Lake Tahoe · Things to do

22 miles south of Tahoe City and 12 miles north of South Lake Tahoe, open sunrise to sunset, $10 per vehicle for day-use parking or $3 for an hour. Vikingsholm, the 1929 Scandinavian-style mansion on the bay, is a steep 2-mile round trip on foot with a 400ft climb back at 6,800ft altitude — there is no ride out, so don't start it if you can't finish it. Tours run first-come 10:30am–3:30pm from 23 May to 30 September.

2005 Highway 28 near Incline Village, open 8am to an hour after sunset. $10 per vehicle, $15 if the plates aren't Nevada, and a day-use reservation is required between 15 May and 30 September for the 8:00–10:30am window. Boulders, clear water, kayak and paddleboard rental and a half-mile trail to Memorial Point. Parking fills early on summer weekends and roadside parking is banned.

The unusual thing about Heavenly is that its gondola starts in town, at the base in South Lake Tahoe rather than up a mountain road, so you can walk to it from the Stateline hotels. Scenic sightseeing tickets are sold separately from ski passes in summer; book on the resort site in advance.

A 170-plus mile trail encircling the lake, free to walk, maintained by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. Most people do a section as a day hike from a road crossing — Brockway Summit, Kingsbury North, Barker Pass or the top of the Heavenly tram. The association's site has the maps and recommended day routes; some trailheads may add parking fees.

Near Truckee at the top of the pass, day use sunrise to sunset and $10 per vehicle, with the visitor centre open daily 10am–5pm. Over 8 miles of trails that turn into snowshoe and cross-country routes in winter, a lake to swim in, and the museum telling the Donner Party story alongside the area's Washoe history.