Things To Do in South Lake Tahoe
Updated September 30, 2026 · 10 min read
Top things to do in South Lake Tahoe: Heavenly's gondola and skiing, Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm, Pope and Baldwin beaches, Mount Tallac and the casinos.
The short answer: The top things to do in South Lake Tahoe are riding the Heavenly Gondola (skiing in winter, sightseeing in summer), driving 12 miles to Emerald Bay to walk down to Vikingsholm, swimming at Pope, Baldwin or El Dorado Beach, walking through the Tallac Historic Site, hiking Mount Tallac or the Eagle Falls trail, and spending an evening at the casinos in Stateline, Nevada. Summer and winter are both busy; September is the easiest month for a first visit.
We don't have homes in South Lake Tahoe. MG Vacation Rentals manages homes on the North and West Shore, so this guide comes from neighbors who drive down for the day, not from hosts there. If you are still choosing which side of the lake to stay on, our North vs. South Lake Tahoe guide lays out the trade-offs. We checked fees, dates and rules below against the Forest Service, California State Parks, the City of South Lake Tahoe and Heavenly in September 2026.
Staying on the North or West Shore instead
Search by datesAs we said at the top, we don't manage homes in South Lake Tahoe. Our homes are in Tahoma, Homewood, Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Incline Village and nearby towns, about 40 minutes to an hour's drive around the lake from South Lake Tahoe. The West Shore homes are the closest: from Tahoma, Emerald Bay is about 20 minutes and South Lake Tahoe about 40, when Highway 89 is open. If you'd like quieter towns and a South Lake day trip or two, that works well. Browse our homes; some have hot tubs (see which), and our homes do not accept pets.
If you stay with us, book on our own site. Our nightly prices on Airbnb are set 28% higher than on our own site (17% higher on Vrbo), and every home page shows the dollar saving for your dates. See booking direct vs. Airbnb at Lake Tahoe, search your dates, or call us at (530) 317-0291.
Enchanted Woods Cabin
Tranquil Tahoe Haven
Trout and About
Book direct and pay less than for the same home on Airbnb: pick dates on any home to see the difference.
South Lake Tahoe at a glance
| Thing to do | Season | Cost (as of 2026) | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Gondola sightseeing | Summer, plus weekends in September and early October | Ticket (free for 2025/26 passholders) | Check with Heavenly |
| Skiing at Heavenly | Winter | Lift ticket or Epic Pass | No |
| Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm | Park year-round; tours May 23–Sep 30 | $10/day parking; tours $18 adults | Not on trails or beaches |
| Pope Beach | May–October | $10 per vehicle | No |
| Baldwin Beach | Mid-May–mid-October | $10 per vehicle | No |
| El Dorado Beach | May–October (closed Sep 8 to about Oct 15, 2026) | Free | No |
| Tallac Historic Site | Buildings Memorial Day–September; grounds year-round | No fee | Leashed |
| Eagle Falls trail | Mid-May–mid-October lot | $5 per vehicle | Leashed |
| Mount Tallac | Summer and early fall | Free day-use wilderness permit | Leashed |
| Stateline casinos | Year-round | Free to walk in; 21+ to gamble | No |
1. Heavenly Mountain Resort
Heavenly is the reason many people come to South Lake Tahoe. According to Heavenly, it has 4,800 skiable acres, 111 trails and 28 lifts across California and Nevada, with a summit of 10,067 feet, the highest around the lake, and an average of 251 inches of snow a year. The gondola rises from Heavenly Village in the middle of town, so you can walk to the lift from many hotels.
Heavenly in winter
The terrain is 15% beginner, 53% intermediate and 32% advanced, and the resort has four base areas. Gunbarrel, with more than 1,600 vertical feet of moguls, is its best-known bump run. Lift tickets are priced by date and are cheapest bought online in advance; Heavenly is on the Epic Pass. Check skiheavenly.com for the 2026/27 opening date.
Heavenly in summer
In summer 2026, the gondola opened Memorial Day weekend and ran daily through the summer, with sightseeing from 10 am to 5 pm and activities such as the Ridge Rider mountain coaster, tubing, a zipline, gemstone panning and a climbing wall from 11 am to 4:30 pm. From September into the first week of October it runs weekends only. Scenic gondola tickets include unlimited rides for the day, and 2025/26 passholders ride free. Tamarack Lodge at the top of the gondola serves lunch.
2. Emerald Bay State Park and Vikingsholm
Emerald Bay is 12 miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. It is open sunrise to sunset all year, and the view from the overlooks is the most photographed on the lake. As of the 2026 season, the Vikingsholm lot is $10 a day or $3 for one hour, and it fills early in summer, so arrive before 9 am or after 3 pm.
From the lot, a steep one-mile trail drops to Vikingsholm, a 1929 Scandinavian-style mansion. Guided 30-minute tours ran daily from May 23 to September 30, 2026, at $18 for adults, $15 for students, seniors and military, and free for 6 and under. No dogs are allowed on the trails or beaches in the bay. Read our Emerald Bay State Park guide and Vikingsholm guide before you go.
3. The beaches
Pope Beach
About three-quarters of a mile of sand on Highway 89 near Camp Richardson, with shallow swimming, kayak rentals and a food concession, according to the Forest Service. Parking is $10 per vehicle per day from May to October. You can walk or bike in free year-round on the Pope-Baldwin Bike Path. No pets and no wood or charcoal fires.
Baldwin Beach
A little farther west on Highway 89, with open sand and views of Mount Tallac. Parking is $10 per vehicle per day, mid-May to mid-October. No pets.
El Dorado Beach at Lakeview Commons
The City of South Lake Tahoe's free in-town beach, with free parking, a roped swim area, a boat ramp, rentals and summer Thursday concerts. It is closed from September 8 to about October 15, 2026 for shoreline construction. See our El Dorado Beach guide.
Kiva Picnic Area
A Forest Service beach and picnic area between the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and the Tallac Historic Site, with no fee and leashed pets allowed in the picnic area. The Forest Service has proposed adding a $10 parking fee here, so check before you go.
Nevada Beach
A wide beach and campground about three miles north of Stateline on the Nevada side. Pets are allowed on leash in the campground but not on the beach or in the picnic areas, according to the Forest Service.
For the rest of the lake, including Sand Harbor on the East Shore, see our Lake Tahoe beaches guide.
4. Tallac Historic Site and Taylor Creek
The Tallac Historic Site preserves several early-1900s summer estates on the lake, about three miles northwest of town on Highway 89. There is no fee. The buildings are generally open Memorial Day weekend through September, and the grounds stay open all year, becoming a cross-country ski and snowshoe spot in winter. Leashed pets are allowed. Next door, Kiva has a beach, and the Taylor Creek Visitor Center sits by the creek where kokanee salmon spawn each fall. The Forest Service has traditionally held a fall fish festival at Taylor Creek in early October; check its events page for dates. Pets are not allowed in or near the Taylor Creek Marsh.
5. Hiking
Mount Tallac
The peak that dominates the South Shore skyline, at 9,735 feet. The standard trail is roughly 10 miles round trip with about 3,300 to 3,500 feet of climbing, into Desolation Wilderness. Day hikers fill out a free self-issue wilderness permit at the trailhead. Start early and turn around if afternoon thunderstorms build.
Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake
From the Forest Service Eagle Falls lot across Highway 89 from Emerald Bay ($5 per vehicle, mid-May to mid-October), a short climb reaches the falls, and the trail continues about a mile to Eagle Lake. Leashed dogs are allowed, and the lot is extremely crowded on weekends. The Forest Service has proposed raising the fee to $10.
Cascade Falls
From the Bayview trailhead across the highway from Inspiration Point, a short walk leads to a waterfall above Cascade Lake. It is best in late spring and early summer, when snowmelt feeds it. Leashed dogs are allowed on this Forest Service trail.
The Rubicon Trail
A shoreline trail running 7.4 miles from D.L. Bliss State Park around Emerald Bay to Eagle Point, with constant lake views. No dogs or bikes.
6. On the water
- Kayak or paddleboard from Pope Beach, El Dorado Beach (when open) or the Vikingsholm beach in Emerald Bay, where Kayak Tahoe rents in summer. Clean, drain and dry any boat you bring.
- Take a cruise. The M.S. Dixie II paddlewheeler runs a narrated scenic cruise of about two and a quarter hours from Zephyr Cove into Emerald Bay. Check Zephyr Cove for the schedule and prices.
- Launch a boat at the city's El Dorado Beach ramp in a normal season ($17 a day, card only, boats up to 23 feet, inspection seal required).
7. Stateline casinos and nightlife
Cross the state line into Stateline, Nevada, and the casinos start right away. The names have changed a lot in recent years, so here is who's who in 2026:
- Harrah's Lake Tahoe.
- Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe, the former Harveys, which reopened under its new name on July 7, 2026 after a renovation Caesars put at about $200 million. New venues include Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen and WOLF by Vanderpump.
- Bally's Lake Tahoe, the former Caesars Tahoe and later MontBleu.
- Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, the former Horizon and later Hard Rock.
You don't need a room to visit. The casinos sit close together along Highway 50, a short walk from Heavenly Village. You must be 21 to gamble. On the North Shore, the only casinos are a few smaller ones on the Nevada side, in Crystal Bay and Incline Village.
8. Free things to do
- Tallac Historic Site and the Kiva Picnic Area: no fee.
- Walk or bike into Pope and Baldwin Beach on the Pope-Baldwin Bike Path; only parking costs money.
- El Dorado Beach in a normal season: free entry and parking.
- Live at Lakeview: free concerts at Lakeview Commons on summer Thursdays (June 25 to August 27 in 2026).
- Hikes: the Mount Tallac trail and Desolation Wilderness day permits are free; you pay only where a lot charges.
- Window-shopping Heavenly Village and watching the gondola go up.
9. With kids
- Heavenly in summer: the gondola, the mountain coaster, tubing and gemstone panning.
- Pope Beach: shallow water and rentals, with a bike path to get there.
- Tallac Historic Site and Taylor Creek: old estates, a beach at Kiva, and salmon in the creek in fall.
- Breakfast: waffles at the Red Hut; see our Red Hut Café guide.
- Vikingsholm for older kids who can manage the steep climb back up. Children 6 and under tour free.
10. Where to eat breakfast
The Red Hut Café has served waffles since 1959 from its original Highway 50 diner, with a second South Lake location in the Ski Run Center and a third on Kingsbury Grade in Stateline. Heidi's Pancake House (serving breakfast since 1964) and the Driftwood Cafe in Heavenly Village are the other well-known breakfast stops. Check hours before you go.
A three-day South Lake Tahoe plan
- Day 1, Heavenly: breakfast at the Red Hut, then ski, or ride the gondola in summer. Evening in Heavenly Village and Stateline.
- Day 2, Emerald Bay: park at the Vikingsholm lot before 9 am, walk down, tour the house in season, then hike to Eagle Falls. Swim at Baldwin Beach on the way back.
- Day 3, the South Shore: bike the Pope-Baldwin path, walk through the Tallac Historic Site, picnic at Kiva, and end with sunset over Mount Tallac from the lake.
When to go
- July and August: everything is open and the water is warmest, but lots fill early and traffic on Highway 50 and Highway 89 is heavy.
- September: our pick. Warm days, thinner crowds, Vikingsholm tours through September 30, and Heavenly's gondola on weekends.
- January to March: the most reliable skiing. Highway 89 through Emerald Bay and Highway 50 over Echo Summit can close or need chains in storms; check Caltrans QuickMap.
- October, November, April and May: quiet, with many seasonal services closed.
More in our best time to visit Lake Tahoe guide.
South Lake Tahoe vs. the North and West Shore
South Lake Tahoe puts the most in one place: the biggest ski resort on the lake, the casinos, Heavenly Village and a long list of restaurants. The trade-off is more traffic and busier beaches. The North and West Shore are a string of smaller towns, with beaches like Sand Harbor and Meeks Bay, ski areas like Palisades Tahoe and Diamond Peak, and quieter evenings. Our things to do in Lake Tahoe guide covers the whole lake.
Take away
For a first trip to South Lake Tahoe, ride the Heavenly Gondola, walk down to Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay, spend an afternoon at Pope or Baldwin Beach, and walk the Tallac Historic Site; add Mount Tallac if you are a strong hiker and an evening in Stateline if you like casinos. Check fees and seasonal dates before you go, since several Forest Service fees may change and El Dorado Beach is closed until about mid-October 2026.
Questions
What is South Lake Tahoe known for?
Heavenly Mountain Resort, which straddles California and Nevada and rises from the middle of town; Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm on the West Shore; long sandy Forest Service beaches like Pope and Baldwin; and the casinos just over the state line in Stateline, Nevada.
What is there to do in South Lake Tahoe besides skiing?
Ride the Heavenly Gondola in summer, walk down to Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay, swim at Pope, Baldwin or El Dorado Beach, tour the Tallac Historic Site, hike Mount Tallac or to Eagle Falls, paddle the lake, and spend an evening at the Stateline casinos.
What are the best free things to do in South Lake Tahoe?
The Tallac Historic Site grounds and the Kiva Picnic Area have no fee, El Dorado Beach normally has free parking (it is closed for construction until about October 15, 2026), the lakeside bike paths are free, and walking or biking into Pope and Baldwin Beach is free year-round; only parking there costs $10.
Where can I take my dog in South Lake Tahoe?
Leashed dogs are welcome on most Forest Service land and trails, at the Kiva Picnic Area and the Tallac Historic Site, and in the Dog Water Park at the east end of Regan Beach. Dogs are not allowed at Pope Beach, Baldwin Beach, on the beach at Nevada Beach, at El Dorado Beach, or on any trail or beach going down into Emerald Bay.
How many days do you need in South Lake Tahoe?
Three days covers the highlights: one for Heavenly, one for Emerald Bay and a hike, and one for the beaches and the Tallac Historic Site, with evenings in Stateline. Add a day if you want to ski more than once or climb Mount Tallac.
Is South Lake Tahoe or North Lake Tahoe better?
It depends on the trip. South Lake has the biggest ski resort on the lake, the casinos and the most going on in one town. The North and West Shore are quieter, with smaller towns and beaches like Sand Harbor. Our North vs. South Lake Tahoe guide compares them in detail.
What is the best month to visit South Lake Tahoe?
July and August for warm water and every summer activity, September for thinner crowds and settled weather, and January through March for the most reliable skiing. October and May are quiet shoulder months when some services close.