Whether for a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation, Tahoe is a favorite with many Californians as well as visitors from around the world. Depending on the season, Tahoe offers everything from a day of skiing to a sunny hike in the woods to a night of live entertainment at the casino.
Lake Tahoe straddles the California-Nevada border. From Tahoe it is 200 miles west to San Francisco and 30 miles north to Reno. People often refer to the north or south shore of Tahoe. Things of interest on the North Shore, primarily the ski resorts, are mostly in California, while most of the activity, including hotels and casinos, on the South Shore is in Nevada.
Driving to Lake Tahoe by car
The easiest access to the North Shore is via I-80 from Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, or Reno. In Truckee, take CA 89 south to Tahoe City or Squaw Valley, or take US 50 to South Lake Tahoe from Sacramento or the Bay Area. To get to the south shore from Reno, take US395 south through Carson City, then follow US 50 west to the lake.
In the winter, heavy snowfall can make tire chains a requirement for driving to or around Lake Tahoe. Current driving conditions can be found at the bottom of this page, or check with CalTrans (www.dot.ca.gov). Also review the following winter driving checklist because an ounce of prevention can prevent many problems.
winter driving checklist
– Check that your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster and heater are working properly.
– Make sure your antifreeze is fresh and the radiator is full. It’s a good idea to add special solvents to the windshield washer tank to prevent it from freezing.
– Check your tires and bring the right chains for your vehicle. A flashlight and chain repair kit can be vital. Have an accurate road map, cell phone and emergency numbers and keep an extra key in your wallet or with someone else in the vehicle.
– Also bring an ice scraper or defroster, a broom, a shovel and towels. In case you really get stuck, bring food, water, warm clothes and blankets.
– Allow extra time for the trip as winter conditions will discourage you.
– Keep your tank full of gas.
– Most importantly, slow down. Ice and fog can spin out of control in seconds. Keep a much greater distance between yourself and other cars and be more alert for sudden changes in conditions. The maximum speed limit with chains is 25 to 30 mph.
– You must stop and put on the chains if directed to do so by an officer or if signs are posted.
There are several all-weather roads around Lake Tahoe, except during the most severe weather. These include US 50 east over Echo Summit, CA 88 North from Stockton, CA 207 over Kingsbury Grade, US 395 to US 50 West in Carson City, and finally Highway 431 over Mount Rose leading from Reno.
How to Get to Tahoe by Bus
Since getting to Tahoe is always a chore during the winter ski months, why not take a bus? A bus allows you to relax and know that an experienced driver will take care of any problems.
The Bay Area Ski Bus will pick you up in Belmont, Corte Madera, Novato, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Walnut Creek at approximately 4am and return that same evening. They go to Northstar, Tahoe, Kirkwood, Alpine and Squaw Valley, but the destinations vary each week. Check the website for details.
NAC Ski will pick you up in Berkeley, Concord, Dublin, Milpitas, Pleasanton, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo and sometimes Sacramento and will go to different destinations each week.
Fly to Lake Tahoe
You can get to Lake Tahoe by plane. The closest commercial airports are Sacramento and Reno. Big Foot Air offers charter flights to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco and Gary Air (www.infomart.com/GaryAir) offers air taxi service from several California airports.
Private pilots can fly into the Truckee-Tahoe airport or the South Lake Tahoe airport. You can get transportation from several of the ski resorts to and from the Reno airport. Check with Squaw Creek and Northstar.
Take the train to Lake Tahoe
The Amtrack California Zephyr passes through Truckee from the Bay Area.