Harbor, the vistas at Logan Shoals, and the tour de force known as Cave Rock will linger in memory.
Because budget hotels paris france the lake never freezes, fishing continues all winter. Snow skiing is excellent throughout the area. Cross-country skiing flourishes at some locations, especially Northstar and Kirkwood. Snow may fall in the region from October to June.
The most celebrated scenic area, found at the southwest corner of the Lake, is Emerald Bay. The contrast between the blue lake and the mountains rising 4,000 feet over the waterway has great appeal. budget hotels paris france Two attractive budget hotels paris france state parks, Bliss and Emerald Bay, stretch along the waterfront and offer excellent camping, budget hotels paris france hiking, and picnicking. budget hotels paris france D. L. Bliss State Park consists of 1,237 acres between Meeks Bay and Emerald Bay, with a sandy beach at Rubicon Point. The roadway along Emerald Bay often puts you high above the water with sweeping vistas. If you park at Inspiration Point, you can also hike to an intriguing Norse-style structure called Vikingsholm Castle, a 38-room re-creation of a Viking fortress. The Rubicon Trail in Bliss Park is also one of the loveliest hikes in the region. Another inspiring hiking and mountain biking area is the Flume Trail on the east side of the lake. A Lake Tahoe Rim Trail all the way around the lake could occupy a hiker with abundant leisure time.
Eagle Falls and Sugar Pine Point State Park are other good places budget hotels paris france near Emerald Bay to hike, picnic, or view the lake. Sugar Pine Point State Park is a dense 200-acre grove of large sugar pine trees, known for their long, slender cones. An historic Tahoe summer estate known as the Ehrman Mansion is worth a visit. The park is open all year and has become a favorite winter cross-country skiing budget hotels paris france site.
Boat cruising on Lake Tahoe is an exhilarating experience. Getting out on the water, summer or winter, provides a perspective of the lake and mountains that you can t get from shore. The view from the lake, especially as the urban skyline of South Tahoe recedes, budget hotels paris france transports you back to a pristine era, as if you are viewing the lake through the eyes of John Fremont. Cruises sometimes add dinner and entertainment, but at other times the outing is for the cruise itself, and in winter one cruise amounts to a ski shuttle from the south end of the lake to ski resorts on the north end. The MS Dixie II (from Zephyr Cove) and the  Tahoe Queen (from South Shore) budget hotels paris france are two large excursion boats on the lake.
Kayaks can be rented at the Camp Richardson Marina for a paddle up the shoreline to scenic Emerald budget hotels paris france Bay. Getting out on the water in a kayak is perhaps the most intimate way a traveler can get the full sense of the serenity and clarity of the lake, while gazing down at the rocky bottom.
The great indoor sport at Lake Tahoe is gambling, nurtured on the Nevada side at Reno and Carson City. On the lake itself, there is gambling at Crystal Bay on the North Shore and at Stateline on the South Shore. Nevada declared gambling legal in 1931. One-armed bandits or a variety of gaming tables, nightclub acts, and fabulous buffets, such as the one at Harrah s, all entice the traveler. The gambling world flourishes around the clock, every day of the year, oblivious to mere diurnal or seasonal changes. The Horizon magic show, Fusion, competes for attention against the humor of the Improv Comedy Club at Harveys.
Ever since the Winter Olympics were held at Squaw Valley in the Tahoe basin in 1960, skiing has been popular here. The dazzling winter sunshine is a major factor, with 80 percent of the winter days sunny. The average 350 inches budget hotels paris france of winter snow at this high elevation helps, of course, and the fact that the winter climate warms to 25-45 degrees on a typical day makes the snowy setting agreeable. The panoramic view of one of the world s largest and clearest alpine lakes, as a backdrop to skiing, adds immensely to the aesthetic experience.
Because of all these resources, the area has developed one of the main concentrations of ski resorts in the U.S. Nineteen ski resorts can be reached within a 45-minute drive of the lake. Several budget hotels paris france of them offer nordic or cross-country skiing, with groomed trails, as well as alpine or downhill skiing. Some ski resorts budget hotels paris france also function as popular summer destinations. budget hotels paris france Apres ski activities, both at the resorts and in the border towns, add a dimension of nightlife and culinary adventure in the region. Northstar, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Kirkwood, budget hotels paris france and Sierra at Tahoe are among the main ski areas.
Squaw Valley and Heavenly have gondolas for the non-skier to take to the top of the mountains to enjoy the view. Alexander s is the Squaw Valley fine dining restaurant at the top of the gondola. The Heavenly gondola at South Shore transformed budget hotels paris france the transportation issue for travelers. A skier or non-skier can walk from lodging to the gondola and be whisked up the mountain. The non-skier can get off the gondola, ye