North Lake Tahoe Guide: Activities, Restaurants & Museums

Since I wrote about South Lake Tahoe last week in this post, I didn’t want North Lake Tahoe to feel left out. The North side of the lake is completely different then the South, it lacks the big cities and state parks but makes up for it with Squaw Valley and the amazing Truckee area. There are so many great places to eat, beautiful hikes to go on and unique museums to check out. Here is my list of attractions I love in North Lake Tahoe, be sure to recommend your favorites in the comments below. Click on an individual photo to learn more about each one and hopefully it will encourage you to explore North Lake Tahoe yourself.

Food

This is a relatively small list as I have only been to a few places but I will say that both of them are fantastic. The BBQ with a view at Moe’s is a great place for sunset and the Salmon Eggs Benedict at Firesign Cafe is a great meal for any time of the day. Also, Tahoe House is a great spot for a breakfast when in the area as well.

Moe’s BBQ
Firesign Cafe

Active

Everything from river floats to high altitude trams are available for the active adventurer in North Lake Tahoe. My favorite beach is probably Kings Beach as it is easy to get to and relaxing. For hiking, you can’t beat the crazy summit tunnel hike in Truckee or the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout about an hour North. Heck, you can even spend some time playing mini golf at Magic Carpet, which has two North Lake Tahoe locations if you are looking for a fun family-friendly spot.

Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout
Squaw Valley Tram
Donner Summit Tunnel
Donner Memorial State Park
King’s Beach
Floating Truckee River

Museum

The museum offering in North Lake Tahoe also set it apart from the South. There is the famous Gatekeepers Museum which shows the history of the man who manned the Tahoe Dam and the Olympic Museum, located at 8,000 feet, where you can learn about the valley Olympic history. Also, if you get out of the area a little bit you can see the old Kentucky Mine which has a fantastic and working stamp mill you can tour.

Olympic Museum
Kentucky Mine Museum
Gatekeeper Museum

Hotels

I have only stayed at the Red Wolf Lodge, which was great and I cannot wait to stay here again in the winter. It is a great location in Squaw Valley, but there are other locations near the water you can check out as well.

Red Wolf Lodge

Now it is your turn, what did I leave off this list that you love exploring in North Lake Tahoe? Be sure to leave in in the comments to others can find it as well. 

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