The 12 Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe + 2 Things I’d Skip in 2026 (Summer)

Out of the 4-week road trip I did through California recently, I have to say that when it comes to activities and things to do, Lake Tahoe was by far my favorite stop.

I’d say I’m pretty big into all sorts of outdoor activities. I love biking, hiking, backpacking, spending the day on the lake, hanging out at the beach and pretty much anything else that gets me outside. And Lake Tahoe is kind of like an outdoorsy person’s heaven.

During the week I spent here, I did so many different activities that I already can’t wait to come back next summer and do even more.

What I really liked about Lake Tahoe is that you can make your trip whatever you want it to be. You can spend the entire day hiking through the mountains, jump in the lake afterward, rent a paddleboard, relax on the beach, go mountain biking or even just drive around and enjoy the scenery. And if you want something a little more adventurous, there are plenty of those options too.

So, to give you guys a better idea of what to expect and what you can actually do here, I put together this guide on the best things to do in Lake Tahoe.

I’ve included a little bit of everything, from super chill activities that pretty much anyone can do to more adventurous things for those of you who want to get out there and do something a little more exciting.

And I’m also throwing in two things that I personally wouldn’t bother with, just because I’d rather you spend your limited time in Tahoe doing the things that are actually worth it.

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The 12 Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe + 2 Things I’d Skip in 2026 (Summer)

The Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe – My Quick Answer

I of course have my very personal opinion on what I think are the best things to do in and around Lake Tahoe, and with so many different things to do here in the summer as well as in the winter, I wanted to give you my quick answer on the best activities in Lake Tahoe that I actually did myself.

For a start, I’m a huge fan of keeping things cheap, or at least budget-friendly, when I’m traveling, so I loved basically all the free activities in Lake Tahoe. And there are actually so many of them.

So I’m going to start with hiking. I loved pretty much all the hikes I did around Lake Tahoe, and they were definitely some of my favorite things to do here.

A few of my favorites were Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake, Monkey Rock, and the Shirley Canyon hike. All of them are pretty beginner-friendly, I’d say, so I definitely recommend checking them out if you’re looking for some outdoor activities that don’t require you to be a hardcore hiker.

And then, of course, I also loved all the beaches. Most of them are either free or very affordable to visit, and there are some absolutely incredible ones around the lake. Secret Cove Nude Beach, Nevada Beach and Sand Harbor State Park were some of my favorites, especially on the east shore of Lake Tahoe where I feel like we found some of the most beautiful beaches.

In terms of actual activities, I absolutely loved paddleboarding on the lake and would 100% recommend doing it if you get the chance.

One thing I didn’t do, though, which I really wish I had, is the self-guided rafting trip on the Truckee River. I saw people doing it while we were there and it looked like so much fun, so that is definitely on my list for my next visit to Lake Tahoe.

Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Lake Tahoe

Where to Stay in Lake Tahoe (I Choose South Lake Tahoe)

There are many different towns and areas all around Lake Tahoe, with Incline Village, Stateline, Truckee and so on, but my favorite place where I have been staying is always South Lake Tahoe.

From my own experience, I can say it has great hotels, good restaurants and bars, supermarkets and, most importantly, it’s in a great location to get pretty much everywhere I needed to be.

I highly recommend the Station House Inn in South Lake Tahoe. It’s a super cute and affordable little boutique hotel, and we had a really good experience staying there.

Best Time to Visit Lake Tahoe

I do love all sorts of lake activities and being on the beach, so I gotta say summer.

I was at Lake Tahoe just this past June and had an amazing time. Yes, I definitely had to start many of my hikes early in the morning because it got super hot, which was for sure a downside. So if you’re more team hiking and outdoor activities rather than sunbathing and swimming, then maybe spring or fall might suit you better.

The Parking Situation Can Be Terrible (Hikes & Beaches)

This was probably my personal nightmare when I was in Lake Tahoe and, out of all the things, probably the biggest negative for me was the sheer amount of people, vehicles and the lack of parking spaces.

From trailheads to beaches like Sand Harbor State Park, there were lines and lines of cars trying to get in and often just no parking available, full stop.

I know that since I’m a visitor I’m technically part of the problem too. So the only advice I can really give you is that for hikes, I always tried to get to the trailhead before 8am to get a spot.

For beaches, I actually started going much later in the afternoon, usually around 4-5pm. In the summer the sun doesn’t set until around 8:30pm, so you still have plenty of time to enjoy the beach and it’s definitely still warm enough to go swimming. This actually worked really well for us.

Lake Tahoe Is Cheaper Than You Might Think

I was actually surprised by how cheap my Lake Tahoe trip was in general.

Of course, I’m not an idiot, I know you can spend a fortune here if you want to. But I’m just saying I didn’t, and you don’t have to either.

We stayed at really affordable hotels and motels, including the Station House Inn in South Lake Tahoe, and I did a lot of hiking and beach days, which are basically free.

We also made our own sandwiches for hiking days and brought our own drinks and snacks to the beach, so overall, our trip was just not nearly as expensive as I expected it to be.

Pack Accordingly (Especially for Outdoor Activities)

Don’t make the same mistakes I made and pack accordingly. Especially if you’re planning on doing a lot of hiking, do yourself a favor and bring proper shoes, a proper hat, a comfortable backpack, sunscreen, enough water and whatever other outdoor gear you might need. Make Sure to check out my Lake Tahoe Packing List!

Lake Tahoe Is Much Bigger Than You Think

Lake Tahoe is way bigger than you think. I think it takes around two hours to drive all the way around the lake without major stops, and in the summer with all the traffic, it can definitely take longer.

So I suggest you pick your location wisely and don’t overplan your stay. You really don’t want to spend hours and hours sitting in the car, stuck in traffic and driving around the lake when you could be out hiking, swimming or enjoying the beaches instead.

My 12 Top Activities in Lake Tahoe

1. Explore Desolation Wilderness (Eagle Falls)

One of the coolest areas I visited in Lake Tahoe was for sure Desolation Wilderness, which is a protected wilderness area on the south shore of Lake Tahoe and one of the best places for hiking.

I actually came here on my very first day visiting Lake Tahoe and loved it. We had originally only planned on doing the hike to Eagle Falls, which is a small waterfall with some amazing views over Emerald Bay.

However, we realized pretty quickly that the hike to Eagle Falls itself is like 20 minutes tops, so we decided to keep going all the way to Eagle Lake. And I’m honestly so happy we did because Eagle Lake was absolutely beautiful.

The whole hike was pretty beginner-friendly and really chill, so I’d definitely recommend it even if you’re not a hardcore hiker. I’d bring a snack, enough water, especially if you’re coming in the summer, maybe a small towel and even your swim shorts if you want to go for a dip at Eagle Lake.

And one more thing: try to get here as early as humanly possible. The parking situation around Eagle Falls and Emerald Bay is absolutely insane, so getting here early will make your life a lot easier.

2. Go Stand-Up Paddleboarding on Lake Tahoe

I was straight up obsessed with the sheer beauty of Lake Tahoe and especially the water here. Like, I don’t think you understand just how ridiculously clear it is!!

So obviously, I really enjoyed getting out on the lake, and I decided to go for a stand-up paddleboard instead of a kayak. Don’t get me wrong, the kayaks, especially the clear glass ones, look really cool, but personally I just prefer being on an SUP.

We rented ours for the whole day and it was so much fun. I can highly recommend doing this, especially if you want to escape the busy beaches for a little while and explore some of the smaller coves, little beaches and rock formations around the lake.

We rented our paddleboard from SUP Tahoe, which was an awesome experience, and it cost us around $60–70 for the full-day rental.

3. Beach Day at Nevada Beach

As I’ve already mentioned countless times above, I do love a good beach day, and with such great weather, crystal clear water and so many awesome beaches around Lake Tahoe, I definitely made the most of it.

I explored quite a few beaches while I was here, and so many of them were spectacular. Like, genuinely so beautiful. But I think my favorite, mainly for convenience reasons, was Nevada Beach.

Nevada Beach is huge, with plenty of sand, facilities and parking really close to the actual beach. And since we brought snacks, a cooler, a paddleboard and all that good stuff with us, this was just the easiest and most convenient option.

Yes, there are other beaches like Secret Cove and Chimney Beach that are absolutely beautiful, but many of them involve some type of path, trail or hike to actually get down to the beach. So especially for all you families with kids, I’d recommend Nevada Beach.

4. Rent an E-Bike (Bike Tahoe East Shore Trail)

The Tahoe East Shore Trail might be one of my favorite biking trails around all of Lake Tahoe. It’s paved and runs right along the shore, so you get some absolutely really cool views over the water pretty much the entire way.

There are also plenty of cool places to stop along the way and go swimming, including Hidden Beach Plaza and Sand Harbor Beach, so you could easily make a whole day out of it.

We personally only walked this trail, which was also awesome, but if you want to turn it into more of an actual activity, I would recommend renting some bikes. I kinda wish we would’ve done that ourselves because it looked like so much fun.

For bike rentals I’d recommend Flume Trail Bikes, which is located right by the trail, so you can basically rent your bike and get going straight away.

And right next to it is Tunnel Creek Cafe, where we ended up stopping for a post-trail beer. They have a really cool outdoor patio, so if you’re biking or hiking the East Shore Trail, definitely check that out too.

5. Hike Up Monkey Rock

Another awesome hike we did was the hike up to Monkey Rock, which is actually in the same area as the Tahoe East Shore Trail, so it’s really easy to combine the two.

The trail to Monkey Rock starts right behind Tunnel Creek Cafe, and I think it took us only about 40 minutes to get to the top. Again, this is a super beginner-friendly hike with some incredible views over Lake Tahoe, so I highly recommend coming here.

And yes, the name Monkey Rock does come from, as you’ve probably guessed, the rock at the top that apparently looks like a monkey.

I will say, though, we actually struggled to find the damn thing at first. We were walking around the big boulders for like 15 minutes trying to figure out where Monkey Rock was, so when you get to the top, keep an eye out for it on the right-hand side.

6. Rent a Boat or Yacht on Lake Tahoe

This specific activity I actually have not done myself, but it’s definitely something I want to do the next time I’m back in Lake Tahoe, and that is some type of boat day.

There are a lot of cool options here, from smaller yachts to pontoon boats, and you can either book a tour with a captain or even rent your own pontoon boat and cruise around the lake yourself.

When we visited, it was just the two of us, so we didn’t really think it was worth renting one for the day. But if we ever come back with our families or a bigger group of friends, I would 100% rent a pontoon boat.

I feel like this would be such a fun way to spend an entire day on Lake Tahoe, especially if you bring some food and drinks with you and just cruise around, stop at different swimming spots and explore some of the coves you can’t easily get to from land.

Check out Prices: Private Boat Rental Lake Tahoe

7. Enjoy Live Music in South Lake Tahoe

Especially in South Lake Tahoe, there’s such a cool live music and outdoor patio scene, which is probably one of the reasons I liked it so much.

We went to quite a few cool places that were perfect for ending the day after a long hike or spending hours out on the lake. My two favorite places were probably Elements Eatery and then also The Hangar.

Both are really casual restaurants/bars where you can grab a beer, eat a good burger, burrito or pizza and listen to some live music. And to be honest, that’s pretty much all I want after spending all day outdoors!

I loved the vibe at both places a lot. You’re sitting outside, surrounded by huge pine trees, usually with some music playing in the background and a cold beer in front of you. It just felt very Lake Tahoe to me.

8. Go Truckee River Rafting

Another activity that is still on my bucket list, and I am super bummed that I didn’t do it, is rafting on the Truckee River.

The rafting here is self-guided, so if I had to describe it, it’s kind of a mix between floating and actual rafting. It’s not quite as hectic as going on a guided whitewater rafting trip, but it’s definitely a little more adventurous than simply floating or tubing down a river.

There are a couple of companies where you can rent everything you need, including Truckee River Rafting, and apparently you can even bring your own cooler and drinks with you.

Of course, you can also bring your own paddleboard or float if you have one and just make your own little adventure out of it.

9. Hike to Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay

Another very popular hike people do around Lake Tahoe is the hike down to Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay.

In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, Vikingsholm is an old Scandinavian mansion that was built here, and you can get down to it with a relatively short hike from the main road.

It’s located right next to Emerald Bay and Eagle Falls, which is why I always recommend doing all of these things in one go if you can. Lake Tahoe is way bigger than you might think, and there’s no reason to drive all the way back here from South Lake Tahoe another day if you can knock everything out at once.

10. Spend the Day at Sand Harbor State Park

One of the most beautiful parts of the shoreline around Lake Tahoe, in my opinion, is Sand Harbor State Park.

It’s located near Incline Village on the northeast side of the lake, and I have to say, this is probably one of the most beautiful parts of Lake Tahoe. You’ve got the huge pine trees, white sand beaches, crystal clear water and massive boulders all along the shoreline.

I absolutely loved this side of Lake Tahoe because it feels a little different from South Lake Tahoe. You can walk around, find little coves, go swimming, sunbathe or just sit around and enjoy the scenery.

The only downside here is that it gets insanely busy. And I mean insanely busy!

The whole road can sometimes get backed up because people are lining up to get into the park, which creates absolute chaos for everybody else trying to drive around the lake.

So if you want to visit Sand Harbor in the summer, definitely plan ahead. You can even make a reservation for early access through the park’s website, which I would seriously consider doing rather than just showing up in the middle of the day and hoping for the best.

11. Ride the Tram at Palisades

I know I’ve been mentioning a lot of hikes here around Lake Tahoe, but that’s because hiking is just one of my favorite things to do. I love being out in nature, so whenever I’m somewhere like Lake Tahoe, I try to get outside and explore as much as I possibly can.

This is for sure one of the coolest hikes I did here because you’re hiking all the way up to High Camp at Palisades Tahoe, basically to the top of the tram where people are skiing in the winter.

The really cool part is that because we hiked up, we got to take the tram back down for free, which was awesome.

You can of course also just take the gondola up and back down if you don’t want to hike. There’s a restaurant at the top, so you could grab some food and a beer up there and enjoy the amazing views without having to hike up first.

12. Do the Via Ferrata at Palisades Tahoe

And very lastly, another activity that I have not done myself yet but is absolutely still on my bucket list is the Via Ferrata at Palisades Tahoe.

In case you don’t know what a Via Ferrata is, it’s Italian for “iron path.” They’re much more common in the European Alps than in North America, and they’re basically a mix between hiking and rock climbing.

You’re climbing along a mountain route with fixed steel cables, ladders and other features, while wearing a harness and clipping yourself into the cables as you go. So it’s definitely a little more adventurous and probably a little more nerve-wracking than your regular hike.

I’ve actually done Via Ferratas in Europe before, and I really enjoy them, so when I found out there was one here at Palisades, I immediately put it on my list for next time.

Activities in Lake Tahoe I Personally Would Skip

I do want to make one thing clear before I start complaining here: these are just things that I personally wouldn’t prioritize. You might really like them, and that’s totally fine.

But if I only had a few days in Lake Tahoe and wanted to make the most of my time, these are a few things I would probably skip.

Take a Lake Cruise

Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. The water is crystal clear, you’ve got these beautiful mountains surrounding you, and in some parts you can even see snow-capped peaks in the distance. So I totally get why lake cruises are popular.

There are some pretty big boats cruising around Lake Tahoe, and if you maybe want something convenient, don’t want to do anything too physical or just want to sit back and enjoy the views, then I can absolutely see the appeal.

But personally, if I get the chance to paddleboard on Lake Tahoe, take a kayak or rent a private boat, I would choose one of those options every single time.

Visit the Casinos on the Nevada Side

I know loads of you probably love going to casinos, and that’s totally fine, but they are just not for me, okay!

And because the nature around Lake Tahoe is so damn incredible, I personally have no desire to spend my time inside a casino when I could be hiking, swimming, paddleboarding or sitting by the lake with a beer.

I also have to be honest and say I’m not the biggest fan of how the casinos look either. On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, there are these huge casino buildings, and in my opinion, they kind of kill the mountain and lake vibe a little bit.

For me personally, South Lake Tahoe on the California side is much cuter and feels more like the little lake town I actually want to stay in.

Visit the Beaches at the Wrong Time

And lastly, this is something I would definitely not do again: visiting the beaches or hiking trails at the wrong time.

Especially the beaches here can get ridiculously crowded, particularly on weekends and holiday weekends. And if you’re visiting around something like the Fourth of July, then good luck!

Parking becomes an absolute nightmare, people are everywhere, and some of the beaches just get so busy that, at least for me, it takes away from the whole experience. Unfortunately, you also get the occasional people leaving their trash behind, which is just frustrating when you’re somewhere as beautiful as Lake Tahoe.

My advice would be to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon instead. We actually found that going to the beach around 4–5 PM worked really well because there was still plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine and go swimming, but it was starting to get a little less busy.

FAQs About What to Do at Lake Tahoe

Is Lake Tahoe worth visiting?

Absolutely. Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite outdoor destinations in the USA that I’ve visited so far, and if you’re into lake days, hiking and all sorts of outdoor activities, I honestly think it’s pretty much perfect for you.

How many days do I need at Lake Tahoe?

It definitely depends on what you want to do, but I usually say 3–4 full days is the minimum I would personally recommend. And by full days, I mean not including your arrival and departure days. That gives you enough time to actually enjoy the lake, get out on a few hikes and do some activities without feeling like you’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next.

Is Lake Tahoe expensive?

It definitely can be, but it doesn’t have to be. I always assumed visiting Lake Tahoe would be super expensive, but we actually didn’t spend nearly as much as I thought we would. Especially accommodation can be surprisingly affordable if you look around and visit at the right time.

What are the best free things to do in Lake Tahoe?

My favorite free things to do in Lake Tahoe are definitely all the outdoor activities. Most hikes and beaches are free, and if you already have your own paddleboard or kayak, you can get out on the lake without having to spend any money on an activity either.

What are the best things to do at Lake Tahoe for kids?

I’m sure most kids will love pretty much anything that has to do with the lake. Spending the day at the beach, swimming, paddleboarding or even renting a boat if you’re traveling with a bigger group would all be super fun.

And because there are so many easier hikes and outdoor activities around Lake Tahoe, you don’t necessarily have to be some hardcore outdoorsy family either.

Final Thoughts on the Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe

I really have to say that Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite destinations in California when it comes to outdoor activities.

Yes, places like Yosemite are beautiful too, but I feel like Lake Tahoe just has a really cool mix of things to do. You have the incredible nature, beaches, crystal clear water, loads of beginner-friendly trails and hikes, biking and all sorts of water activities, but then you also have proper towns with restaurants, bars, breweries, live music and everything else you need.

I already know I’m coming back next summer, and I’d also for sure come here for a family vacation because most of the activities here are really family friendly.

I’m sure there are way more things to do in Lake Tahoe than what I’ve mentioned in this guide, but these are the activities I personally did, the ones I loved, and a few that are still sitting on my bucket list for next time.

And honestly, that’s probably the best part so I already have an excuse to come back.

I hope this guide on the best things to do in Lake Tahoe gave you a good idea of what you can actually get up to here and helped you figure out which activities might be right for your trip.