Lake Tahoe Attractions

One of the treasures of winter is the pleasure of ice skating. In Truckee there is a fabulous family-focused ice rink that comes with the flurries of snowfall at the Truckee River Regional Park. Although not regulation in size, Truckee Ice Rink offers a great array of activities on the ice. From public ice-skating sessions (complete with rentals) to ice-skating lessons for young and old, the outdoor arena is a place that encourages smiles. Visit tdrpd.org/icerink for more information.

Valhalla Tahoe shares an appreciation for the historical heritage and natural beauty of the Tallac Historic Site with visitors from all over the world. The historic Boathouse Theatre provides a stage for artistic presentations, concerts and plays. Valhalla Tahoe is a nonprofit organization operating in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to preserve Tahoe Heritage through restoration, arts, music, theatre and celebrations. In addition to hosting performances in the Boathouse and celebrations in the Grand Hall, Valhalla Tahoe curates a small Art Gallery in one if the historic cabins on the property, and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the artists. A fun aspect of the Tallac Historic Site is that there are paved paths linking the various buildings with self-guided interpretive signs. Valhalla Tahoe holds public events June through September; check out their website for a full schedule. 

Lake Tahoe, 15 minutes away, gets all the attention, but Truckee has a gem of its own: Donner Lake. While not as big and broad as Big Blue, Donner Lake offers up a good bit of watery fun too. One of the best places to access Donner is West End Beach. In summer months, there is a modest admission fee to enter the 10-acre west end area, but the sandy beach and roped-off, kid-friendly swim area is the place to take youngsters to build sand castles and splash in the water all under the watch of life guards. Operated by the Truckee Donner Park and Recreation Department, West End Beach also has paddleboards, kayaks and pedal boats available to rent. There is plenty of fun on the beach area: two playgrounds for kids to get their kicks on, a sand volleyball court, tennis court and horseshoe pits. A snack bar serves up soft drinks, hot dogs and ice cream. Get there early and stake out a picnic table and grill. There are shady group picnic areas available by reservation.