It’s easy to see why Lake Tahoe tops so many travel lists: straddling the border between California and Nevada, the glassy alpine lake is framed by snow-capped peaks in the winter and sandy, boulder-strewn beaches after the snow melts.
But popularity has its price. The small towns around the lake have long struggled with overtourism issues ranging from littered beaches and threatened wildlife to traffic so heavy that schools are delayed on powder days because buses can’t move through town.
I’ve lived in Tahoe for more than a decade, and challenges brought on by increasing visitation have continued to grow. However, something that’s changed for the better in recent years (thanks to years of public discourse and awareness campaigns from organizations like Keep Tahoe Blue) is an understanding that it’s not a “locals versus tourists” problem—it’s a shared issue, and if everyone works together, it’ll be possible to love Tahoe without loving it to death.
While no one would say Tahoe isn’t crowded on holiday weekends, it’s still possible to find moments of solitude without the throngs of beach-chair-toting families or party-minded skiers on bachelor trips—you just have to go a bit beyond the usual sites splashed across social media.
Beat the winter traffic—or ski-in without the crowds
Some of Tahoe’s winter woes are caused by the region’s natural geography. The lake sits in a basin, with one road looping around the water and only three connections to the outside world via mountain passes (or four, when the high-elevation Mount Rose Highway isn’t closed due to regular storms). Add in snow piles that narrow the shoulders, chain controls, and icy roads, and delays are just part of the Tahoe travel experience.
But traffic is made much worse by too many weekend skiers. With San Francisco about 3.5 hours away, weekenders usually start arriving around Fridays at 3 p.m. Most typically leave the ski resorts to head back to their hotels on Saturdays from 3 p.m.–6 p.m. On Sundays, the roads are clogged from about noon to 5 p.m. as skiers start the drive back to the Bay. So do like the locals do and avoid trying to drive during those times—or, better yet, skip the ski resorts entirely on weekends.
Plan your ski trip for midweek, and you’ll already have far less traffic to contend with. If weekends are unavoidable, and you’re an intermediate skier or above, ditch the lifts in favor of a guided backcountry ski trip with experts from Alpenglow Expeditions or Blackbird Guides. Beginners will find the smallest crowds at tiny Donner Ski Ranch.
Staying at a ski-in, ski-out property may cost more, but it means you don’t need to contend with tourist traffic. And if you have an Ikon pass, you can get on the mountain an hour before the general public on select days at Palisades Tahoe.
Alternatively, opt for other winter activities, like snowshoeing. You can snowshoe in almost any area where you’d hike in the summer, with rentals available at nearly all ski shops. Well-known snowshoe routes like Chickadee Ridge and Rabe Meadows can get busy (though never as busy as the resorts), but with Tahoe National Forest covering 1.2 million acres, you’ll have no shortage of other trails where you can work up a sweat. Remember that snowshoeing generates more body heat than downhill skiing, so opt for mostly flat trails if you don’t want to break a sweat.
Skiers who truly hate lines should plan a trip for early April. While that may mean closing time at most U.S. ski resorts, the season at Palisades Tahoe often runs into June, with Mount Rose Ski Tahoe staying open until at least the end of April. By mid-March, most of Tahoe’s weekenders from the San Francisco Bay Area have gotten their fill of skiing for the season, leaving the remaining resorts (relatively) crowd-free.
Get out on the water—before everyone else does.
Photo by oliverdejonghe/Shutterstock
Visit popular attractions earlier or later
Owing perhaps to fewer road issues and more agreeable weather, traffic in the summer isn’t as heavy—but that doesn’t mean you can roll out of bed at 9 a.m. and expect to find parking at your favorite beach. Whether you’re going to undeveloped shorelines like Skunk Harbor, local spots like Moon Dune Beach in Tahoe City, or bustling tourist stretches like South Lake Tahoe’s Pope Beach, you’ll need to get there early. The same goes for popular trailheads (looking at you, Monkey Rock). Expect parking challenges if you’re not at popular beach or trail lots by 7:30 a.m. on most summer days. Postcard-worthy Sand Harbor introduced parking reservations in 2025; it’s not unlikely that other popular beaches could follow suit in the coming years.
Not a morning person? Then consider swinging in the other direction, and planning your activities for after sunset. Noctourism has never been more popular, and in Tahoe, you’ll find summer opportunities like astronomer-led stargazing kayak tours to guided night hikes. In the winter, high-end Everline Resort offers snowcat tours to a winter bonfire and stargazing circle, while Tahoe Adventure Company runs group sunset and full moon snowshoe tours around the north shore.
Skip the peak of summer
Just as crowd-averse skiers should plan April trips, outdoor enthusiasts should plan for September, also known as “locals’ summer.” With temperatures similar to August but a fraction of summer’s vacationing families, it’s the best time for hitting popular beaches or snagging a table without a reservation in ever-busy South Lake Tahoe.
Check out Tahoe’s cultural draws
Lake Tahoe is so well-known for outdoor adventure that most visitors forget it has cultural draws, too. Even on the busiest weekends, it’s rare to find crowds at places like the Gatekeepers Museum (a living history museum with one of the largest Indigenous basket collections in the USA) or the South Lake Tahoe History Museum. Both are open daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Summer also brings a full calendar of festivals around the lake, from the Classical Tahoe concerts and Tahoe Brewfest to a Washoe speaker series and guided outdoor wine walks. Attending events that require advance reservations means a more relaxing experience without waiting in long first-come, first-served lines or fighting for a place to sit.
Widen your perimeter via short day trips
When most people talk about the Tahoe area, they’re referring to the small towns surrounding the lake, from Truckee in the north to South Lake Tahoe. But the region has ample options beyond the shoreline, much of it less than an hour’s drive away. Since most visitors stay within a stone’s throw of the lake, heading just outside the basin’s boundaries can be an excellent way to find solitude.
For quieter hiking trails, head north to the Mount Lola summit in Sierraville or south to Hope Valley. More leisurely visitors can road-trip to the semi-ghost-town of Virginia City or soak in naturally heated thermal pools at Grover Hot Springs State Park. For on-the-water action, kayak at Independence Lake Preserve or rent pontoons and paddleboards at Caples Lake, near Kirkwood Resort.
