1. Cross country ski, sled, snowshoe, and ice skate all in one afternoon at Tahoe City Winter Sports Park. // wintersportspark.com

2. Fly like a vampire at Wanderlust Yoga Squaw Valley's aerial yoga classes. // squaw.wanderlustyoga.com

3. Savor seasonal dishes with wine pairings at pop-up dinners at Kitchen Collab or Stella in Truckee. // kitchencollab.co; cedarhousesporthotel.com/stella

4. Roll the dice at Crystal Bay Club Casino, on the border of California and Nevada. // crystalbaycasino.com

5. Pick up a pint glass and a map and follow the South Tahoe Beer Trail or the North Lake Tahoe Ale Trail for frosty craft brews. // tahoesouth.com/beer-trail; gotahoenorth.com/lake-tahoe-activities

6. Explore the night during moonlight snowshoe hikes and star tours at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and The Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe. // tahoestartours.com

7. Ski during sunset at the Last Tracks beer and wine events at Diamond Peak. // diamondpeak.com

8. Enjoy wood fired sa'atar chicken and an Oaxacan Old Fashioned at Pioneer Cocktail Club. // pcctahoe.com

9. Have a winter wedding for half the price at Granlibakken Tahoe. // granlibakken.com

10. Fire-pit hop from the Lodge at Edgewood to Hard Rock to Basecamp Tahoe South.

11. Visit the gold rush towns of Nevada City, Virginia City and Auburn.

12. Want to see more gold? Tour the Golden Chain Highway along the western Sierra. // visitcalifornia.com

13. Sip chili-spiced mochas at Black Cabin Coffee or cardamom lattes at Revive Coffee & Wine.

14. Play in the powder at Echo Summit Sno-Park, Adventure Mountain and Blizzard Mountain.

15. Pretend it's summer with fried pickles, spicy corn chowder and smoked meats at Sonneys BBQ Shack, Ten Crows, and Gus' Open Pit BBQ.

16. Get a suite and cozy in at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, Resort at Squaw Creek, and Tahoe Beach Retreat.

17. Taste from a 20-tap wall of wine at Tahoe Pourhouse. // tahoepourhouse.com

18. Get one of the best views of the lake at the winter-only Big Blue View Bar at Homewood. // skihomewood.com

19. Take an icy plunge during Tahoe City's SnowFest! // tahoesnowfest.org

20. Find out why so many Bay Area peeps are moving to Reno-Tahoe. // visitrenotahoe.com

21. Explore the tiny towns of Genoa, Downieville, and Grass Valley.

22. Tandem skydive over Carson Valley and Big Blue. // skydivelaketahoe.com

23. Escape the crowds at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. // kirkwood.com

24. Shop locally made art and holiday gifts at Handmade at the Lake, Bespoke, and Artisans Marketplace.

25. Ice skate at the villages at Northstar or Heavenly or at the NHL-sized South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena.

26. Celebrate local food and music at Truckee Tavern & Grill. // truckeetavern.com

27. Bundle up for winter camping along the Tahoe Rim Trail. // trta.org

28. Drink a Picon Punch at JT Basque Bar & Dining Room, in Gardnerville. // jtbasquenv.com

29. Take a spooky hike in the abandoned railway tunnels of Donner Pass. // atlasobscura.com

30. Spear some steak and taters at Old Range Steakhouse and Evan's American Gourmet Cafe.

31. Soak weary bones at Sierra Hot Springs, Steamboat Hot Springs, or David Walley's Resort.

32. Lose your virginity: January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month at several Tahoe resorts. // learntoskiandsnowboard.org

33. Wear your Tahoe love on your sleeve with apparel from California 89 or Tahoe University.

34. Enjoy the beach. Grab a picnic basket while you're at it. // gotahoenorth.com

35. Commune with the spirits at Verdi Local Distillery. // verdilocaldistillery.com

36. Eat piping-hot food from a brick oven or fire grill at Bear Moon and Six Peaks.

37. Felt a gnome at Atelier. // ateliertruckee.com

38. Feel the blues at Squaw's WinterWonderGrass. // winterwondergrass.com

39. Live the sweet life at Sugar Bowl and Sugar Pine Cakery.

40. Feel the brisk lake air on your cheeks with a cruise on the Safari Rose or M.S. Dixie II.

41. Smother your body with an organic maple syrup, cinnamon, and sugar scrub at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe spa. // ritzcarlton.com

42. Snap an epic Instagram selfie on a snowmobile tour. // zephyrcove.com

43. Load up on liege waffles at Northstar's Euro Snack. // northstarcalifornia.com

44. Extend your stay with a trip to Mammoth Mountain. // mammothmountain.com

45. Ride the gondola for beer tastings at Heavenly. // skiheavenly.com

46. Slurp it up at The Oyster Bar. // hardrockhotel.com

47. Cut down your own Christmas tree at an Apple Hill farm. // applehill.com

48. Catch a mackinaw on the fastest charter boat on the lake. // fishingintahoe.com

49. Start the day with PB&J at Tunnel Creek Cafe. // tunnelcreekcafe.com

50. Hot tub under the stars at a private A-frame chalet.

golden gate national recreation area

Most Popular

Neighborhoods

From Our Partners