Lake Tahoe Spring Vacation Guide
Winter and summer get all of the limelight in Lake Tahoe, but the best kept secret is visiting in the fall and springtime. Spring in Tahoe usually means snow in the mountains and warmer temperatures by the water. Days are longer, weekend crowds are slightly smaller, and accommodation prices are lower. In this post, you’ll get tips on where to stay and what to do when visiting Lake Tahoe in the Spring.
Where To Stay In Lake Tahoe
Nine out of ten times when visiting Lake Tahoe, we stay at an Airbnb. We either get a one bedroom place for just ourselves or split a larger condo or house with a group of friends. Most often, our criteria includes a kitchen, wifi, and free parking. Beyond that, and depending on the mood, we look for places that include a hot tub, a grill, and maybe even a lake view.
If you’re new to visiting Lake Tahoe, you’ll hear most people refer to the different regions of the lake solely on the location. North Lake and South Lake are the two most referenced sides of the lake. Common town names in North Lake Tahoe include Truckee (about 20 min from the lake), Tahoe City, and Kings Beach. Most of the time, South Lake Tahoe is referred to as just that or I’ve often seen Stateline also mentioned.
Things To Do In Lake Tahoe In The Spring
Lake Tahoe Spring Skiing
Palisades Tahoe (Formerly Squaw Valley) is the self-proclaimed spring skiing capital. Between the warmer temperatures and countless feet of base snow, spring skiing at most if not all the resorts around Lake Tahoe is great. I overheard a woman on a gondola ride to the top share how spring skiing isn’t really possible where she’s from in Vermont because it gets to be too icy. So with sunny ‘bluebird’ days and temperatures in the 40s and 50s, it’s not uncommon to see a person here or there wearing shorts or a tank top skiing down the mountain.
The warmer temperatures do tend to make the snow a little mushy or what we like to call mashed potatoes. Some people say slushy, others say peanut butter. For someone like me who skis fairly slow, the more dense texture doesn’t really have much of an impact, so I enjoy it either way. To have the best chance at a good ski day, it’s best to start earlier and plan to wrap up around 2 or 2:30 before the melt really sets in. And when I say spring skiing, we’ve gone well into April, and sometimes even May depending on how much snow is left. I can’t speak for all resorts, but I’ve had a wonderful time skiing in the spring at both Palisades Tahoe (Squaw Valley) and Heavenly Resort.
Lake Tahoe Spring Hikes
You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy a hike in Tahoe. There are paved paths around the lake and along the Truckee River with barely any elevation. And if you are in search of more of a challenge, there’s that too. Overall, spring hiking in Tahoe can be hit or miss solely based on whether the snow has melted on the trail or not. If not, it quickly becomes a snowshoeing or cross-country skiing trail instead of a hiking trail. I’ve never done either of those two, so my spring hiking in Tahoe usually involves trying out a trail and seeing how far we get.
Surprisingly, there will be trails on one side of a hill or mountain completely covered and almost impassable because it’s too deep or too slippery while on the other side it’s completely melted and ready for a normal hike. On this most recent trip, we thought we could try out a flat loop trail we liked that went through some meadows. I read recent reviews on it on All Trails and thought we were good to go. The silly part about it was I forgot how high it was in elevation and high elevation usually equals more snow. When we arrived, even the entrance to the parking lot was snowed in.
Some of my favorite spring hiking trails . . .
Fallen Leaf Lake
My absolute favorite place to see and hike in all of Tahoe. It’s just out of the way enough that it feels like an inside secret. We usually find parking just past the campground turnoff and find a trail that takes us toward the little lake. You can opt to walk the perimeter trails of the lake, and there are also trails that circle the ridgeline with lake views and trails that run at the base of the hill along the perimeter. Words cannot describe the views of this lake. It’s almost a miniature version of Lake Tahoe itself condensing all of the beauty into a smaller landscape, intensifying the view. It’s a view of steep snow-capped mountains reflecting in a calm lake below with water so clear you can see the thousands of rocks that line the floor. The scent of pine mixes with water meeting soil and the air is warm from the sun, yet crisp from the breeze.
Burton Creek State Park
It’s a steep little incline but it’s quickly rewarded with beautiful lake views. There was still a good amount of snow when we explored it for the first time, but it was manageable in hiking boots. The snow was packed in enough that we didn’t fall through the snow too often — just enough for a laugh here and there. It’s a funny hike to get to as you turn in and drive behind an odd lodge and camp area. It almost feels like you’re going down a private drive, but don’t worry, you’re in the right place.
Along the Truckee River
As mentioned above, it’s an easy walk along a paved path with very little change in elevation. The river is beautiful at all times of the year and really at its peak flow as all of the snow melts. You can begin this walk in Tahoe City where the lake spills into the river or there are a handful of pull-off spots to park your car along the way. One of the downsides to this hike is that it is along a major road. The walk is set down below so you don’t necessarily have to be concerned with the views of traffic and cars but you definitely get the sounds. Overall though, a nice place for some lovely views and great photos.
Along the lake
Another relatively flat and paved walkway, Tahoe as a whole has done an amazing job creating a path almost around the entire lake. It’s multi-purpose and meant for both walkers and cyclists, it connects with the path that goes along the Truckee River. On the north side of the lake, the path is waterfront and has areas to stop for picnics or spend some time at the beach. It’s a great place to bring dinner and watch the sunset or sunrise.