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. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View