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As Austin is now back in the full swing of residency, our trips are back to being shorter duration. Over the past weekend, we decided fly to Reno and visit Lake Tahoe. This was my first time in Lake Tahoe and I was amazed by how beautiful it was and I would definitely like to go back. For this week’s #WanderlustWednesday, let’s talk Tahoe. If you’re headed to Lake Tahoe for a quick trip yourself here’s an overview of our weekend drive around Lake Tahoe.

With residency, it’s difficult to plan flights on Friday night but I found them leaving Salt Lake City just after 10:30pm on Friday. I recently wrote a post about how I find cheap flights which you can find here. We actually booked the flights on Delta using the companion pass on the Delta Platinum American Express card meaning that I only paid for one ticket plus the cost of the taxes/fees for the second ticket. It’s quite a perk. You can check out this card for yourself here.

Disclaimer: I do receive a referral if you sign up for the card through my link. This doesn’t change your perks in any way and of course I would appreciate it!

We landed in Reno, rented a car with Hertz, and stayed downtown in Reno at the Renaissance Reno Downtown hotel, a Marriott property. After waking up and taking a quick stroll downtown, we decided to head to Lake Tahoe.
We decided to drive around Lake Tahoe in a counterclockwise direction. Keep in mind that we only went for the weekend and the area could really be explored for weeks or months. We also didn’t have too much time so we didn’t want to stop everywhere. However, without significant traffic it would take you about 3 hours to drive around Lake Tahoe.

Drive around Lake Tahoe

Our first stop was for snacks in the small town of Incline Village. Here you can find a beach, restaurants, and gas stations. After stocking up we continued counterclockwise, marveling at the beauty of the lake. 

Our next stop was in Sugar Pine state park. It was $10 for parking. The park has some beautiful trees for you to enjoy. We were able to get out and walk around here and the views of the lake were spectacular.

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Although we didn’t stop, Rubicon Light, the highest elevation lighthouse in the US is located at Lake Tahoe and seeing this would be the next stop if you are interested.

Our next stop was Emerald Bay. This area is GORGEOUS and also popular. The general Emerald Bay area is home to Lower Eagle Falls, Eagle Lake, and Inspiration Point. We decided that we liked this area so much that we would come back in the morning when it was less crowded. Plus we were ready for some food.

So we continued our drive further to South Lake Tahoe and had a late, delicious lunch at Lake Tahoe AleWorX. Then we headed to our South Lake Tahoe hotel.

After getting checked in and taking a quick nap, we decided to watch the sunset at Cave Rock. Cave Rock is on the east side of Lake Tahoe. Sunset watching is one of my favorite things. It reminds me to be grateful for things that happen everyday that sometimes gets taken for granted. In addition, the best sunsets come from cloudy skies which is its own lesson. This evening, it was basically a cloud free sky but beautiful views of the lake nonetheless.

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In the morning we went back to Eagle Lake Falls trailhead and hiked to Eagle Lake. It was short but we basically had the entire trail to ourselves as we went early. This hike does require an on-site wilderness permit and a fee (covered under National Parks Annual Pass).

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Then, we continued our drive around the lake and stopped one more time at Secret Cove. This would be an area that is not accessible for those with limited mobility as it requires a descent to the lake. Once you get to Secret Cove, it is a clothing optional beach so be prepared (lol).

After spending some time in Secret Cove, we drove back to Reno for our departure flight home. While in no way is this all-encompassing of everything you can do on your drive around Lake Tahoe, we really enjoyed our weekend and can’t wait to go back.

Have you been to Lake Tahoe? Where did you stop? What did you see? Let me know in the comments!

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