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. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. 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
  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. 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
  4. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View