Lake Tahoe Activities in Summer

The Championship Golf Course in Incline Village is a par 72 course of 7100 yards that flows down a gentle slope toward the lake, providing majestic views. The front nine are cut out of some thick forest with tight fairways requiring accuracy and distance. The back nine are a little more open and forgiving. You can work on your short game at the chipping green — with a bunker and putting green — or practice your long shots at the 28-stall driving range with five targets ranging from 40 to 200 yards. Visit the golf shop to see the latest in golf technology or get fitted for a custom club. Pick up a snack or drink from the beverage cart or lunch from the snack bar. For something more substantial stop in at The Grille at the Chateau for an upscale lunch or happy hour after your round of golf. If you love the views and locale, you can book the 5,200-square-foot Chateau for your next meeting, event or wedding.

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.