Snow Time Like the Present

Winter Vacation to Zephyr Cove and Lake Tahoe Adventures

This holiday season unwrap everyone’s best winter getaway. South Lake Tahoe takes your outdoor adventures beyond the ski resorts. Your basecamp—Zephyr Cove Resort—has lakeside wood cabins, a beautiful mile-long beach, and plenty of activities that begin right out your door. Get your thrills at the highest elevation of tubing terrain—Adventure Mountain. Explore panoramic lake views and secret snowy trails with a snowmobile tour at Lake Tahoe Adventures or Zephyr Cove Snowmobiling. And find that winter glow with one of South Lake Tahoe’s best dining experiences: the M.S. Dixie II Sunset Dinner Cruise.

Zephyr ZZZs

zephyr cove resort

zephyr cove resort

zephyr cove resort

zephyr cove resort

Historic, lakeside, and featuring a mile-long beach backed by South Lake Tahoe’s signature pines, Zephyr Cove Resort puts fun and ease into vacations. Stay in their lovely lakeside wood cabins, Airstreams, or RV/Campground. Zephyr Cove Restaurant is voted the best by locals (so you know it’s good!), and the resort has plenty of options for adventures—including snowmobile tours taking you to 9,000+ feet. Book a beginner-friendly or private group tour and let the pros handle the rest as you embark on one of the most unique ways to see some of South Lake Tahoe’s marquee mountains and pristine lake views.

zephyr cove resort

The two-hour Scenic Lakeview Snowmobile Tour leaves from Zephyr Cove Resort and takes you over high mountain meadows, through towering pines and aspens, and up to peaks. Book this tour and see some of the best views of the lake from a snowmobile.

I'm on a Boat!

M.S. Dixie II

M.S. Dixie II

A winter cruise around Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay is sure to get etched in your memory as a bucket-list best. The M.S. Dixie II is a paddle wheeler offering year-round tours with climate controlled indoor seating, signature cocktails, and unforgettable outdoors scenery.

Get on board for the Scenic Daytime Cruise or do a Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Dixie. Bonus: There’s a New Year’s Eve Cruise.

Relax as you glide around popular points of interest including Vikingsholm Castle and Fannette Island. Emerald Bay is one of the most photographed National Natural Landmarks for good reason. One, two, three, selfie!

Yabba Dabba Tube!

tubing lake tahoe

Have you ever thought of taking your tubing to the next level? There’s a mountain for that! At 7,400 feet, Adventure Mountain is the highest elevation tubing destination in the entire Tahoe Basin. It also has the most snow and biggest terrain, with 40 acres of Sno-Cat groomed tubing trails, some as long as 500 feet. Mini-runs are perfect for mini-tubers, making it a great family destination.

Backcountry by Snowmobile

snowmobile backcountry

winter view lake tahoe

backcountry snowmobile lake tahoe

Lake Tahoe Adventures offers one of the coolest ways to get wayyy back in the Sierra. Designed for all experience levels and led by pro guides, there’s a variety of high-elevation snowmobile tours to choose from.

The most popular is the beginner-friendly Summit Tour in glorious Hope Valley. Enjoy a two-hour exploration of the backcountry, including Faith Valley and Sierra Crest.

Advanced adventurers can try the more challenging terrain in the valley on the Ultimate Tour, a rugged mix of canyons, creeks, alpine lakes, and 10,000-foot peaks.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View
  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View
  2. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View
  3. Great Is an Understatement!

    Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marbled limestone caves.

    View
  4. Lake Nacimiento
    Sponsored

    Savor Summer in Paso Robles

    Ready for the “Great California Road Trip”? Keep it real and rolling in bucolic and beautiful Paso Robles. This down- to-earth destination has everything you need to enjoy the coolest experiences.

    View