❄️ SMT Tahoe Travel Guide (for Non-Skiers!)
My family-friendly tips to this snowy — and stunning — lake retreat.
I am actively planning our family’s spring break but first: I wanted to (finally!) to share my non-skiers guide to Lake Tahoe. Full disclosure: I absolutely meant to send this out as soon as we got back in early January. But then the fires hit Los Angeles and the year…became extremely challenging all around. So many of you asked for this during my trip, I would rather send it late than not at all. I hope it can be of future use for any folks planning something last minute, the advance planners thinking ahead to next winter, or anyone Tahoe-curious, even in the summertime.
When we moved to California almost eight years ago, I lamented the lack of seasons. “There’s always snow in Tahoe!” someone said. And yet, I never really even considered visiting. Our family doesn’t ski — and we don’t really plan to — so it felt like Tahoe wasn’t right for us? What a mistake! It is such a gem of a spot, with the most breathtaking views, more than worth the trek it can take to get there. There are so many fun things to do, plus all the fresh air and space for kids to run around. Below, a look at where we stayed, ate, and played. (And yes — we tubed! Just like I told Meghan. ☺️)
A huge thank you to Matt’s friend and former co-worker, Alex Bain, and his wife, Lisa. They heard my “I miss snow!” cries on Instagram and reached out to offer up their home on South Lake Tahoe. IT IS A DREAM, particularly suited for large groups, with all the amenities you could imagine. For more information or to book it yourself, click here.
❄️ Tahoe fans, please share what you love about the region in the comments. I have opened comments up to all for this newsletter so we can swap recommendations — I can’t wait to return!
SMT Travel Guide: Tahoe for Non-Skiers
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This trip came about because of our lengthy public school winter break but mostly because I was desperate for our kids to play in the snow. Two of my three children were born in California and I can’t remember the last time we had all been in a proper amount of snow. I am from the Midwest and the lack of seasons in California definitely gets to me; I crave the cold and cozy.
I squawked about this on Instagram and our friends from the Bay Area reached out. Schedules aligned and we were able to find three nights in their gorgeous home in South Lake Tahoe. We then tacked on three additional nights in an AirBnb in North Lake Tahoe, to make the most of our time there.
For our family of five, winter activities got expensive quickly. I tried to balance paid excursions with free exploring, sleds in hand. We went in search of more snow once or twice — you can chase more of it at higher elevations. On the second half of our trip, we lucked out with a fresh blanket of snow. It was magical!
Getting there
The closest major city to Lake Tahoe is San Francisco, and that drive can take three to five (or more) hours, depending on traffic. We could have driven from Los Angeles but it’s just long enough that we decided to fly. Reno is the official Tahoe airport, only about an hour away, but we opted for Sacramento because it had more (and cheaper) Southwest flights. We rented a car and drove around two hours to our AirBnb.
What to pack
If you are visiting during winter, snow gear is a must. To be sure, it was cold but not frigid by any stretch. Still, for extended time outside you will want a proper winter coat, along with snow pants (these are clutch). Waterproof boots and gloves are well worth it, too.
My kids wore their winter jackets from Primary; I love the bright colors, which makes it easy to keep tabs on them. The jackets are lightweight and layer nicely for a trip like Tahoe while still working well for any dips in temps at home in Los Angeles. All of our family snow pants and gloves, as well as the kids’ boots, were from a sale at Target (note: this was last year, before their DEI rollback).
North Lake Tahoe
We began in North Lake Tahoe, taking advantage of nearby Truckee and Donner Lake. This area, on the California side of the lake, is incredibly picturesque and a bit more small-town-y than down south. It gave quaint lake vibes, even if it was a tad crowded when we visited (at peak season, to be sure).
Where we stayed: I booked us this AirBnb in Tahoe City. The kid-themed bunkbed room was a total hit for our kiddos. The massive couch in the family was so comfortable, the hot tub on the deck was a delight in the snow and the sleds in the garage were clutch. Tahoe City is centrally located up north, a convenient place from which to explore the rest of the region.
Where we ate: We did a lot of cooking at the rental, which is usually what we do on a trip like this. After a long day of playing outside, our kids preferred to cozy up at home. That said, we did try a few local places that I would recommend.
Za’s Lakefront, Tahoe City — We happened to time this just right, snagging a window table upstairs just as the sun was setting. Gorgeous! No kids menu, but the pizza sufficed.
Squeeze In, Truckee — This breakfast and lunch joint was, as promised, extremely kid friendly. The food was great, our waiter was wonderful. Get there early and put your name on the waitlist.
Best Pies Pizzeria, Truckee —We happened upon this pizza spot while we were waiting for the Squeeze In. It looked so good we came back to try it. The New York-style thin crust pizza was excellent and there are games for the kids to play.
What we did: My goal with this trip was to enjoy the outdoors (for free LOL) and sprinkle in a few paid activities. My tip for the latter is to aim for the first reservation of the day, to both avoid crowds and take advantage of fresh snow. Also, know that the end times for these sledding and tubing sessions are a hard stop.
Sledding at Donner Lake (free) — There was snow on the ground when we arrived in Tahoe, not a ton but enough for sledding. On our first full day, we headed out with the sleds from our rental to explore. We ventured north to Donner Lake, which is at a higher elevation and had even more snow. We found a small park at West End Beach, with what I will generously call small “hills.” The incline was enough to get our new-to-snow kids excited and the views were stunning. I, for one, was just SO HAPPY to be in snow.
Sledding at Granlibakken Ski & Sled Hill (paid, session reservation required) — I was glad we played around a bit on our own to give the kids a sense of sledding before paying for something more established. This small hill was just a few miles from our rental and offered timed sledding sessions. It was more casual than tubing I later realized, and less crowded, too. Granlibakken provided the saucers, which we hauled up both the small and the bigger hills. The kids were delighted! And exhausted.
Ice skating at Northstar California (ice rink is free, skate and helmet rental is paid) — I had been eyeing the skating rink at this huge ski resort but was overwhelmed by how to get there. We ventured there with guides; big thanks to another of Matt’s co-workers, and his lovely family, who showed us around. (We were able to park at their condo and take a shuttle. If you are going on your own, make sure to scope out parking in advance.) The village at Northstar is such fun. There was live music as well as loads of places to eat and shop. The ice skating rink in the middle was the perfect spot. We rented skates and all gave it a go (with helmets for the kids).
Snow play and tubing at Tahoe Donner (paid, session reservation required) — Having never been tubing, I was not sure where we should start. I wish I could say I planned this as the perfect place to begin, but we lucked out! It’s a very relaxed setting, definitely geared towards younger kiddos. There was one tubing run, with a fun but fairly gentle curve, and some very kind teenagers assisting at the top. There was also a small sledding hill and plenty of room for snow play.
Hiking and snow play at Donner Memorial State Park (free) — We had some time to spare before we headed down south, so we went for a little nature walk back up in Donner. There are loads of trails here, with plenty of places to make your fun. It was so peaceful, and felt very safe. Bird and I had the best time building a snowman while the boys had a snowball fight.
South Lake Tahoe
Then it was time to drive down south. The trip around the lake is a treat — I would recommend it even if we didn’t have to do it. So many picturesque places to pull over and soak up the vistas. South Lake Tahoe has all the outdoorsy-ness with a bit more of the tourist vibe. It straddles California and Nevada, with bigger resorts and casinos on the eastern side.
Where we stayed: Many thanks to the Bains, who hosted us at their massive Moonhaven Lodge. The views alone, especially at sunrise and sunset, are everything. If you have a big group gathering, this is the perfect place. It’s got nine (!) bedrooms and just as many bathrooms, spread out over three floors. The walk-out basement has a movie theater, pool and foosball tables, a bar with three televisions and — wait for it — an indoor swimming pool. My kids were in HEAVEN.
Where we ate: Again, most of our meals we enjoyed at the house, especially after a storm blanketed the area with many inches of new snow. There is a Whole Foods and Safeway within driving distance. A few blocks from the lodge is a great strip with a few coffee and restaurants.
Gastromaniac Homemade Pasta and Pizza, South Lake Tahoe — Delicious! You order at the register and eat at the tables. It was a warm, hearty meal we all needed as the snow fell all around us.
Three Pines Coffee Company, South Lake Tahoe — A lovely little spot where we got coffee and pastries. There was a fuller menu we didn’t have a chance to try. Go early! It gets crowded.
California Burger Co., South Lake Tahoe — This is in the Heavenly village, which we happened upon after our morning of sledding. It was packed but they squeezed us in, the burgers hit the spot.
What we did: We spent a lot of time enjoying the incredible Moonhaven Lodge. We watched Wicked in the movie theater, splashed in the pool, had a hot chocolate party at the basement bar. When it snowed on the afternoon of our first full day — thank you, Mother Nature! — we bundled up and headed out the back door of the house, exploring the path to the lake and playing in the snow along the way.
We did venture out a bit the following days, taking advantage of the fresh snow.
Sledding at Bijou Community Park (free): Just across the main road from where we stayed was an expansive green space with plenty of places to play. We made our way to the skate park after the snow fall. It proved to be the perfect place to sled, with all the ramps serving as an array of hills to enjoy.
Sledding at Van Sickle State Park Trailhead (free): We seriously considered a trip on the Heavenly gondola, which would have taken us up the mountain to a tubing hill as well as a mountain coaster (with what I’ve heard have the most incredible views). But for our family of five, the price of all that ratcheted up rather quickly.
Instead, we grabbed our sleds and headed to an open (and free!) park on the state line. We got there early, parked at a pay lot near the entrance, and hiked in to see what we could find. It took us quite awhile to find the right spot to sled. We stopped to try a few different hills that others were enjoying but then we hiked far enough in and Matt found this private little path. It was windy and bumpy in the best way, just enough of a thrill.
Tubing at Tube Tahoe (paid, open/rolling sessions): We wanted to go out on a high note, so we tried a bigger tube spot on our last morning. Again, getting there early was key as it filled up as the morning progressed. This spot was much more established, with half a dozen tubing lanes that raced you down the hill. The hike up there is no joke, but the ride down is a blast (the teens manning the top here were a bit more adventurous, often giving the tubes a strong, quick spin).
What a trip! I am so grateful to the Bains for their invitation and to Mother Nature for providing a magical amount of snow. Do you have Tahoe recommendations? Please put them in the comments — I would love to learn more for when we return one day!
South Lake Tahoe tip - if you’re planning to stay right in that area you don’t really need a car because so much is walkable (obviously YMMV based on littles), so fly into Reno and take the bus! The South Tahoe Airporter stops at the major resorts on the state line and is <$30pp each way so just pick the hotel closest to your lodging. Also make sure you check out Base Camp Pizza Co. right by the gondola in Heavenly Village - it’s amazing! But it gets very crowded for dinner and doesn’t take reservations so get your name in early.
My permanent address is Tahoe City (although I do spend a fair amount of time in Pasadena). My husband and I sold our forever home so that we could afford a house across the street from the lake. Tahoe has always been my happy place and now that I am retired, I LOVE living there. Tahoe City has a snow park in town for kiddos in the winter with an ice skating rink and sledding. Also, Cal Trans tries to keep the bike path clear at all time so you can go on a nice walk next to the Truckee River.