Donner Lake
Donner Lake is part of the town of Truckee, California. In the summer you can use public piers, water ski, wind surf and go swimming, although the water is snow run off and can be quite cold.
You can also go fishing to catch Mackinaw and Rainbow Trout among other fish.
The Donner Lake Campground is right off the lake and you can easily walk down to the waters.
West End Beach and Donner Memorial State Park are both public access beaches. There is also a public boat ramp.
Our annual 4th of July fireworks take place from the West End of Donner Lake and are spectacular to watch from a boat on the water or the beach itself. There is also a half triathlon that takes place in July.
As for hiking, much of Truckee and Tahoe are part of the Tahoe National Forest and have well maintained trails for hiking. Here are some resources:
National Recreation Trails Database
USDA Lake Tahoe Basin Mgt Unit
CA Gov Donner Memorial State Park
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful lakes. Every time I am there, it feels almost magical and peaceful. Living in Truckee, I am usually on the North side of Lake Tahoe, which is mostly the California side. On the north side of the lake, you will find a more summer camp type atmosphere. Here are a few things I love to do on Lake Tahoe:
From Truckee or Northstar, head over to Kings Beach and spend the day on one of their beaches, great for kids because it is shallow really far out into the lake.
Or, go to Sand Harbor, just past Incline to play at this beautiful pristine beach. My tip for Sand Harbor is to get there early, because the parking fills up and you will have a hard time finding a spot. They have a restaurant and bar there but we usually bring drinks and snacks for the kids. It is a great place to get a large group of people together.
Heading down 89 from Truckee, you will run into Tahoe City. We like to ride our bikes from Squaw into Tahoe City and then down to Sunnyside and back. Sunnyside is a great place to have lunch because the deck is right there on the water. Tahoe City has a great park on the lake that we often take our kids to play. In the summer, it is also fun to go river rafting down the Truckee River, which begins right as you get into Tahoe City.
A day trip to Emerald Bay is great for a nice hike down to the water, in this beautiful alcove. If you want to rent a boat for the day, you can always go to Sunnyside, where they rent boats right next door.
These are just a few of my favorite Lake Tahoe activities.
