Your Winter Wonderland
Winter in Lake Tahoe is Awe and then Some with exciting events, gorgeous weather and enough winter activities to keep you entertained for days. If you like skiing and snowboarding, sipping craft beers and cocktails fireside, ice-skating and sledding, a Lake Tahoe winter trip will make you come alive.
When the snow starts to fall in Lake Tahoe, locals and visitors alike come out to play and not just on the slopes. With infinite shopping and dining options and tons of outdoor activities, South Lake Tahoe keeps the fun rolling till spring. If you’re looking for all the things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter, look no further than Lake Tahoe. Here’s the lowdown on all the best Lake Tahoe winter activities to make your vacation one for the books.
Of all Lake Tahoe winter activities, there is nothing like the sensation of carving effortless turns on the groomers or spraying rooster tails on a powder day. Lake Tahoe is a world-class ski destination and the south shore’s powdered slopes offer skiing and snowboarding opportunities that will blow your mind. Cruise the corduroy on long, groomed trails at Heavenly Mountain Resort, drop cliffs and cornices at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, or show off your sweet style at Sierra-at-Tahoe’s acclaimed terrain parks. All three resorts offer beginner terrain if you’re still getting used to having planks strapped to your feet, and you can book lessons in advance to get a headstart on carving turns.
Prefer to savor the snow covered landscape rather than speed through it? Try cross country skiing as your go-to Lake Tahoe winter sport. Explore miles of groomed, forested trails at Camp Richardson, where every winter a huge network of bike trails is transformed into a sprawling cross country ski course. You can even rent equipment for the whole family at the Mountain Sports Center and slide right onto the snow from there. For scenic meadow spins, head over to Hope Valley Sno-Park or Kirkwood Resort for cross country skiing on sublime, level terrain that winds through jaw-dropping winter landscapes.
There are so many things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter it can be hard to choose the next day’s adventure. If you haven’t tried it, snowshoeing is an easy to enter Lake Tahoe winter activity with minimal gear required to have maximum fun. You can easily explore Lake Tahoe’s pristine shoreline on snowshoes, or wander in a winter wonderland at Fallen Leaf Lake. Ready to get off-trail and into the backcountry? Try snowshoeing at Echo Lake or Carson Pass. Both areas reward snowshoers with gorgeous views and a serious workout.If you’re looking for big mountain thrills, go snowmobiling in the South Lake Tahoe backcountry. There’s nothing like the smell of a two-stroke engine and the exhilaration that comes with throttling up a mountain at breakneck speeds. Lake Tahoe Adventures offers two-hour tours to the alpine bowls of Blue Lakes, and Zephyr Cove Snowmobiles tours will take you to the top of Genoa Ridge where a breathtaking 360-degree view of Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley awaits.
If you’re looking for some snow-sliding fun for the whole family, try tubing and sledding in South Lake Tahoe. There are plenty of areas where you can zoom down snowy slopes, and this is a Lake Tahoe winter activity that’s a screaming good time for children and adults alike. Hold on for dear life as you blast down the 500 foot long, groomed tubing lanes at the ever-popular Tube Tahoe, or drive up Echo Summit and go sledding at Sierra-at-Tahoe or Adventure Mountain.
Additionally, you can walk from most Lake Tahoe accommodations to nearby neighborhood sled-hills and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate afterward. Remember to always practice Leave No Trace principles and pack out any trash or broken sled-bits after dominating the mountain!
Head over to Heavenly Village for abundant things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter and keep the whole family occupied. The Village lights up during the winter season and offers plenty of shopping and dining options, apres-ski happy hours, and an ice skating rink and cinema for kids. For an added adventure, ride the scenic gondola to the top of Heavenly Resort and be rewarded with a magnificent, panoramic view of the lake, or hop on a horse-drawn sleigh ride and hear those sleigh bells jingling while you enjoy a tour of the town.
There are so many Lake Tahoe winter activities, you’ll be hard-pressed to accomplish them all! Check out alternative times to visit and all the Lake Tahoe things to do. There’s something for everyone in Tahoe, during all seasons.
Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.
Anamika Mishra
Pray for Snow
All Lake Tahoe Winter Activities
A Lake Tahoe winter is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. It’s a magical time of year when visitors can frolic like locals, and locals have one helluva good time. Whether you’re seeking to shred the ski slopes or explore the hushed, frozen landscape via snowshoe, here’s a roundup of all the things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter.
What Lake Tahoe Has to Offer
Explore All Lake Tahoe Things To DoLooking overcast. ⛅
The temperature is 25°F.
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With an average lake-level snowfall of 215 inches per year, or a little under 18 feet, and even more snowpack at higher elevations, South Lake Tahoe is the best in the west for skiing and snowboarding. With three world-renowned ski resorts to choose from, the hard part is deciding which mountain to shred! Luckily, Lake Tahoe is bringing you the rundown on all the slopes, so you can make your ski trip legendary.
Heavenly is the go-to for families and die-hard skiers alike. With 4,800 acres of wide-open terrain, Heavenly is the largest ski resort in Lake Tahoe. The resort is so big that it straddles the California-Nevada state line, so you can ski two states in one day! With jaw-dropping views of Lake Tahoe, 34 miles of groomed, corduroy cruisers, several double-black-diamond canyons, and some of the most extreme tree skiing in North America, Heavenly lives up to its name; this resort is truly divine.
If you’re looking for things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter without a lift ticket, Heavenly offers tons of family-friendly adventures. You can rocket down the mountain on the gravity-powered Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster, slide the snow on the tubing hill, or simply marvel at panoramic lake views on the scenic gondola ride.
Whether it’s your first day on the slopes or your hundredth, Sierra-at-Tahoe offers something for everyone. This ski resort is well-loved for its expansive beginner terrain, and award-winning terrain parks. One of the special things about Sierra is the vibe. The resort embraces mountain culture and wants guests to have a fabulous time; that fun-loving, no worries attitude shines in the smiles of everyone who works, rides, and skis at Sierra.
Sierra-at-Tahoe has joined Ikon Pass for the 2024/25 season, offering even more Tahoe access to Ikon Pass holders!
With one of the best ski schools in Lake Tahoe, Sierra offers beginner to advanced lessons, so if you really want to learn a double-cork 1080, they’ve got an instructor who can teach you! Additionally, Sierra has incredible tree skiing with tons of natural features. The forest here is so vast, you simply can’t do the same run twice.
Powder-hounds know where to find the goods. That’s why they go to Kirkwood when the snow starts falling. This resort is one of the most remote in Lake Tahoe and has an icy winter road that takes some effort to navigate, but the powder payout is well worth the drive. Kirkwood is renowned for having the deepest snow in Lake Tahoe, and some of the steepest, most challenging terrain in North America.
Both magical and radical, Kirkwood is the stuff of legend. Daredevil skiers can drop cliffs in the Palisades, launch off cornices on the sunny backside, or risk it all on The Wall, a run that’s aptly marked with a skull and crossbones sign. Additionally, there are plenty of other Lake Tahoe winter activities at Kirkwood; there’s a small village for dining and shopping, a tubing hill, and you can even rent a slopeside condo or vacation rental and wake to avalanche bombs in the morning.
A pair of skis are the ultimate transportation to freedom.
Warren Miller
Searching for an unusual winter adventure? Lake Tahoe has got you covered. There are tons of things to do in Lake Tahoe in winter, but these unconventional activities often get overlooked. So skip the crowds and go right for the fun. Here’s a list of unique Lake Tahoe winter activities that will get you off-piste and into a local state-of-mind.
Apres Ski at South Lake Tahoe Breweries
South Lake Tahoe winter activities are fun, but after charging all day, you need a frosty beverage. Why not unwind with an apres-ski beer at one of our local breweries? Swap ski tales and salutations. Check out all South Lake Tahoe breweries and recharge for another day of winter recreation.
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