You see word Stateline and I bet you’re probably thinking, “What’s up with that name?”. Well, it’s called like that for a reason - it actually lies on the state line between Nevada and California. It’s a really small town with less than 1,000 citizens, high in the mountains with elevation over 6,000 ft (1900 m). Even though its size is small, it has 5 casinos and many tourists accommodations. Stateline, together with its neighbor - South Tahoe Lake, is a very popular winter and summer destination, because of its numerous winter and summer activities. Check out the rest of this article to learn about the best things to do in Stateline, NV!
1. Lake Tahoe
The lake, located in the Sierra Nevada, is the largest alpine lake in North America and also the largest by volume lake in the US. The deepest part of the lake is about 1,600 ft (500 m), which makes the lake the second deepest in the US. Many of the beaches by the lake belong to the resorts, but you can find a couple of nice public beaches in the area. One of them is El Dorado Beach in South Lake Tahoe, 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the centre of Stateline. The beach has incredible views of the lake, surrounded by snowy, alpine peaks; it’s a perfect place for sunbathing, swimming (just be careful, it’s pretty cold water) or just picture shooting. But be careful if you want to launch your kayak, you gotta follow special regulations.
Dog-friendly beach, Regan Beach, is just down the road. Some of the resort beaches are also open to the public during the day, for example, Conolley Beach.
Beaches by the Lake
El Dorado Beach Address: 1004 Lakeview Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Conolley Beach Address: 3411 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA
2. Emerald Bay State Park
Just A 30 minute drive away from Stateline lies an amazing park by the big beautiful bay - Emerald Bay State Park. Beautiful views down on the lake, amazing forest hikes and fresh air are only little pieces of what you may find there. One of the main attractions of the park is Vikingsholm Castle, called “Tahoe’s Hidden Castle”. The construction was completed in 1929, and it was designed by a Swedish architect. The castle was called “Vikingshold” because the area reminded the owners of beautiful Scandinavia. Today it’s considered as one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the US and is open for tours during summer months. There is no way to get to the castle by car, you can access it on foot from Vikingshold parking lot.
If you’d like to stay a night, there are two campgrounds in the park - Boat-In Camp (that you can get to only by boat or foot) and Eagle Point Campground (that usually opens in the middle of summer). Remember reservations! Although, if you’re visiting Stateline for some winter play in the snow, that’s not a place you can visit, because Emerald Bay Road is closed in the winter.
Emerald Bay State Park
Address: 138 Emerald Bay Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Website: Emerald Bay
3. Inspiration Point
If you’re a photographer, love taking nice photos, or just enjoy beautiful views, you should visiting another Lake Tahoe pearl - Inspiration Point. It towers above the lake and gives the best views of Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm Castle and Fannette Island, which lies in the middle of Emerald Bay. If that didn’t convince you, it’s an overlook of the most photographed place on the lake. There is access by car and paved walkways to Inspiration Point, so you don’t have to worry about the trip being too hard.
If you’d like to get a little sweaty and go for a little hike, it’s recommended to go visit Cascade Falls. The spectacular hike is only 1 mile (1.6 km) long, but it’s graded as moderate. If you’d like to hike something longer or more difficult, you can drive just down the road to Eagle Falls Picnic Area. Just remember that trailhead has a parking fee and it’s a very popular area so you want to go there early enough to find a parking spot.
Inspiration Point on Lake Tahoe
Address: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Website: Inspiration Point
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4. Taylor Creek Visitor Center
Located right before Emerald Bay, Visitor Center on Taylor Creek is a perfect place for everybody who’s interested in water flora and fauna, or just like to learn more about nature. Its primary attraction is the Stream Profile Chamber - an underground viewing chamber, where you can see how the stream environment works, and study many sections of the creek. That all happens thanks to panel windows, that work aquarium-like, so you can take a real look at underwater wildlife. The chamber is located on the Rainbow Trail, one of the four trails that the park has to offer. All of those four trails have different habitats to show - stream, marsh, forest and desert.
Taylor Creek Visitor Center
Address: 35 Visitor Center Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Website: Visitor Center
5. Cafe Fiore
Okay, it’s time for some more modern and civilised activity, isn’t it? Food! Cafe Fiore is a really small, romantic Italian restaurant, with great food and wine, located in a tiny, alpine cabin, so it may be fun to find it. It was called one of the ten best restaurants in the Tahoe area. In the summer you can enjoy amazing weather and views of the beautiful night sky from the patio. The prices vary from 20 to 30 USD per meal, per person.
Cafe Fiore
Address: 1169 Ski Run Boulevard #5, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Website: Cafe Fiore
6. Tallac Historic Site
There is also something for history fans in Stateline! If you want to learn more about the local history, go and visit the Baldwin Museum at the Tallac Historic Site. You’ll find out how life looked at Tahoe in the 1920s and you’ll learn a story about infamous Lucky Baldwin. Admission to the museum is free. There is also the Pope House Tour, that will give you a look at the life of wealthy society. The tour costs 10 USD for adults and 5 USD for children.
Tallac Historic Site
Address: 1 Heritage Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Website: Historic Site
7. Heavenly Mountain Gondola
If you’ve never heard about Heavenly Mountain, it’s one of the most famous ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada. They have a lot of attractions and activities there (including skiing, of course), but I think the most interesting one is a gondola ride. The ride goes for 2.4 mile (almost 4 km) and will leave you speechless, because of all the amazing views that the ride offers. One of the gondola stations is the Observation Deck, that is located on over 9,000 ft (2,743 m) and will give you an opportunity to take a look at the Lake Tahoe from shore-to-shore. The ticket cost is 22 USD.
Heavenly Mountain Gondola
Address: Heavenly Mountain Village
Website: Gondola Ride
Lake Tahoe heaven
As you can see, Lake Tahoe gives plenty of opportunities for making your summer or winter vacation even more fun!
History
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