Palisades Tahoe

Why walk when you can ride? OK, lots of reasons…But both you and your dog will enjoy the novelty of a lift-assisted hike at the Northstar California, Palisades Tahoe or Mammoth Mountain ski resorts, all of which welcome four-legged passengers in their enclosed aerial conveyances. There’s not much time left this season to hitch a ride, so better get those paws in gear! more »

Tahoe is at its glorious best in summer, and the hike up Shirley Canyon to Squaw Valley’s High Camp recreation complex at 8,200 feet is a classic. It’s also one that demands extra considerations if you’re trekking with a dog. The steep, 4.4-mile climb gains 2,000 vertical feet to reach the goal, hugging a crashing stream all the way. more »

Highway 89 along Tahoe’s West Shore is a treat for the senses on many levels. It takes about an hour in non-traffic conditions to drive straight through, but why would you want to do that? Your first worthwhile diversion, especially if you’re a Tahoe first-timer, is Tallac Historic Site, a collection of late 19th-century estate homes and out-buildings. more »

The most read story ever on DogTrekker.com is Dog-friendly Beaches at Lake Tahoe. With the snowmelt currently pouring off the surrounding Sierra Nevada, be forewarned that some of those beaches won’t be very wide or even very accessible for a few weeks yet. For on-water fun, try renting a large cockpit kayak from Tahoe City Kayak and taking a paddle with your pup along the North Shore. Tahoe Keys Boat Rentals and its affiliate locations will fix you up with a dog-friendly boat (and a “boat butler” captain, if needed) for exploring scenic Emerald Bay or simply cruising along the shore. more »

Lake Tahoe is at its glorious best in summer, but you have to be a very early riser to get a parking spot at a dog-friendly beach on weekends. Our advice: Sleep in, then head for High Camp, the high-altitude recreation complex at Palisades Tahoe, where a pool, hot tub, roller rink, limitless hiking options and plenty of free parking await. There are two ways up: the dog-friendly Shirley Lake Trail or the iconic (and dog-friendly) aerial tram. more »

As anyone coming up to Lake Tahoe from sea level knows, that first day of hiking above 6,500 feet is a pant-inducing endeavor. But did you know that you (and your dog) can “cheat?” more »

Scenery is what it’s all about at North Lake Tahoe, and there are so many ways to fill your eyes that we can mention only a few (more hikes here). If a casual stroll will satisfy, check out the Tahoe City Lakeside Trail, a paved, multi-use path joining two segments of the 19-mile bike path hugging the Truckee River all the way to Palisades Tahoe, where you'll find a parking area with restrooms. Also on the easy side is Page Meadow (sometimes spelled “Paige”), where you’ll encounter beautiful mid-summer wildflower displays along with glorious views of the lake and the snow-dappled Sierra crest. more »

Each March, just as high-season crowds start to dwindle, North Lake Tahoe throws a 10-day, family-friendly party called SnowFest. It's the favorite winter week of the year for many locals, and chock-full of activities ranging from the tame (pancake breakfasts, snow-queen pageant) to the just plain wacky. (Human bowling, anyone?)

"Family-friendly" includes Fido of course, and this year's 30th annual fest, which kicked off last weekend and continues through Sunday, features many events that you and your pooch can enjoy together.

On Saturday, Kings Beach is the place to be for an 11:30 a.m. parade followed by a Dress Up Your Dog Contest sure to keep you in stitches. If your tastes run a little more to the, er, extreme, head over to the Village at Palisades Tahoe, where a SnowFest Decompression Party starts at noon and continues to the wee hours. The free outdoor event features Purgatory Cruiser, which bills itself as a "flame-throwing, space-pod moon-rover of doom." (We think that translates to "loud.") You won't know until you get there how your dog will respond to fire dancers and down beatz, but it might be worth showing up around 9 p.m. for the first ever "snowman burn" featuring a 25-foot "man" going up in flames. Or not.

On Sunday, hope for sunny skies and take your pick of winter entertainment. On tap are the Quicksilver Ta-Hoe-Nalu Stand Up Arctic Paddle Race in Tahoe City; a snowman building contest at the Kings Beach Library; and a snow sculpture contest at River Ranch on Highway 89. More offbeat, if a little out of the way, is the Tahoe Donner Association's Ididarun, a Donner-Party themed (hmmm) dog-pull race in which canine competitors pull sleds gussied up to look like covered wagons. The event benefits the Lake Tahoe Humane Society, and there will absolutely be no flame-throwing allowed.

Palisades Tahoe's iconic cable car offers what is perhaps the most dramatically scenic mechanized mountain high at Lake Tahoe. Many passengers in the stand-up conveyance experience vertigo as dizzying panoramas pass before and beneath them during the 2,000-foot vertical ascent. more »