“Look at this view,” said Scott Hillock, a local guide with the Tahoe Adventure Company, as we edged to the side of the path for a hiker to pass. “And it gets better,” he assured us as we continued along the trail. With my daughter, Kathryn, we three negotiated the area’s popular Picnic Rock hike, a 1.5-mile trek along the celebrated Tahoe Rim Trail (at 165 miles in length, it circumnavigates Lake Tahoe). As promised, the reward at the top is indeed better – a surround-sound-like panorama of the lake and its encircling peaks. And as the trail’s name suggests, a massive rock upon which it would be perfect to picnic.
North Lake Tahoe’s Comeback
This trip was a debut of sorts, not an unveiling for me, but for the region itself. And from our visit, I reached a definitive conclusion. After more than a year lost to the pandemic, followed by a season that wasn’t because of a raging fire affecting its geographic neighbor South Lake Tahoe, the destination of North Lake Tahoe is on the rebound – in a big way.
Introducing Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa & Casino
With Plein air perks being the name of today’s travel game, imagine an area both pristine in its beauty and plentiful in its mostly out-of-door happenings. You’ve found the definition of a flawless getaway, circa 2022.
Our home for this adventure was Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa & Casino (Incline Village, NV). This impressive lakefront resort amid the Sierra Nevada Mountains grabbed our attention at its entrance. The lobby revolved around a vast stone fireplace. Features adding to its allure included a 24-hour casino, the lake’s only floating pier bar, a private beach, a year-round swim-in/swim-out heated pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center (complete with Peloton bikes), the Stillwater Spa and best yet, a location just minutes away from Diamond Peak Ski Resort.
North Lake Tahoe: A Year-Round Destination
A year-round destination, North Lake Tahoe straddles two states (two-thirds in California, one-third in Nevada). Averaging 274 annual days of sunshine, the region experiences four distinct seasons. And, it’s situated in a setting of massive granite mountains, white sand beaches, and rocky coves – all overlooking a cobalt alpine lake (North America’s largest and the nation’s second deepest).
Winter & Spring Sports & More
With snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, and cross country skiing (in addition to lake surfing), winter translates to snow sports. And, this area is home to the continent’s highest concentration of ski resorts. Among them are Palisades Tahoe (known as Squaw Valley until 2021), which was the site of the VIII Olympic Winter Games in 1960. This European-style village is complete with stone walkways that meander amid an assortment of bars, restaurants, and boutiques.
The transition from winter’s chill to warmer weather seasons can mean spring skiing in the morning and activities including hiking and more in the afternoon. The best North Lake Tahoe hiking trails range from easy strolls to steep switchbacks into the clouds.
Action Packed Summers & The Secret Season of Fall
Summer is defined by action – whether it’s golfing the area’s six championship courses and four executive links or partaking in such water activities as fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing, jet skiing, and power boating. This season’s rafting can be as simple as a leisurely float along the Truckee River from Tahoe City to the River Ranch Restaurant & Bar for lunch. For the more sedate, there are paddlewheel cruises on the Tahoe Gal or Tahoe Cruz, scenic daytime cruises, and sunset dinner cruises.
And then there’s fall, also known as North Lake Tahoe’s secret season. In short, it’s a smaller sampling of around-the-year activities – absent the crowds.
Towns with Personality
In addition to its four-season fun, the region is enhanced and unified by a dozen towns – each with its own personality and bonded by a spirit of adventure. For a bit of insight into this team of 12, here’s a peek into some of North Lake Tahoe’s towns.
Located on the lake’s shores, Tahoe City is a town where smiling, friendly locals give nods of welcome to out-of-town visitors as quickly as to their next-door neighbors. Along its waterfront bluff is the town’s signature icon, Penny Bear, an oversized 13-foot, 5,700-pound bear statue covered in more than 200,000 pennies.
As home to some of the lake’s most luxurious residences and an assortment of casinos, Incline Village reflects a fashionable feel. The reigning attraction of the adjacent town of Kings Beach is the beach. And as the one-time playground of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Crystal Bay is a throwback to the days of motels, many of which still provide lodging. Here, there are always musical offerings and among its gambling venues are Jim Kelley’s Tahoe Nugget and Crystal Bay Club Casino.
Waterfront Dining
Known for its high-sierra cuisine, Lone Eagle Grille (Incline Village, NV) serves as Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort’s signature restaurant. Set on a private beach along the shores of Lake Tahoe, specialties include steaks, game meats, seafood, and creative vegetarian favorites. Its cozy interior beckons with oversized panoramic windows, heavy wooden beams, and a two-story stone fireplace. Scattered firepits enhance the outdoor patio.
Another waterfront location, Gar Woods (Carnelian Bay, CA), is known for its long pier allowing easy access to those arriving via the lake. Projecting an ‘Old Tahoe’ feel, it’s a 34-year-old restaurant legend best known for its signature drink – the Wet Woody – a rum-based, slushy-like cocktail adorned with a colorful paper parasol (a drink Gar Woods recently celebrated for selling its three millionth).
North Lake Tahoe’s Rat Pack History
A back-in-the-day treat, Crystal Bay Club Steak & Lobster House (Crystal Bay, NV) serves up flocked velvet circular booths and table-side food preparation. Expect such classics as Steak Diane and Bananas Foster, as well as Rat Pack history. A bit of background from Armando, the maître d’: Frank Sinatra always sat in the middle booth on the dining room’s left to face the room’s entrance and Marilyn Monroe’s booth.
A Hike with a View
Hiking the Eagle Rock Trail served as our North Lake Tahoe-style goodbye. Located off Highway 89 (just south of Tahoe House), the user-friendly half-mile, 200-vertical-foot trek amid rounded boulders, scattered rocks, and gravel culminated with seats in the sky for Kathryn and me. And, a view coined ‘Lake Tahoe’s best.’