Lake Tahoe
The North - California
Our visits: So far 2 visits in September 1999 and September 2019
Lake Tahoe
Description: Lake Tahoe is the largest freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada. The area is fully developed for tourism, you can ski as well as swim. The western shore is built up except for a few places, so unfortunately you rarely have a really nice view of the lake.
Our rating: Basically, we liked Lake Tahoe quite a bit, but in our opinion it is more for water sports enthusiasts or certainly nicer if you have a house on the lake. Because you almost never have a beautiful view of the lake, the experience is rather limited during a road trip.
We will give Lake Tahoe another shot sometime, not to spend time at the lake, but to hike in the mountains around it.
Sugar Pine Point State Park
Description: The area of the state park was used by the Washoe people. They lived on the lake shore during the summer months. The first settler was the trapper William General Phipps. The house he built in 1860 still stands on the site.
In 1903, an entrepreneur (Isaias W. Hellman) from San Francisco bought land here and built Pine Lodge, now known as the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion. The family spent numerous summers here. When the state park was established in 1965, Hellman sold the property to the State of California.
The Hellman-Ehrman Mansion can be visited. Tours are offered daily. They last about 60 minutes and cost $10/person. Information about the tours can be found on the official webpage.
Fun Fact: 1. The 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions were held here on the site of what is now the state park.
2. Here are the tracks leading into the lake, a well-known and popular photo spot among photographers.
Entrance fee: $10/car - this allows you to visit all other state parks in California on the same day.
Our rating: We liked the stop here in the state park very much. Maybe it was also because it was the first possibility to really get to the lake coming from the north. We hiked the Nature Trail along the lake and the historic houses and enjoyed the beautiful views. We can definitely recommend the state park for a stop.
Emerald Bay State Park
Description: Emerald Bay is a bay in the southwest of Lake Tahoe. The bay is home to Fannetta Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe. The island is the most photographed subject in the area. In 1969, the area was declared a National Natural Landmark.
Above the bay there is a parking lot from which you can get to the viewpoint overlooking the bay. From here you can also hike down to the lake. All info about the park can be found on the official webpage.
Entrance fee: $10/car - this allows you to visit all other state parks in California on the same day.
Our rating: The viewpoint is nice and offers some nice photo opportunities. However, the experience is very much diminished by the many people swarming around everywhere. This does not have much to do with nature experience. In addition, there is also the desolate parking situation. The available spaces are not enough and so the cars are forced to park along the road.
...and we were there on a weekday in September. You don't even want to imagine what this looks like on weekends in the summer.
