Split between the California and Nevada border is the cute area of Lake Tahoe. We spent most of our time on the north end and greatly enjoyed our time here.

How long to stay?

We spent a total of six nights here on our trip to Lake Tahoe. I’d say that is a bit long for the average family, but it was by design. We wanted to take things slowly with one-year-old Char, especially with this trip being our first major trip as everyone was emerging from the pandemic in 2021. We stuck to one major attraction per day, but could have compressed it a bit more.

I think spending a long weekend here is a good amount of time. That might vary depending on how much you want to hit the slopes (or gamble in casinos). But I think generally speaking, you’ll do fine here with about three nights.

What we did

Diamond Peak Ski Resort

There are plenty of ski resorts in the area (Heavenly, Northstar, Mt. Rose, Palisades, and more). We ended up going to Diamond Peak, in large part because the hotel we stayed at had a complimentary shuttle. Since we drove our own car here, we would have been fine either way, but it was nice just being a short drive away.

Diamond Peak felt like a good place to come if you’re a bit newer to skiing. There is a fairly flat area at the base of the mountain that is used by the ski school. This was four year old Alex’s first time skiing, and he enjoyed the lesson here. Comparing to the experience we had at Beaver Creek, I’d say the services and ski school here wasn’t as polished. But the good news is this one is on the cheaper side.

If you’re more of a seasoned skier, I’d recommend you go elsewhere. But if you’re just starting out or want the free shuttle from the Hyatt Regency, this isn’t a bad place to go.

Heavenly Village Ice Skating

While we didn’t get a chance to ski at Heavenly, we did make it down to the village in South Lake Tahoe. We had fun checking out the ice skating rink here–a temporary fixture during the winter season. It’s not the most beautiful design (giant tarps covered it for, I believe, weather purposes). But it wasn’t crowded during daylight hours and there were friendly employees who gladly spent a little time teaching Alex what to do. That wasn’t an included benefit of skating here, but the employees just went above and beyond.

If you’re in South Lake Tahoe, I’d recommend stopping by.

Hanging out by the lake

What trip to Lake Tahoe is complete without spending some time around the lake? On the north end, you’ll find some spots with a sandy beach. Don’t feel weird if you bring beach toys so far away from the ocean. Depending on the winds, sometimes you’ll find the lake with some choppy water.

And sometimes when there is no wind, the water is perfectly still. Personally I loved it when the water looked like a giant mirror.

There are also some nice hiking spots along the northeast corner of the lake. The scenery here is just so picturesque that you’ll want to take shots of all angles around the water.

Sledding at Spooner Summit

Here during the winter season and want some free snow play? Look no further than the snow play area on the side of the road. If you’re looking for it on the map, it’s called Spooner Summit. While it is just on the side of the road, there is a railing that protects everyone from the cars driving by. There did seem to be plenty of parking for everyone here.

Just watch out that since it’s on the side of the road, you’re on your own if you get injured. The day we were here, the ice was pretty hard and sometimes the sled got away from us. Alex ended up going on a magical journey that ended with a hard-ish fall. He still had fun here, but just be careful.

Preston Field and Playground

There are quite a few playgrounds in North Lake Tahoe. While we went to several of them, I do want to call out that Preston Field had the most impressive-looking play structure. It also was lightly attended compared to the other parks. Perhaps some might not want to come here when there is snow on the ground, but it didn’t bother us at all.

Reno

Lake Tahoe is pretty close to Reno, Nevada. Reno is going to be the closest major airport to the city. You can think of it somewhat as a smaller version of Las Vegas without a lot of what makes Las Vegas special. That might not excite you, but it does offer a bit more entertainment than you might find in Lake Tahoe. If you’re looking for a night out without the kids, you might be tempted to drive over to the city.

It might also be worth saying this here. If you’re flying in to visit Lake Tahoe and prices flying into Reno are too expensive, check out flights to Sacramento. I feel like flights are a little cheaper going to Sacramento, at least depending on where you’re coming in from. It’s a slightly longer drive to Lake Tahoe from Sacramento, but that might not be a bad idea if you can save some money on the flight.

Where we ate

Mofo’s Pizza and Pasta

Yeah, go ahead and joke about the name of the restaurant, but we enjoyed Mofo’s Pizza and Pasta. So much so that we came here multiple times to order pizzas. Given indoor dining was still a work in progress in 2021, we ended up eating at Preston Field. We found the toppings deliciously seasoned and the price was reasonable. It’s worth a visit if you’re over in Incline Village.

Susie Scoops

Also in Incline Village is Susie Scoops. It’s never too cold for ice cream! Silly me for not having a proper picture of the restaurant, but I at least have an image of Char enjoying the ice cream. There are a lot of ice cream flavors here and while there is a lot of pastel coloring, the ice cream wasn’t overly sweet. If you’re looking for a good local spot for ice cream, this one fits the bill.

Lanza’s Restaurant

I unfortunately don’t have a picture of the restaurant or the food (shame on me), but Lanza’s Restaurant over in Kings Beach is another good one. If you’re into Italian, you’ll do well to come check this place out. It was more of a drive from our hotel, requiring us to cross the state border, but I enjoyed seeing all the small cities along the way. This place gets packed for dinner and reservations aren’t accepted. So you’ll either have to prepare yourself to wait or get your food to go.

Where we stayed

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe

The Hyatt Regency is a nice hotel over in Incline Village on the north end of the lake. The hotel is due for a refresh–and it is going through a renovation in 2025 to modernize it–but it still felt clean prior to the renovation. The hotel has a casino attached to it if that motivates you. It also has pools (including an entry from indoors). We did swim here (despite cold weather outside) since the kids love practically any pool.

We seemed to bring the snow, as a couple of nights into our stay a storm came through and covered the land with beautiful fluffy whiteness. All that snow meant we just wanted to hang out around the property and enjoy playing in it. If you’re lucky enough to be here when it snows, the property looks even more beautiful than it normally does.

Check out our review of Beaver Creek for another ski destination.

What do you like to do in Lake Tahoe?