Things to Do at Lake Tahoe with Kids at Wintertime

There are so many things to do at Lake Tahoe with kids in winter even if you are not skiing. It’s a winter wonderland that everyone should experience.

Since we live in Northern California we like to visit Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains quite often. It’s a perfect place for a vacation both summer and winter. We even got married there and now we are excited that we can take our kids there too.

Lake Tahoe is a big freshwater lake in the border of California and Nevada. Depending on which side of the lake you are heading, the drive from San Francisco is usually about 3.5 half hours, and from Sacramento two hours. However, the mountain roads can often be slower especially in winter depending on traffic and the conditions.

We have stayed both at South Lake Tahoe and North Lake, and both of them have their advantages. South Lake Tahoe has a bigger downtown and more services than North Lake. However, we love the tranquil north side and the easy access to the snow from there.

Things to do at Lake Tahoe with Kids in Winter (other than skiing)

Most people come to Lake Tahoe at wintertime to ski, but I can assure you, there is a lot to do even if you don’t ski. Our kids have many great memories from there and they are always ready to pack their bags to go back to Lake Tahoe. Here are some other things you can do in Lake Tahoe if you are not skiing:

Go Sledding

This must be the second most popular winter activity in Tahoe right after skiing. We went sledding more than once during our stay last time. And since Lake Tahoe is in the mountains, there are hills everywhere and you can just pick one.

There are a few designated areas that are maintained during the winter just for sledding. They do have an entrance fee, but the ticket usually includes the use of sleds or tubes. One of the most popular ones is the Tahoe Snowmobiles Tubing Hills since it is right by Highway 50. It is next to Mont Bleu Casino at the state line.

Another good one is Hansen’s Resort & Tubing Hill at South Lake Tahoe. It is located at Ski Run Boulevard close to Pioneer Trail where there are many rental cabins.

One of the locals gave us a hint for a free sledding hill on the Nevada side, so we headed over to check it out. It was in Glenbrook and can be found from Google Maps with the name “Sledding Hill”. It was a great big hill with a lot of space to sled and build snowmen. It was perfect for us, because we had our own gear for sledding.

I would definitely recommend this place to go sledding, but the problem there was the parking. You will have to park along the road and it can get packed really fast. Because of the snow, the road is really narrow and people leaving the area have trouble getting out. It was a real nightmare!

If you are staying in North Lake, you can find several spots for sledding along the Mt Rose Highway in Tahoe Meadows. They are not maintained, but we saw many people sledding and playing in the snow there.

Enjoy the nature by Hiking or snowshoeing

Lake Tahoe is a perfect place for both hiking and snowshoeing. You can decide which one to do depending on the snow conditions. The views are amazing and there are so many trails all over the area. Snowshoes make it easier for you to walk on top of the snow and it is great fun.

If you are looking to rent some snowshoes, just find one of the many spots advertising “ski rentals”. There are some at both South and North Lake, and they usually carry also snowshoes. The price is about $30 per day. Or you can just book a guided snowshoeing tour.

Ride Snowmobiles

One fun thing to do with the family is a snowmobile tour. And what can be a better place for snowmobiling than the Sierra Nevada Mountains?

The group usually has maximum of twelve snowmobiles, and the kids can sit on the back of the snowmobile while parents are riding. They will fully prepare you how to do it and provide all the gear. A guide will lead the group on a trail through the amazing views.

The tour lasts for two hours and you can request them to pick you up for the tour if you are unable to get to the meeting point yourself.

📍Location: 760 Hwy 50, Zephyr Cove, NV 89448, USA

Try Ice Skating

Ice skating is something that I always enjoyed when I was a kid and now my kids love doing it too. And even if you have never done it before, you should give it a try! You will get the hang of it quickly!

An ice rink is at Heavenly Village very close to most of the hotels at South Lake Tahoe. It is very cute with its disco balls and winter lights, and definitely at its best when it is already dark outside. Evening can get pretty crowded though during the peak season, so in that sense it might be better to go earlier in the morning.

I do have an important note to parents with small kids though: They will not allow children under 4 years on the ice, and for some reason this information is not specifically mentioned anywhere!

It can be a huge disappointment for a child that age to find out over there that he or she is not allowed to skate after all. So luckily, I saw this in a review someone had left, and I left my husband at the hotel with our toddler so our older daughter could skate.

The fee is $20 per person and $15 for kids (4-12 years old). We got $5 off from the price, since we had our own skates.

📍Location: Heavenly Village Ice Rink , Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, California

Play in the snow

It is not very common for kids in California to see snow, so when ever they do see it, there will be non-stop snow play. It doesn’t matter where or when, they will want to play! Just find a spot with snow and make snow balls, snow men, snow castles or have a snow fight. It sure is fun and doesn’t cost anything!

Here my family is having a snow fight while we moms were shopping in a near by store.

And on our way to see the birds at Chickadee Ridge we stopped at the Mt. Rose Highway at Tahoe Meadows to play in the snow.

Feed birds at Chickadee Ridge

If you are at North Lake and you like hiking then Chickadee Ridge is a fun place to visit. We went there with our kids and they loved it!

Right by Tahoe Meadows there is a forest that has a bunch of friendly Chickadee birds. If you are very quiet and stand still the birds will come to you. Make sure to bring some seeds and keep them in your hand while waiting. Soon you will start seeing birds all over.

You can make the hike as long or short as you like, but in order to find the birds you will have to cross the meadow and enter the forest. It wasn’t far from road and you can combine this trip into snow play or a sledding trip.

There are also guided snowshoeing tours to Chickadee Ridge when you don’t have to worry about finding the place yourself.

Stop at the Lake Tahoe Scenic Overlook

If you head over to Mt. Rose Highway to Chickadee Ridge, you will be driving by one of the best vista points of Lake Tahoe. Don’t forget to bring your camera with you!

Many people visiting Lake Tahoe don’t know about this place, since it isn’t along the roads running around the lake shoreline. It is actually higher up which makes the views even better. It’s a great, short stop on your trip!

Book a Sleigh ride with a horse

If you are interested in an old fashioned sleigh ride with some beautiful Blonde Belgian Horses, you can do that on Nevada side at Sand Harbor State Park. It’s a great and unique way to be outdoors and in the nature. And the park itself in my opinion, is one of the most amazing places in Tahoe.

The ride lasts for about 45 minutes and they stop for photos at some point. But you should book your ride beforehand online, since they often sell out. The ride costs $50 for adults, $20 (2-10 years old) and $45 for students. In addition, there is also a $15 fee ($10 for Nevada residents) per vehicle to enter the park.

Since you are already entering the park, why not combine the sleigh ride with some other activities like hiking. Sand Harbor is very scenic and there are several good picnic spots. Their visitor center is also open during the winter.

I also want to note, that there is no guarantee that the horse ride is an actual sleigh ride. If there isn’t enough snow, they might use carriages instead which to me, is definitely not the same thing. But I’m sure it is still fun and kids will love it.

📍Location: The Borges Sleigh and Carriage Rides, Sand Harbor State Park, Nevada

Where to stay at Lake Tahoe

Most times we have stayed at South Lake Tahoe. Our favourite hotels there are The Coachman Hotel and The Tahoe Beach & Ski Club Owners Association, and we have also rented this super cute cabin that we really liked.

We like both South Lake Tahoe and North Lake Tahoe but they are very different. South Lake Tahoe has a bigger downtown and more bars and restaurants, when North Lake is great if you just want to spend time at your cabin and going out for activities.

We stayed in a really lovely apartment on the north side of the lake, in the little town of Kings Beach. It’s right on the state border, though just barely still on the California side.

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There are so many things to do in Lake Tahoe, and the kids will never be tired of sledding or playing in the snow. You might not even need any special activities planned when you just head out to the nature and enjoy what it has to offer.

At least our kids seem to be very happy just running around in the woods and jumping into snow piles. But we did forget to do one thing I always used to do as a kid while playing in the snow… a snow angel! Oh well, maybe next time!

What are your favorite acitivities at Lake Tahoe during the winter months?