Lake Tahoe Activities in Summer

The Mountain Golf Course in Incline Village is set in a rolling hillside – with an elevation change of about a hundred feet – that reminds you why this town is named Incline. The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course winds its way through a forest of old-growth pines and cedars with a couple of creeks running through. Usually open May through October, the 18-hole, par 58 course of about 3500 yards has 14 par 3 holes and four par 4 holes. The family-friendly Mountain Course is affordable and non-intimidating to the novice, hosting fun events throughout the summer such as Nine & Wine Thursdays, Thrill & Grill shotgun tournaments and Sunday Family Fun Days with shorter yardages and free golf for kids younger than 18. They’ve got a large chipping and putting practice green and a golf shop stocked with gear, apparel, souvenirs and club rentals. When you’re ready for refreshments you can grab something from the beverage cart when it passes by or check in at the Clubhouse after winning a round. Their snack bar has indoor and outdoor seating and serves lunch, beer, wine and cocktails and has a humidor stocked with cigars. In the winter, when the Mountain Course covered in snow, the sloping greens make for the perfect sledding runs.

The sprawling Tahoe Donner subdivision and its 6,000-plus homes above Truckee is many things to lots of people. For some it is their home neighborhood; for others it’s where they rent a house for a few days in winter or summer. Locals and visitors all take advantage of the Tahoe Donner Association’s 7,000 acres and equally vast amenities available to homeowners as well as to the public. The association’s clubhouses are members only, but the public can experience Tahoe Donner for free or pay-to-play at top-notch offerings such as the 18-hole golf course, the equestrian center for riding lessons, the cross-country ski center and its 100 km of groomed trails and kid-friendly snow-play area. The downhill ski center is ideal for little kids (and adults) to learn skiing and snowboarding. More than 60 miles of trails and fire roads wind through nearly 3,500 acres of open space and can be explored for free on foot, bike or snowshoes. And after all that exploring, Tahoe Donner has a variety of places to dine. The Lodge Restaurant and Pub has indoor and outdoor dining next to the golf course. Pizza on the Hill also offers other fare plus a full bar and game room for the kids. Also keep an eye open for events open to the public held at various times in the season.

Take a look around and it’s clear that Truckee is a special town: history, mountains, lakes, river and forests. But there are many hidden gems known mostly to locals. The thing is, those gems are kept shining by the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District for the enjoyment of locals and visitors. Some of the amenities and facilities managed by the district are accessible for free, others for a fee. Either way, the district has received awards for its facilities, and after discovering a few it’s easy to understand why. From the nine-hole Ponderosa Golf Course and an ice rink in winter to super-kid-friendly West End Beach and the public piers on Donner Lake, discover what locals keep to themselves. The crown jewel is the 40,000-square-foot Community Recreation Center with, among other things, a two-court gymnasium, indoor running track, exercise equipment and two climbing walls (one is 29 feet tall). Soon there will be a new, state-of-the-art aquatics center attached to the Rec Center. Want to find Truckee’s soul? Head to Regional Park every Wednesday evening in the summer for free concerts in the grassy amphitheater. Also check out the new bike park at Riverview Sports Park and the popular disc golf course and skate park in Regional Park.