Fall for Lake Tahoe

Water Adventures on Lake Tahoe

Get Up, Stand-up! Rent a stand-up paddleboard at Kings Beach Recreational Area, a lively enclave surrounded by cool shops, restaurants, and plenty of places to rent kayaks and paddleboards. Even for beginners, stand-up paddleboarding is a fun way to explore Lake Tahoe. Stick close to shore to enjoy teal coves with giant boulders ideal for sunbathing.

Paddle from a State Park: Rent a kayak and explore Lake Tahoe from the east shore at Sand Harbor State Park. (Get an early start as the parking lot fills quickly.) This beach area has picnicking and day use facilities, along with kayak and paddleboard rental. Explore the clear waters accented by hulking boulders, with high-rising Mount Tallac across the way. Discover beach after beach and find tucked-away coves perfect for taking a quick dip.

 

Find Hidden Beach: It’s really called Hidden Beach! Located just south of Incline Village near Tunnel Creek Road, this secluded spot has limited parking, but early birds are treated to a sandy beach with rocky alcoves. Another picturesque beach you can hike to is Chimney Beach, named after a stone chimney that still stands on the lakeshore. This is a popular spot during summer, but late season and fall see fewer people. Bonus: Chimney Beach is dog-friendly!

Change Is Good: Change up your Lake Tahoe routine and make your weekend home base in Reno (aka the Biggest Little City in the World). It’s close to Tahoe’s shores and is quickly emerging as a hotspot for craft breweries, a lively river walk with restaurants, and Instagram-worthy Burning Man art installations.

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  1. Taking the Stage: Tyler Ranch

    Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.

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  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. On clear days you get views of both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S. 

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  3. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

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  4. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

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  1. Lava Lava

    Once a land of volcanic activity, Mojave National Preserve shares plenty about its past via a quick yet adventurous hike to the Lava Tube in the Cima Dome Volcanic Field.

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  2. Kelso Dunes

    The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.

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  3. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

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  4. Beaudry Bountiful

    There are no cars allowed on Beaudry Loop, but this 6-mile hike takes you on a wild ride. You’ll be climbing 1,500 feet up the southern Verdugos along a chaparral-lined trail with gorgeous mountain and urban vistas every step of the way.

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