Family Activities

Winter

Skiing and snowboarding are very popular family activities during winter at Lake Tahoe. Heavenly Mountain Resort has four portals of entry, two each in California and Nevada. Heavenly also offers sight seeing from its gondola and mid-station along with tubing near the Tamarack Lodge. Heavenly always earns top scores for its heavenly views, especially its unobstructed views of Lake Tahoe which make for perfect family photo ops. Sierra at Tahoe is well known for its family friendly and fun vibe. There’s terrain for all ability levels of note for families are some lengthy green runs. Tubing is available, too. It’s about a 30 minute drive  from the heart of the South Shore. For those families that are skilled skiers / boarders and or in search of challenging terrain Kirkwood Mountain Resort has the steep and chutes to satisfy the most adventurous.  

Sledding is a staple of American winters for many families, but the search to find a hill with snow on it and hauling all the sledding gear around can have stressful elements of a winter expedition. For those looking for fun, safe, responsible sledding minus the fuss, muss and bother, Lake Tahoe has you covered. Adventure Mountain located at Echo Summit is a unique sledding hill that was once a ski resort. The area is groomed for a smooth surface and you can rent or buy sleds or bring your own. Hansen’s Snow Tube Hill is conveniently located on Ski Run Blvd. Take your choice of a tube or a saucer. Blizzard Mountain at Sierra at Tahoe offers the option of combining skiing/boarding with tubing or simply sliding away on the tube hill. Heavenly Mountain Resort is another multi-dimensional fun activity opportunity site.

Spring, Summer and Fall

Hiking, biking, beach / water activities, golf and sightseeing are on the main menu for families. The Kiva Beach, USFS Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Cathedral Meadow are in close proximity to one another and there are lots of flat, family friendly trails with abundant flora and fauna to see.

Getting out on Lake Tahoe is easy and just depends on how you want to do it. The historic stern-wheeler M.S. Dixie II and classic yacht Serenity ply Lake Tahoe to tours of Emerald Bay.

Not a ski/boarder or looking for additional options? No problem! Tahoe Snowmobiles has two locations, Stateline, Nevada and Meyers, California. The Stateline location offers terrific one stop shopping  with family friendly snowmobiling on a circular track, tubing and sleigh rides through Borges Sleigh Rides. Families that need more zing in their snowmobiling can find it at Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center . There are tours on the Tahoe Rim Trail with expansive views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra or you can customize your own experience. Zephyr Cove also offers rental clothing for those without the appropriate warm clothing. Lake Tahoe Adventures offers snowmobiling in Hope Valley and can build a tour to suit your family. They transport their guests to the starting point from their Meyers office location. 

The Heavenly Gondola and mid-station offer the most unobstructed views of Lake Tahoe and you can ski, board and tube to your heart’s content. The most convenient “one stop shopping” for family fun activities can be found at Tahoe Snowmobiles on Hwy 50 and Lake Parkway across the street from Bally’s Lake Tahoe. There’s a tube hill, and snowmobiling on a circular track. For those families that want to carve figures on ice Heavenly Village Ice Rink , South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena and Edgewood Tahoe Resort have you covered! Edgewood’s ice rink is located in front of The Lodge at Edgewood and views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra are the backdrop.

The Pope – Baldwin Bike Path is flat and winds through towering pines 3.6 miles one way. It also offers cyclists the opportunity to cruise into Pope Beach, Kiva Beach and Baldwin Beach free as well. No bikes, no problem! Anderson’s Bike Rental has been located at the start of the bike path for over 40 years. They rent every kind of bike and bike attachment you might need. Nevada Beach, Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach are three of the largest public beaches at Lake Tahoe and offer family amenities with a small carload entry fee. You’ll find improved toilets, picnic tables, some food concessionaires, SUP and kayak rentals. 

You have some boating skills and want to sail  your family to adventure.  Power Boats and wave runners can be rented at Lakeside Marina, Ski Run Marina, Tahoe Keys Marina and Timber Cove Marina. Adventurous families that want to dangle from a parachute over Lake Tahoe will find the means at the marinas, too.