Explore South Lake Tahoe After Your Summer Rafting Trip

Known as the “Jewel of the Sierra,” South Lake Tahoe is a nature lover’s dream come true! About an hour’s drive from the South Fork American River, a visit to this city and iconic lake make an easy addition to a weekend of outdoor adventures. South Lake Tahoe (SLT) is a popular tourist destination year round, offering a wide variety of options for snowsports in the winter, and even more opportunities during the summer. No matter what kind of group you came rafting with, there is something adventure-appropriate and exciting waiting for you at the lake. From warm sandy beaches, to endless miles of hiking trails, to local breweries and distilleries, this city is the perfect place to land either before or after your day on the river.

Plan ahead: One of the many things that makes South Lake Tahoe so visitor friendly is the fact that the city is relatively flat, making bikes an easy and practical way to get around. Bring your own bike or rent one for the day to avoid any full parking lots and enjoy the scenery!

Lake Tahoe: A Precious Natural Resource

Before we get into our favorite recommendations to add to your rafting adventure, let’s address SLT’s iconicness and what it means to practice responsible tourism. Lake Tahoe is Northern California’s largest tourist attraction, bringing in about 15 million visitors every year. Even Yosemite National Park does not rival this crowd with its 3.5 million annual visitors. Despite these numbers, you will still be able to find a nice quiet corner of Lake Tahoe’s 72 miles of shoreline even during the heat of summer. Visitors are crucial for this region’s economy, and we invite our guests to head up into the Sierras to both support our communities and experience the awe-inspiring views. 

In order to keep Tahoe beautiful for generations to come, we encourage you to practice Leave No Trace principles and respect the local ecology and residents. If you choose to add this natural beauty to your rafting adventure, please remember to stay on trails, pick up after yourself, and leave the area better than you found it. As you may have seen on thousands of California car bumpers, help us ‘Keep Tahoe Blue.’

Explore the Shore

Follow along the lake’s edge to the small town of Camp Richardson to check out their lakefront resort and maybe even rent a boat for the afternoon! On your way out be sure to stop by their famous ice cream shop. Be advised, this shop always has a line, but the homemade sweets waiting for you at the end of the line are definitely worth it. 

Meander just a bit to the east to check out some local history. The Tallac Historic Site sits just 3 miles outside of the city of SLT and is a popular attraction with its own beach. This Site was once dubbed the “Grandest Resort in the World” (about a century ago) and visitors are allowed to tour through the grounds and/or join a guided walk. 

Just a bit farther down the road, you will find a very short trail with a unique opportunity – the Taylor Creek Stream Profile Chamber. This walk is an amazing and educational must-see for all nature lovers. You will be greeted at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center where you can choose from a number of different walking/hiking trails. There is a brief half-mile walk down to the Stream Profile Chamber where visitors get to enter an underground room that has a large glass window looking into the river. You can observe the plants, fish, and sometimes even otters up close!

Emerald Bay

No trip to Lake Tahoe would be complete without a trip to the iconic Emerald Bay lookout. The windy and narrow road from the city to the ridgeline overlook is not for the faint of heart, but the view makes it worth it every time. From the mountains, you have an incredible view of both the lake and the small island isolated in the water. Known as Fennette Island, this island is the unexpected home to an old Nordic Castle “teahouse!”

This small stone structure was built as part of Vikingsholm – a massive mansion in Emerald Bay that faces the lake’s only island. This castle joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and remains a popular attraction to this day. You can take a guided tour of the old summerhouse to learn more about its history and marvel at the beautiful Scandinavian architecture.

Life’s a Beach! 

While there are miles upon miles of shoreline surrounding Lake Tahoe, not all of it offers a nice sandy beach. If you are a fan of boulders, rock scrambling, and hiking, your lake-access options expand dramatically. On the other hand, if you are looking for a beach with easy access and a warm place to lay out in the sun, we recommend you check out Baldwin Beach or Pope Beach. Both are just west of the city’s main hub of docks, venues, and restaurants, making them a little bit quieter than their Nevada-bordering neighbors to the east. The eastern options are the perfect place to spend a day if you are staying at one of the many hotels and resorts in this mountain city. 

What is even better than a day spent on the beach? Gliding through the clear waters of Lake Tahoe itself! Rent a kayak, stand-up paddle board, inner tube, or another watercraft of choice, and try your hand at water sports other than whitewater rafting.

Hiking at Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a dream come true to hikers of all experience levels. With hundreds of miles of trails to choose from and a wide variety of intensity, there is something for everyone. The Tahoe Rim Trail is one of SLT’s crown jewels. This 165-mile trail loops around the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. While many opt to just do sections as day hikes or small overnight trips, there are daring folks who backpack it whole! If you are visiting SLT for the day and are looking for a short hike, check out Castle Rock, accessed by the Tahoe Rim Trail near Kingsbury Grade on the Nevada side. This loop trail is a cool three miles but still gives you a taste of the larger loop.

For epic views of Tahoe, try the Mt. Tallac trail which towers over Emerald Bay. This challenging route is 9.6 miles round trip and is a beautiful gateway into Desolation Wilderness – protected Forest Service land – with many alpine lakes to swim in.

One could fill a whole website with details of all of our favorite alpine trails, and in fact, someone did! The Tahoe Trail Guide is an incredible locally homegrown resource for year-round hiking, backpacking, and snow sports. Here you will find trail locations, descriptions, and helpful tidbits for exploring South Lake Tahoe after your rafting trip. 

Brews and Bites

The easily recognizable “Keep Tahoe Blue” sticker has a beloved counterpart to locals; “Drink Tahoe Brew!” SLT is host to a handful of unique breweries, taprooms, and is home to the popular Tahoe Blue vodka distillery. 

Ready to kick back with a beer after a day of whitewater rafting? Check out the South Tahoe Beer Trail to make sure you pick the best option for your group. One of our favorites is South Lake Brewing Company. This brewery is woman-owned and operated with two locations in South Lake, one with a taproom & food trucks, and one with a full restaurant. They are known for hosting live music and local events. Check out the Hangar Taproom & Bottle shop for a local spot minutes from the lake. They provide local beer both on tap or to go.

There are plenty of options for dining along the lake as well. The variety is endless but our river family has a few favorite recommendations: 

• Sonney’s BBQ Shack Bar & Grill is a popular eatery in South Lake with an extensive list of local brews and epic bbq food. They have a huge outdoor patio to enjoy after a long day adventuring in the Tahoe Basin.
• Basecamp Pizza Co. in Heavenly Village always has the “most epic” pizza, and hosts  live music every week.
• Stateline Brewery & Restaurant is located along the California/Nevada border and is South Lake Tahoe’s oldest brewery. They boast 500+ types of whiskey from around the world! 
• Visit McDuff’s Public House for the ‘best chicken strips you’ve ever had!’ This restaurant is located right across from the lake – you can walk right out to the beach. 

It is impossible to cover every exciting sight and activity you can experience in South Lake Tahoe in a single blog post. Believe us, it’s not a city you can exhaust in a weekend. We recommend not only checking out some of our favorite suggestions, but also finding some of your own! The options for lodging, dining, hiking, and playing are endless.

Reily Schultz

Reily is a Gold Country native. She graduated from Willamette University with a degree in Studio Art and a minor in Gender Studies and Psychology. She joined the All-Outdoors family in the spring of 2022, working as a California Rafting Consultant and a member of the marketing team. Her favorite All-Outdoors itinerary is the multi-day Tuolumne rafting trip. Reily is an avid artist, outdoors-woman, and purr-fessional cat snuggler.