"Lake Tahoe" a South Lake Tahoe Travel Page by smschley

Lake Tahoe is a large lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains lying between California and Nevada. The lake is known for the clarity of its water and the panoramic view it provides from all sides. The area around the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe or simply Tahoe. Just about any activity you can think if is available in Tahoe, snow skiing in the winter to water skiing in the summer. There are a number of public beaches for swimming along with number campgrounds around the lake. If hiking is your game, you can’t beat the scenery. If you have the gambling bug, just wander to the Nevada side the favorite for many is the town of Stateline on the Nevada side. The Lake has been the backdrop of many movies, one of the more famous being “The Godfather II” during the communion scene.

Modern Lake Tahoe was shaped by glaciers during the Ice Ages, which began a million or more years ago. Many streams flow into Lake Tahoe, but the lake is drained only by the Truckee River into California. The lake is the 2nd deepest lake in the United States and 15th in the world, with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet. What this means is that the water is “brisk” as anyone who has swum there can attest. It is about 22 mi long and 12 miles wide and has 72 miles of shoreline with a surface area of 191 square miles.