Lake Tahoe, Winter Cabin Getaway

This emerald lake is a perfect winter or summer getaway. It’s a gorgeous destination with different activities all year round. You can choose to visit during the winter for a real, snowy winter in CA or go during the summer to spend sunny days by the lake. This is by far one of our favorite road trips in California. I even celebrated my golden birthday turning 26 on the 16 of November in an epic snowstorm. The Lake Tahoe winter cabin trip brought me full circle, returning me to my roots of being brought home from the hospital to a small cabin in Idaho during a blizzard. My brother and I were brought home to our families small A-frame cabin in Clark Fork Idaho and had to withstand a blizzard for the first few days of our lives. So to me, cabins, evergreens, and snow feel like home. I got to do some snow hikes, cozy cabin lounging, reading, writing, hot tub soaking, and 20-degree lake walking. Sipping cider in the cabin after a long day of exploring and relaxing was the perfect getaway. While living in California, Tahoe was my taste of the PNW.

How to get there

Lake Tahoe is about an 8 hour drive north of LA area or 8.5 from Orange County. In the winter around November to January Mammoth gets quite a bit of snow and your drive on the 395 will be snowy, and or icy, to get to Tahoe, if you are taking the 395. Since sections of the 395 regularly get closed during the winter, it might be better to plan another route. Chains are required all around Tahoe area during winter. During winter it is smart to check the road conditions here before you go to see which routes are open.

South Lake Tahoe

Zephyr Beach Cove (Nevada side)

My favorite beach and cove of the lake is actually found on the Nevada side. This is only about a 20-minute drive from the south downtown Tahoe which is the first and biggest city around the lake that you reach. This is one of the biggest sandy beaches of the lake besides the northern section of the lake called Kings Beach. Kings Beach is the larger more tourist area and Zephyr Cove is the less known and less visited beautiful, natural beach area because it is on the Nevada side. This beach has huge crazy boulders and long stretches of beautiful sand and entrance to swim, paddle, and hang out in the crystal clear water. The several times I have been here there have only been one or two other groups ever at the same time.

Zephyr Cove Park

This is another great day use area park. Overnight camping isn’t allowed, but it’s a fun place to park and enjoy the cove.

Zephyr Cove Camping (East Tahoe)

There are tent sites and cabin rentals available here near the cove. Zephyr Cove has 150 sites, making it the largest camp area on the East side of the lake. This is the same size as the southern sides biggest campground. There is more information available here. The website for the Rv camping resort as well as tent camping can be found here.

• Showers, toilets, laundry
• RV hookups, tent sites, airstream camping, free wifi
• 93 rv sites, 47 tent sites, fire rings, bear proofed lockers

Average Cost: Tent site $25, RV site $37

Nevada Beach Campground  (East Tahoe)

This is a day use picnic area as well as an overnight beach camping that can be reserved at recreation.gov. Or you can reserve by calling : 775-588-5562. This is arguably one of the best private and less trafficked areas to camp on the lake especially during high seasons. You can camp for up to 14 days. There are bathrooms, bbqs, food lockers, picnic tables and fire pits.

Facility Rates

SEASON DATES	SITE TYPE	NIGHTLY/DAILY RATES *
May 10, 2019 – October 12, 2019(Peak Season)	Group Picnic Area	$100.00 deposit$150.00 /holiday additional$155.00$150.00 /weekend additional
Standard Nonelectric	$2.00 /holiday additional$35.00
Standard Nonelectric Premium	$2.00 /holiday additional$39.00
May 15, 2020 – October 11, 2020(Peak Season)	Group Picnic Area	$100.00 deposit$150.00 /holiday additional$155.00$150.00 /weekend additional
Standard Nonelectric	$2.00 /holiday additional$35.00
Standard Nonelectric Premium	$2.00 /holiday additional$39.00

* Displayed rates do not reflect discounts, taxes, or incremental charges.

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Payment & Fees

PAVILION FEES $155.00 PER HALF DAY ON WEEK DAYS $305.00 PER HALF DAY ON WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYSPLUS A $100 REFUNDABLE CLEANING DEPOSIT

Where to stay (South Tahoe)

Spruce Grove Snowshoe Cabin/El Snowshoe Cabin/ The Propsector Cabin (Cabin Community)

The cabins are the coziest winter experience found in Tahoe. The summer camping is gorgeous and the winter cabin stays are good for the soul in another sense. This cabin I rented is in a quiet smaller neighborhood about a mile outside of the downtown of south Lake Tahoe. It was a part of a grouping of cabins in a small community. This cabin lived up to all my expectations and more. It had the coziest and warm fireplace that was electric and decorated with beautiful wood and old school snowshoes. This place felt like another world in the snowstorm I experienced in Tahoe. These cabins are more budget-friendly options than staying in the resorts or hotels in the area. You can bring and buy your own food to cook meals which also saves a lot of money. Also you can split the cost with several people which is helpful! This is my spot I always come to in the winter in Tahoe for a budget and cozy cabin experience that is so comfortable and restful!

• almost 1 mile outside downtown south tahoe
• hot tub
• fully stocked kitchen
• tv/dvd player/wifi
• free parking, private
• fireplace
• Heavenly ski resort is not even a mile away

Cost

Around $100/night depending on the season.

Booking

Here are some of the places you can stay in the cabin neighborhood where I stayed.

For more information and booking at the Snow Shoe Cabin, click here.  

For more information and booking at Prospector Cabin, click here.

 

 

North Lake Tahoe

Kings Beach

This is the largest beach area on the lake with sand and room to lounge and enjoy the view. There is a public dock for use on the lake. All other docks on the lake are private across from cabins and private houses. This is a fun dock to explore and see the lake’s beauty. It’s apart of a cute town on the lake with a great coffee shop/cafe to get warm drinks for walking around the beach.

Where to stay

Dispersed Camping (FREE!!!!)- North Tahoe

This spot is at Baltimore lake, a forested basin on Grouse Ridge. There are no special permits required to hike and camp here, a very rare find for California! In order to have a fire, you do need to have a California campfire permit. There are no restrooms or facilities. This is straight back country camping at its finest for the most budget and outdoor lovers. You can read more about the site on the government website here. Also the Tahoe National Forest is where this dispersed camping is found within. National forest is land that is legal to camp on. The whole list of Tahoe national forest camping spots and sites can be found here. This way you can search which area of the lake you are trying to go and find spots in those exact locations. This is a great resource list.

Camping

Kaspian Campground (west Tahoe)

This is a great campsite on the western part of the lake, outside of the busy town on a quiet nook of the lake. The campground is in the forest overlooking the lake. It’s a tent camping only site, but only 10-minutes from the popular destination Meeks Bay. It connects right onto the bike trail all around the path for biking, running and walking. This spot is a smaller, more private campground. You can make reservations here.

Facility Rates

SEASON DATES	SITE TYPE	NIGHTLY/DAILY RATES *
May 10, 2019 – October 12, 2019(Peak Season)	Walk To	$2.00 /holiday additional$20.00
May 15, 2020 – October 11, 2020(Peak Season)	Walk To	$2.00 /holiday additional$20.00

General Creek Campground (west tahoe)

This is one of the most activity-filled campgrounds, with a great location to enjoy the best the lake has to offer. During high season, there are 10 group campsites and 120 family campsites.  Fees for high season camping are $35 per night.  Fees include one vehicle and extra vehicles are $10 per night. Group sites are $165 a night and include 10 vehicles in the fees. The campground does not have hook-ups, but there are showers and a dump station for registered campers. Check here for more information on this campground and seasons. The campground map can be found here. This is a great camping area because of the amount of access to activities and hiking available. There is also a lighthouse with trails and a fishing/boat area.

• lighthouse
• hiking trails/ lake front access
• boat dock area

Bayview Campground (South Tahoe)

Bayview Campground is good for hikers who want to do some wilderness backcountry exploration and more day hiking. This campground has the Desolation wilderness as its backyard which you need a permit to hike. A permit can be picked up at the self-serve trailhead so it is not necessary to get before you come. This campground is a first come first serve so you need to arrive early in peak seasons and if you are coming from far you may want to have a backup option or stay somewhere else you can reserve. You can read more about this space here.

• Desolation wilderness trails and hiking
• horse riding

Tahoe Valley Campground (South Tahoe)

This is the central campground right outside of South Lake Tahoe city. It is the most popular camping area filled with the most people and has the best access to the downtown stores, restaurants, and south ski lodge. It is also the most RV/resort feel of a campground that is a bit less the traditional rustic route. They also rent cottages and cabins for families. You can find out more about the place and make reservations here.

• swimming pool
• basketball, pickle ball, tennis, volleyball, horse shoes, playground
• shower facilities and restrooms
• store, clubhouse, laundry, wifi

Rates:

RV around $60/ight

Tent camping $47/day

Cabins (4) $176/day

Cottages (6) $203/day

Tahoe Hostel (North Tahoe)

This is the cheapest place to stay and only hostel in Tahoe! The north end aquieter and private with the majority of tourism and people staying in the main South Tahoe area. This hostel is close to the Northstar ski area. Make reservations for the hostel here.

• free on site parking
• free wifi
• free personal lockers (bring your own lock!)
• complimentary light granola breakfast
• lounge with fireplace, books, games and guitar
• equipped kitchen
• bbq materials and bbq
• Walking distance to town, lake and North star shuttles

Cost

For 2018 (Rates shown include all tax)	9/3-9/30	10/25-11/17*	11/18-11/25**
Male and Female Dorm beds, per person	$35	$35	$35
Private Queen room (for one to two)	$80	$80	$80
Private Double /Triple room (for one to three)	$85	$85	$85
Private Family room (for 1-4 people)	$90	$90	$90

• *Closed to Arrival and Walk-in Tuesday and Wednesday* between October 25 and November 17. Stay through permitted
• **Two night minimum stay** (subject to availability) is required for booking between November 18 and 25 (US Thanksgiving).

Extended stay discounts for Dorm rooms:

• 7+ nights: $5 off daily room rate

Extended stay discounts for all Private room types (Queen/Double/Triple/Family):

• 7+ nights: $5 off daily room rate
• 20+ nights: $10 off daily room rate
• 30+ nights: Please contact Hostel Tahoe

Vacation Rental Resort (North Tahoe)

If you are looking for something with a higher budget and nicer stay that is on a private stretch of the lake, then this vacation rental might be your style. It’s gorgeous and lakeside. You can check out their site and rates here. They are top rated with Trip Advisor and have deals like book two nights get one free, the deals are only by phone not online.

Cost: $142-$503/night averages

Low season (jan-jun): $142- $262

Mid season (sept): $178-$328

High season (Jun- Sep, Dec-Jan): $239- $503

North Tahoe Coffee/Cafes

Java Hut

This is the cutest A-frame cabin coffee shop that is the perfect place to cozy up in the winter and get a hot drink. They have the best bagels, smoothies, and my favorite chai latte. They have free wifi and are a classic to visit when you are staying in Tahoe. There is free parking in the tiny downtown.

Hours: 6am-7pm daily

Website: javahut.com

King’s Cafe

This is also right next door to the Java Hut on the same street. This cute cafe is in the old school brick building overlooking the lake. It has such good comfort food. They have good burgers, gyros, sandwiches, waffle fries, and all kinds of coffee and tea. Guys the cheesy garlic tots are life changing. The meals are $4-10 for a good size meal. This is a great budget local place.

Hours: 8am-5pm

Website: kingscafe.com

Skiing/Snowboarding Resorts, How to choose which one

There are many great ski resorts in the Tahoe area but there are 3 that are the most popular with more in-depth information below. Northstar is the best northern lake option to stay and explore up there. Kirkwood and Heavenly are two of the most popular southern lake Tahoe options for ski resorts. They all offer gorgeous locations and views as well as good snow.

Another resort named Homewood is said to offer the lowest lift tickets, however, it is not the option that many people choose and is popular if you are looking for a more budget-friendly option.

Northstar has the most to offer beginners. They have a lot of beginner and intermediate terrain that is great for families and also have two great kid zones. So for families, this might be best.

Heavenly is conveniently inside town on the south, close to the California and Nevada border with plenty do on both sides of the line. There are twice as many green runs on the California and twice as many blue runs on the Nevada side. If you are looking for black runs, then stay on the California side. The official ratio at heavenly is 20% runs are beginner, 45% intermediate, and 35% advanced. It is als rumored to have the best views of the mountain.

Kirkwood is around 30-45 minutes outside of Lake Tahoe city in the south and is not as convenient for that reason. Kirkwood has lots of good runs for advanced skiers. Only 12% of lifts at Kirkwood are for beginners, 30% are intermediate, 38% advanced, and 20% expert levels! Really the research seems to show that Northstar is the best for beginners, families and kids and Kirkwood is the best for advanced skiiers. Heavenly is a nice mix of the two for groups, couples and intermediate skiiers.

When?

The peak season is mid-November to mid-April. This is normally the best weather, snow conditions, and mountain powder quality.

Northstar

This is the ski resort on the northern end of Lake Tahoe, as per its name. This is an upscale resort, but you don’t have to pay to stay here for a more budget trip. You can take one of the many free shuttles and pay for your winter activities or splurge for a night of luxary on the mountain. This is considered to be one of the courses that is the least steep in Tahoe area that is good for beginners. Northstar is a great northern lake Tahoe option if you want to stay and explore that portion of the lake.

Rates: $200-$900/night They have a range of cabins, sizes and options for different budgets. Check here for more lodging information.

Tickets: When you buy lift tickets, the more days you buy, the better the deal is for the outdoor experience. Their passes start at $129/day for an adult for a one day pass, $254 2 day pass, $375 3 day pass, all the way up to 7 days for $819. They do have a lot of flexibility in letting you purchase the exact number of days you want of your trip. Each ticket pass you buy with a resort has multi-resort lift days that you can use at the other resorts like Heavenly and Kirkwood on other parts of the lake. Their best deal on multiple day passes are 4 or 7 day passes.

• Snow & Weather Report here
• Mountain web cams here
• ift status here

Lessons:

There are whole day, half day, am and pm, as well as private lessons. There are family lessons available or group lessons of 4 people to 1 instructor. The class times are 3 hours standard. Also family lesson costs are the same as private one on one lessos which is a pretty good deal and a great way to learn together.

Private–

SESSION	PRICING
Window	Online
1 Day	The Window Price is$719	The Online Price is$679

Burton Academy  

This is one of the most respected companies for gear and training in the snowboarding industry. Their full day group classes seem to be some of the best for the budget as well. For more information click here.

Private half day- $699 (3 hours) private whole day- $1259 (6 hours)

group (4) full day- $402 G

Equipment Rentals:  

There are so many different companies and options for you to choose from. There is even a company that brings your equipment to where you are staying no transportation or car needed to get the gear taht you need! The rental delivery service to where you are staying can be found here. The full list of option savailable can be found here.

Village Demo– more top of the line equipment for people who are avid skiiers. Reserve here!

Village Rental– This is probably the easiest that save the most time and money with less people. Reserve here!

Butterbox– This is the snowboard rental is a one stop shop with premium gear. Reserve here!

Burton– This is one of the most trusted and used snowboarding brands and gear rented. Reserve here!

Heavenly Resort (South Tahoe)

Heavenly is the main central resort in downtown South Tahoe and is the biggest and probably most popular resort in Tahoe. This is the biggest ski resort in Tahoe. This is a great choice for the south of the lake area if that is what you are looking for. For more information about this ski resort you can find their site here.

Rates: $124/night starting

Lift Tickets

1 day- $164, 2 day- $328, 3 day-$444, up to 7 days $1036

Weather

• Weather Conditions here
• Mountain cams here
• Terrain and Lift Status here

Kirkwood (South Tahoe)

This ski resort is known for having great areas for beginners up to advanced. They have a wide variety which is good for family and people going together with different skill levels. Whereas Northstar is known to have really good less, steep beginner routes and Heavenly is the largest which may be overwhelming at first for beginners. This is a south lake location if that is where you want to stay. There is no doubt that Kirkwood is one of the more budget options available in Tahoe. It is a great cost for being a bit farther outside the city and maybe not staying at the top resort. Their website and more information can be found here.

Cost

$130 a night at the village- $375 home cabins. Book lodging here.

Lift Tickets

1 day- $92, 2 day- $168, 3 day-$234, 7 day- $448. Purchase tickets here.

Weather

• Weather information here
• Lift status here
• Mountain cams here