Our Location
Alpine Meadows — North Lake Tahoe — California
1456 Mineral Springs Trail
Alpine Meadows, California 96146
Our neighborhood
We’re located along the banks of Bear Creek, which flows from Alpine Meadows Resort down to the Truckee River at Highway 89. We are ten minutes from Tahoe City and twenty minutes from Truckee. The chalet is on the valley floor next to Juniper Mountain, just about a mile upstream of Bear Creek’s junction with the Truckee River.
It’s a quiet and peaceful little neighborhood, with many year-round residents and vacation homes. People drive slowly and wave to say hi, At night, the valley’s silence is deep and restful, and if the night is clear, the stars are spectacular.
Our snowy winters and warm summers combined with the region’s accessibility and natural beauty have made North Lake Tahoe a vacationer’s paradise for generations. From hiking and rock climbing to fine dining and sunset cruises on the lake, you’re sure to find something for everyone.
Keep scrolling for information on the local towns, or read about some of our favorite places in our Guide to North Lake Tahoe.
The Towns and The Lake:
Truckee, Tahoe City, & Lake Tahoe
with several recommendations for our local favorites
Historic Downtown Truckee
Truckee's past seeps into the present as you walk through the historic downtown. The town owes its existence to its rail line: downtown was built along the tracks that were the first to cross the Sierras when completed in 1868. While the railroad is no longer at the center of Truckee's economy, this old downtown has retained all the charm and prosperity of its past.
Local businesses have created a walkable paradise for shoppers, diners, drinkers, and people-watchers.
pictured here, is a favorite for its excellent cocktails and location overlooking downtown. It’s our favorite place to sit and sip, watching as dusk settles across the valley.
The Cottonwood Restaurant and Bar
10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee, CA 96161
(530) 587-5711
cottonwoodrestaurant.com
Hours
Wednesdays & Thursdays from 4 pm to 8:30 pm
Fridays & Saturdays from 11 am to 9 pm
Sundays from 11 am to 8 pm
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
Tahoe City
Tahoe City is a city in name only—it’s a collection of vacation homes with few year-round residents and a downtown focused on vacationers and part-time residents. Due to its clientele and spectacular setting along the North shore of Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City is home to many small businesses and boutiques, restaurants, craftspeople, and guides for all kinds of adventures and activities.
sits on the bank of the Truckee River and is known for cold beer, delicious and down-to-earth food, and its atmosphere and ambiance. Whether you take a seat at the stunning bar pictured here or bring your group to the dog-friendly patio seating along the riverbank, it’s a solid choice to spend part of an afternoon or evening at The Bridgetender. We recommend experiencing the excellent service, clean taps, and friendly local clientele for yourself, especially if there’s live music at the Tavern itself or nearby Commons Beach during the summer Concerts at Commons Beach. (See our concerts blog article for more.)
Bridgetender Tavern
65 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145
(530) 583-3342
tahoebridgetender.com
Hours
Open daily from 11 am to 10 pm
Get Outdoors Year-Round
Local residents didn’t get here by accident. The community is passionate about enjoying this incredible natural setting by getting outdoors and being in nature — no matter the season!
Tahoe Mountain Sports has become our favorite place for buying or researching new gear.
Whether you’re an old pro or a newbie, the team at TMS will get you set up with great gear at competitive prices.
Don’t miss their end-of-season sales!
Tahoe Mountain Sports
11200 Donner Pass Rd #5e, Truckee, CA 96161
(530) 536-5200
tahoemountainsports.com
Hours
Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Lake Tahoe
No discussion of the region can be complete without a mention of Lake Tahoe itself.
It is a true wonder of nature,
and every aquatic activity imaginable can be found along its shores.
A drive around the lake is a great way to spend an afternoon and the communities dotting its banks are scenic, unique, and definitely worth a visit.
For information on scenic drives, activities, shopping, and restaurants around the lake, check out gotahoenorth.com.
A few Lake Tahoe facts
It’s really old.
Yes, the lake is well over 2,000,000 years old! It sounds like things back then were pretty dramatic around this region, since faultlines, glaciers, and volcanic activity all had a part to play in Tahoe’s creation.
It has no inlet.
The water in Tahoe all comes from snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. What’s more, the Truckee River is Tahoe’s only outlet, flowing to Pyramid Lake in Nevada.
Surprisingly, the Truckee River accounts for only a third of the water leaving the lake. Most of the water that leaves Lake Tahoe does so by evaporation, and scientists tell us that 330 million gallons of water evaporate from Tahoe every day!
It’s immense.
22 miles long and 12 miles wide, Lake Tahoe is 1,644 feet deep with 72 miles of shoreline. It is deeper than the Empire State Building is tall!
The surface of Lake Tahoe covers an impressive 191 square miles, but if all the water in Lake Tahoe was spread out over a flat area the size of California, the water would be 14 inches deep!
It’s very pure.
The purity of Lake Tahoe is legendary, with sources stating it is essentially pure drinking water, better than many municipal water supplies.
The water has won awards, including Best Tap Water in the Great American Water Taste Test and Best Tasting Water at the Nevada Rural Water Conference, 3 times since 2011. Some of the water districts around the lake don’t even have to filter the water before it gets to your tap.
This is part of why it is so essential that we celebrate and preserve this amazing lake.
Learn more at Drink Tahoe Tap!
Endless Options for Food + Drinks
Tahoe City, the Olympic Valley, and Truckee are all dining destinations in their own rights. Take the time to explore each, and your appetite for adventure will be greatly rewarded. Stick around—we’re working on our restaurant guide!
