Weekend Getaway: Tahoe City

As a kid, we took a handful of trips to Tahoe during the winter, but it was never a summertime destination for our family. On our recent weekend getaway to Truckee, it was all sun and 70 degrees, so we ditched our plans of an afternoon hike and headed to the shores of nearby Lake Tahoe. As we approached Tahoe City, the impact of the current drought was very apparent. The sandy beach that was once greeted by the lake now abruptly turned to rock and went out for what seemed like forever before reaching the edge of the water. The view was definitely harsher than what I was expected, but after adjusting to the lack of water, we were still able to appreciate the beauty of the lake and the backdrop of the snow dusted Sierras.

This picture was taken from where edge of the water at Lake Tahoe. The red arrow is pointing to the edge of the beach where the water used to be.

We settled down for a picnic on the lawn of Commons Beach, which had a small sand beach and a park for the kids. The kids enjoyed hopping along the rocks that dotted the edge of the lake as well as exploring the nearby pier. 

Our visit to the beach was the perfect way to escape the heat in Truckee and enjoy the beauty of Lake Tahoe. Despite the low water levels, the views were still spectacular and provided a calming backdrop to enjoy the afternoon as a family.

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The details: Tahoe City is located on the Northwestern edge of Lake Tahoe and is about a 15 minute drive from Truckee. Parking and Lake access are free. There are a number of places to eat/drink in town as well as a couple of grocery stores if you want to pick up some picnic goodies. This is an area I hope to explore more this summer when we return to Tahoe for a family vacation, so hopefully I will have some new tips on what to do!