December travel plans usually focus around family gatherings or fleeing to warmer climes. But a day trip or weekend in the Sierra Nevada may be the best way to get in the holiday spirit. Rent snowshoes and head up to Tahoe for a winter workout. Make a weekend of it by staying the night. Before heading home, chop down a holiday tree in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (you’ll need to pick up a permit in Sparks or Carson City first). A year-end getaway may be the best gift you give yourself.
Snowshoe
Snowshoeing is an easy and fun way to enjoy the snowy outdoors. Popular areas include the Mount Rose Meadows at Mount Rose Summit; Spooner Backcountry near the intersection of U.S. 50 and Nevada 28 in Incline Village; and Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park on the west shore of Lake Tahoe on California 89. All are within about an hour’s drive from Reno.
Mount Rose Meadows, at the summit of Mount Rose Highway (Nevada 431), is 26 miles from downtown Reno. Part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Mount Rose is managed by the Carson Ranger District, and parking is along the highway. Head to the south side of the road for snowshoeing; sledding is popular on the north side.
Spooner Backcountry is part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and can be accessed from Nevada 28, just north of the highway’s intersection with U.S. 50. That’s about 47 miles from downtown Reno. Snowshoe among the trees or around Spooner Lake — a flat, 2-mile trek. Park entrance fee is $7 per vehicle ($5 Nevada residents) through April 14.
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is part of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and can be accessed off California 89, about six miles south of Homewood Mountain Ski Resort. About 56 miles from downtown Reno, the park offers 11 miles of snowshoe and cross-country ski trails. This is a California State Park, and the entrance fee is $10 per vehicle.
Snowshoe rentals are available at several sporting goods shops, including Bobo’s, 475 E. Moana Lane in Reno; Village Ski Loft, 800 Tahoe Blvd. in Incline Village; and Tahoe Dave’s Ski Shop, 590 N. Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City, Calif.
Overnight
Not ready to go home? There are plenty of places to stay in Tahoe. Among the options: Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort in Incline Village, Zephyr Cove Resort, and the River Ranch Lodge & Restaurant in Tahoe City, Calif.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive in Incline Village, is about nine miles from the Mount Rose Meadows. Amenities include the Stillwater Spa & Salon and the beachside fire pits just outside the resort’s Lone Eagle Lounge.
Zephyr Cove Resort, 760 U.S. 50 in Zephyr Cove, is about nine miles from the Spooner Backcountry. Perhaps best known as the docking place for the M.S. Dixie paddle wheel cruise boat, Zephyr Cove Resort also has a lodge with four guest rooms and as well as 28 rental cabins. Winter activities include snowmobile tours.
River Ranch Lodge & Restaurant, 2285 River Road in Tahoe City, Calif., is about 13 miles from Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park. River Ranch is next to Alpine Meadows Road, which leads to the Alpine Meadows side of the Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows ski resort. The slopes are calling!
Pick the perfect holiday tree
Permits to cut Christmas trees in the Carson District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, $10, are available on a first-come, first-serve basis (the Carson District has 4,000 permits this season). Pick them up at the following Reno-Tahoe locations:
- Carson Ranger District Office, 1536 S. Carson St., Carson City. 775-882-2766
- Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1200 Franklin St., Sparks. 775-331-6444
- Galena Creek Visitors Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, Reno. 775-849-4948
For more details, click here.
