3 Best Sights in Lake Tahoe, California

Millions of years ago, a massive glacier carved this 3-mile-long and 1-mile-wide fjord-like inlet. Famed for its jewel-like shape and colors, the bay surrounds Fannette, Lake Tahoe's only island. Highway 89 curves high above the lake here; from the Emerald Bay lookout, the park's centerpiece, you can survey the whole scene. The bay is one of Lake Tahoe's don't-miss views. The light is best in mid- to late morning, when the bay's colors pop.

Whether you ski or not, you'll appreciate the impressive view of Lake Tahoe from the Heavenly Gondola. Its eight-passenger cars travel from Heavenly Village 2.4 miles up the mountain in 15–20 minutes. When the weather's fine, you can hike around the mountaintop and have lunch at Tamarack Lodge. The thrilling gravity-powered Ridge Rider alpine roller coaster, which zips past boulders and trees, closed in 2023 because of snow damage but was expected to reopen in 2024.

Three historic mansions—the Pope House, the Baldwin Museum, and the Heller Estate—open in late spring and summer, but you can stroll the grounds or picnic year-round. George S. Pope, who made his money in shipping and lumber and played host to 1920s America's business and cultural elite, commissioned the magnificent 1894 Pope House. The Baldwin Museum is in the estate that once belonged to entrepreneur "Lucky" Baldwin; today it houses a collection of family memorabilia and Washoe Indian artifacts.

With a spectacular floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, the Heller Estate, also known as Valhalla, was occupied for years by Walter and Claire Heller. (Tidbit: after their divorce, each visited the property on alternate weekends, though she held the title.) The estate's Grand Hall, Grand Lawn, and a boathouse refurbished as a theater host the summertime Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre Festival ( valhallatahoe.com) of concerts, plays, and cultural activities.