We had out of town family in town last week and we made it back to the Donner (Railroad) Tunnels. I…read morelove the tunnels! It's SO beautiful. And as it was a railroad, it's level and easy, and as it's in the tunnels, you're mostly protected from the weather. Bring good trail walking shoes and a flashlight. (And park across from the Donner Ski Ranch.)

Came here a few years ago & could not get into the tunnels because the entrance was frozen over…read more Well today it's a different story. Beautiful place & something the kids will enjoy. Only thing you should definitely have is... Boots, water, protein bars, portable charger. You have those few things & you will have a good time.

I have been going to Tahoe for a long time. As a kid we used to vacation here every other summer…read more It is a fascinating location. Few locals and tons of tourist and vacationers like me. My Aunt did have a cabin in the neighborhood just as you got to the bottom of the mountain. in Meyers. So many fond memories. I came with my Elite Yelp group for the weekend. We had a ball. We ate out all weekend and hit the beaches. We hiked Eagle Falls . The weather held out and we had so much fun. The people were really nice everywhere we went. South Lake Tahoe is always a great place to visit.

1 of 2 Yelp reviews. Just noticed Yelp has two reviews for…read morethis city, so I am combining my two reviews into one. Wait, where are my photos?!?! So good to be back in the old neighborhood with our good friends back in the area also. We plan to come back here more and more frequently, off season of course. :) This was our 5 star area when my daughter was a kid. Before it got TOO touristy. We spent our winters here for like 10+ years and then moved to Incline (less touristy) for 10+ years, and we are now enjoying South Reno and hopefully for the next 10+ years...? LOL. Wait, how old am I? Quality/Quantity - So many restaurant changes... Which is good and bad. Casino brands continue to change (Bally), Caesar Republic, Golden Nugget, etc. And more importantly, I see more and more craft breweries pop up; thank you, lol. Heavenly was our ski resort back in the day. Yes, I still have my Epic pass. And this location is still close enough to go to Kirkwood. It is getting harder and harder for me to visit these resorts, as Mt Rose is currently my favorite local mountain. Summer, which I do NOT come often enough, is bike friendly. Approximately 16.5 square miles. 21k+ population. Today we just stayed at the house because our friends just wanted to cook and relax. She is an excellent cook. Best things to do in Lake Tahoe are: Skiing, snow mobiling, the lake, water sports, hiking, beaches, horseback riding, food and brewery scene continue to improve, etc. Atmosphere - The city is a huge tourist attraction, so we try to ONLY come during off peak seasons. We typically do not come on a day like today, but it was too hot for our friends to come to Reno. There are more and more nicer restaurants popping up, thank you. But they are typically too small and the waits are too long, hence the off season visits. Service - Tourist attraction, so the service reflects that. Price - Slightly above average, but that is the price for tourists. Owner Comments - Congrats on your success since 1965 incorporation. 1944 - First gaming, Harvey's Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gaming. 1960 - Winter Olympics. 2021 - Caldor Fire forced the entire city to evacuate.

We have been on a quest to visit all the state capitol buildings. This Nevada one was our 28th. I…read morealways enjoy the history of the area and the structure itself. This building was more museum like and less active use than others we have been to. They had several other buildings on the grounds where the assembly, senate, and state supreme court are actively working. The governor's office was still in the original main building. They had some nice museum displays that we walked through on our self guided tour. We came on a weekday and were able to walk through most every area of the building. The original rooms for the assembly, senate, and supreme court were preserved to be as they may have been in their early days of use. There was a lot of wood accents throughout the foyer area on the staircases and trim. The outside grounds had some monuments and statues to see, and a lot of lush green trees around the building. We could not get a photo of the exterior of the building with the dome due to the heavy tree cover. There was a scale model in the museum that shows what the structure looks like so we got an idea of the size and configuration. If in town, I'd recommend making this stop to experience the heart of US history.

We were in Lake Tahoe for the weekend and decided to visit the State Capitol on a rainy day. We…read morehad been to several other State Capitol buildings and had even toured several of them. Admission here is free and there was not really a tour so we wondered around on our own. The hallways have large portraits of prior Governors. The office of the current Governor and the Secretary of State are also located on the first floor. The secind floor has the Supreme Court and the Assembly, as well as a very informative museum about the history of Nevada. It is not a very large building so you can get through it all in about thirty minutes.

To write a complete review I must start 50 years ago. when I first became a fan of Truckee…read more Downtown Truckee was a quiet mix of rundown buildings with a few cool shops and awkward restaurants, think Viginia City without the mining. Hippies and the first wave of Subaru Wagons ruled the streets and alley ways of Downtown. The working-class people that worked around the north & west shores of Lake Tahoe mostly lived in Truckee or Kings Beach. Over the years Truckee grew and so did the tourism. Along came the rejuvenation and fancier shopping, eating, traffic, parking and gas prices that should make you blush. As Truckee took on a new persona of a Tahoe-esque destination. The housing got expensive and so did everything else. In 1993 Truckee incorporated and became a city. Along with this shiny new title this ushered in ways to support a city government. The Truckee Police and other city services were all in place by 2001. By 2005 the beginning of the question "now that we can attract tourists, how can we extract the most out of them?" Yes, paid parking, parking enforcement, traffic reduction, parallel parking, new taxes and fees. Today it is Sierra Nevada Mountain charm with unique shops, nice hotels and B & B inns, wine bars, expensive restaurants, art galleries, and 4 season recreation & adventure. Truckee is a short distance from Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake, and serves as a gateway to the growing areas like Northstar and Squaw Valley (don't come for me, that IS the name}. Downtown Truckee has charm and allure. The railroad museum is cool if you can figure out the hours. The Original Squeeze Inn has always been the draw for me and my family for more than 50 years, Thank You Shila and Crew. Oh, and the people that own the Sock Parlour are a horrible example of what the typical vibe is supposed to be in Historic Downtown Truckee.

The Balanced Rocking Stone is a 17 ton granite boulder that overlooks the town of Truckee. Some…read morecall it an irrelevant roadside attraction, a non notable geological anomaly, a boring local landmark, a incurious curiosity... whatever. Thus making this an irrelevant review. Supposedly in the past, the Washoe Native Americans took interest in it... some say revered it. In the 1860s, a museum was built next to it by the "prominent" citizen, CF McGlashan. That is long gone and what is next to it now is the Truckee Veterans Memorial Building and parking lot. The boulder no longer rocks as legend had it. There is a gazebo built on top of it and a steel staircase to the top. From the top, you can view parts of the town below and the mountain range in the distance. The view is nice. But it didn't take my breath away. Actually I had to hold my breath... beware the top of the boulder and gazebo is filled with bird poo and is not consistently maintained. Watch where you step. The landmark can be viewed in less than 10 minutes. But if you enjoy history and local folklore, it's worth checking out at least once if you have the time and inclination to do so. Sorry folks, my pics aren't very good. I don't have a full on view of the rock boulder.

Located along the Donner Pass Road near the Donner Summit Historical Society, this marker points…read moreout some of the history of the area as travelers came and went, passing through here prior to the superhighway being built. Since then, the roadway is mostly used for local traffic and access to the ski resorts. "Before the coming of the hotels and ski areas, the only Summit industry was the railroad. There had been a few dairies, two ice houses, sheep and some lumbering, even a still on the hill, but the railroad was key to the Summit." "After the Summit Hotel burned along with a few hundred feet of snow sheds in 1892, there were few accommodations for travelers from Colfax to Donner Lake. That didn't much matter because most people, traveling over the Summit, came by train and were headed elsewhere. With the coming of the automobile, people wanted to travel and they wanted to travel freely. Hotels began springing up along popular routes." "Oscar Jones saw what was coming and took advantage. In 1924 he bought the land for the Soda Springs Hotel for $5,000. On December 10, 1927 the hotel opened to the public (top picture). Oscar's brother, Herstle, opened the Rainbow Tavern (Lodge) at the same time (and he would later open Nyack Lodge). With a railroad stop at Soda Springs, the popularization of skiing and the coming of ski resorts (Beacon Hill, Clair Tappaan, Lake Mary/Signal Hill) Highway 40 would be packed with fun seekers and the Soda Springs Hotel would do a good business. The railroad was no longer the chief Summit industry." "The coming of I-80 in 1960 took traffic away. People could go faster and farther. There was less need for Summit lodging." If you do decide to explore, be careful crossing the railroad tracks as there are more than one track so look both ways. [Review 17671 overall - 462 in California - 1192 of 2022.]

We didn't hike to the real mountain summit, that's for the Sierra Clubbers. We got to the summit of…read morethe Mt Rose Highway. There's a nice parking area here and trail starting spots for hiking. We had our pick up truck on the super hot day down in the valleys. Here at over 8900 feet, the temps were much cooler and pleasant. We're on our way to Reno cause there's better food choices there than in North Tahoe. If you're not used to high altitude, it might be a little hard to breath. Living down in the Sac Valley in Red Bluff, I don't get much high altitude heavy breathing practice. Well, at high altitude anyways! If you're driving over the pass here, stop and check out this stopping spot.

Iconic hike with incredible, ever-changing views!…read more Round trip: ~11 miles, about 6-7 hours. Parking: Free, plenty of spaces. Restrooms: 4 unisex restrooms (very smelly). Water: No water fountain at the trailhead, so bring plenty of water. Cell service is poor. The hike starts at about 8,900 ft and climbs roughly 2,500 ft to the 10,776-ft summit. The first 2.5 miles are relatively flat and easy, making it a popular turnaround point for the waterfall. After that, it becomes a steep, strenuous climb with very few switchbacks. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed. During our hike, one unleashed dog kept running up and down the narrow trail at full speed, startling hikers and creating a safety hazard on the loose, steep sections. We asked the owner to leash the dog, but she ignored us. The summit is an extinct volcano. We hiked in mid-June 2026, there was still a section of snow and ice near the top that was extremely slippery. Hiking poles are highly recommended: I slipped and landed on my butt several times, and I'm grateful my friend was there to help me. The descent can be just as challenging because of the loose gravel and dirt, especially if you have bad knees. Definitely bring hiking poles. The scenery kept changing throughout the hike: Lake Tahoe views, forests, wildflower meadows, volcanic terrain, and snow near the summit. It was a tough hike, but the beautiful scenery made every step worth it.

Here we are again at the stateline. All of the good stuff is so close to the line. We love staying…read moreas close to the state line as possible. We tend to bounce back and forth from California to Nevada several times a day. This time we stayed on the Nevada side of the state line as that was the best deal we could get and the nicest rooms. Most of our activities were had on the California side. We love all the outdoor music venues California has to offer. From acoustic guitar to rick music all is offered free of charge at local restaurants. The rick band was had by a lot of fans sitting in the courtyard on benches or on the fountain wall. Some people even brought their own chairs. As for beaches and lakeside views both sides have lots to offer. We were tempted to go to Zephyr Cove, but were worried about parking so we passed this time. We like the option of Driving to South Lake Tahoe parking once and walking everywhere so we went to the beach on the stateline and walked in on the California side. We saw lots of boats crossing the line as they drove all around enjoying the views. We did stay on the Nevada side of the line one day for breakfast at a local coffee shop and that was really nice. Other than that we crossed the line and ate on the California side. We love bouncing back and forth and we hope you do too.

A buzz of South Lake Tahoe and state line Nevada. Home to an assortment of casinos. Much more…read morelowkey than Vegas or even Reno. So nice to have California on the other side. A good flow of top notch entertainment as well.