You can also visit Tahoe on a family vacation and hike various parts of the Lake Tahoe Rim Trail while you’re in town. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a new adventure or just a fun day trip, because the Tahoe Rim Trail offers a little of something for everyone. You can get lessons and guided tours of the trail, as well as taking courses on how to hike more effectively and cover more ground faster on your journey that can make the experience all the more enjoyable.
If you’d like, you can hike the trail on any number of day hikes. There’s a good hiking guide at TahoeRimTrail.org that breaks the trail into 14 day hikes ranging in length from a short 5 mile hike to 16 and up to 20 miles in length. You can drive around the lake or take a hike from your specific location and enjoy the beautiful scenery this place has to offer.
Just to let you know that if you were interested in setting a record for hiking the entire 168 mile trail, you’d definitely have you work cut out for you. At the end of September 2009, running sensation Kilian Jornet of Spain blew away the old record of 45 hours and finished the circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe in only 38 hours and 32 minutes. He did that even after sleeping for 2 hours and getting 2.5 miles off course in the middle of the night.
The Lake Tahoe Rim Trail complete hike might not be for you, but there are many other ways that you can see the trail, both guided and on your own. If you’re looking to get great views of the lake and the Sierra Nevada region, you’ll find them on the Tahoe Rim Trail, so check it out on your vacation.
The Lake Tahoe Rim Trail runs the entire perimeter of the lake and offers a great hiking experience for anyone who wants to traverse part of it or the entire 165 mile length. The first and most important offering for those who want to take the trail include winter navigation courses for those who come in the wintertime, to make sure that everyone has the safest experience possible.
Winter snowshoe hikes around the lake are also offered from January until March, for free. They are fully guided, and you can rent snowshoes to enjoy your hike. The TRTA and the U.S. Forest Service are making it a mission to allow people to discover the fitness and social benefits of snowshoeing, which is an easy skill to acquire, quite fun and needed if you want to get anywhere in lose snow during the winter.
In the summer time, there is an annual through hike, which will allow you to hike the entire 165 mile Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, which is a 15 day trip including backcountry camping and overnight hikes. There are two groups of 15 people that go each year, and each group will be given 2 to 3 guides to help them along the way.
The support that you get throughout the hike is great, and comes in the form of “trail angels”, showing up every few days with food, fuel, and water, if needed. They take the trash, and make the trip much easier for hikers and staff guides both. The hike has been offered for about 8 or 9 years, and requires a fee of $1,750 which is donated to the TRTA’s mission to maintain and enhance the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Come back for more info on hiking the Rim Trail in shorter day hikes.
Other summer activities around Lake Tahoe include visiting Spooner Lake just east of Tahoe. This lake offers great fishing, picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, and cross country ski trails in the winter months, which can be found in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. There are cabin rentals and group use facilities here, too.
The Spooner Lake area allows anglers to catch and keep up to five trout, which makes it more desirable for those who want souvenirs or dinner on their vacation. And let me tell you, lake trout is some of the best fish on earth so, if you love to fish and then eat your catch, don’t miss the fishing here at Lake Tahoe.
Spooner Lake offers many summer activities at Lake Tahoe, including access to the back country that runs between Lake Tahoe and Carson City. Hikers and bikers can go off the beaten path here, but there are no vehicles allowed in the backcountry. There are two popular trails in this area, including the Flume Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail, which circles the rim around the lake.
Summer activities at Lake Tahoe are as varied as those who seek them. By taking the time to check out your options, you’ll likely find that there is much more to do at Lake Tahoe than you ever thought possible. Whether you’re taking a family vacation or just want a personal adventure, Lake Tahoe can offer exactly what you need.
There are endless places to stay, hike, camp, and explore while you’re in the area, along with an array of water sports that can be enjoyed on the lake itself.
Summer activities at Lake Tahoe bring many families to the wonderful Sierra Nevada region for a variety of reasons. Of course one of them and the most popular reason is for great vacations. Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park is here, which has many natural wonders, hiking trails, summer activities for kids, and catch and keep fishing for anglers.
Also, there is plenty to be seen outside of the park, including backcountry hiking trips, camping, swimming, and water sports which abound and draw thousands of visitors every season. There are many popular beaches in the area for different purposes, and knowing the right ones to visit can make your stay that much more enjoyable.
In the summer months, one of the most populated locations is Sand Harbor, which includes sandy beaches, swimming accessibility, boat launches, picnicking facilities, and group use facilities. You’ll find this destination about three miles south of Incline Village on State Route 28. If you want something less crowded and more secluded, give Memorial Point and Hidden Beach a try. These areas are much more private than Sand Harbor, and offer beautiful panoramic lake views. These two locations are best known for swimming, picnicking, and relaxing on the beach.
Stay tuned for the next update where we’ll look at some other great locations for Lake Tahoe summer fun.