Lake Tahoe: Nevada Side Attractions

Lake Tahoe is a popular vacation destination, offering year-round outdoor recreation amidst the scenic beauty of the lake and the mountains. The vast majority of the tourist attractions and ski resorts are locaed in South Lake Tahoe, California. The Nevada side of the lake offers you a more tranquil and relaxing experience and allows you to enjoy gambling and gaming as well as smoking indoors.

The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe is a golfer's paradise and is home to a wide range of scenic golf courses that provide a challenge to all skill levels. Close to South Lake Tahoe amidst the beauty of the natural landscape, you will find the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, the Whispering Pines Golf Course, and the Glenbrook Golf Course. To the north of the lake sits the Incline Championship Golf Course and the Incline Mountain Golf Course. In nearby Carson City, you will also find a great golfing experience at East Valley Golf Course and Empire Ranch Golf Course.

For outdoor recreation, head over to the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. This large state park offers a variety of outdoor opportunities. The Sand Harbor area of the park offers gorgeous sandy beaches, a boat launch, picnicking, and group use facilities. At the Spooner Lake area, you can enjoy picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and catch-and-keep fishing. The area also boasts plenty of back country trails and equestrian-use trails. You can stay on-site in the cabins, the interpretive campsites, and in the two primitive campsites. If you are planning to visit the area in summer months, be sure to enjoy the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival that is held at Sand Harbor in July and August each year.

The Washoe Lake State Park is a smaller park maintained by the state that provides for a variety of outdoor recreational activities. This area offers nature study, bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, windsurfing, water skiing, catamaran sailing, jet skiing and fishing on-site. The Washoe Lake State Park boasts a wide variety of facilities as well, including a campground, boat launches, group use area, day-use picnic sites, equestrian trail heads, and a viewing tower in the wetlands area.

The Heavenly Ski Resort straddles the California-Nevada state line. Here, you can find world-class skiing, as well as a variety of other outdoor recreational activities such as snowboarding, ice skating, sand volleyball, golf, tennis, and soccer and baseball fields. The Heavenly Ski Resort is home to over 75 shops, making it the perfect destination for a shopping getaway. You will also find over 100 restaurants and over 100 hotels and inns scattered across both sides of the border.

While you are in the area, you will want to make some time to visit nearby Carson City, just a short and scenic drive from Lake Tahoe. In Carson City, you will find the State Capitol building, the downtown historic district, the Nevada Railroad Museum, and plenty of options for dining, shopping, gambling, and nightlife. You can have a great time enjoying the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the comforts of the big city when you stay at the Best Western Carson Station Hotel/ Casino Carson City with an on-site 24-hour casino or the beautiful Quality Inn Trailside Inn

Make plans to explore the less-visited Nevada side of Lake Tahoe on your trip to the area!