I may have to make this decision today, but hoping I can put it off until tomorrow.
Right now I have a week at Tahoe Beach and Ski Club on hold for the second week of August, and we can stay for a week for less than $1,000. It is in South Lake Tahoe and has a private beach along the lake. It doesn’t look great but nice enough.
I’m trying to decide if there’s enough to do in Tahoe for a week. I’ve been multiple times to ski, but haven’t been outside of ski season since I was less than 15.
I looked into Yosemite, and there is actually availability at Yosemite Valley Lodge (I think that’s what it’s called - it’s in the park) for 3 days after our time in Tahoe would end.
IF we do this trip we would probably fly in and out of Sacramento from the DC area.
Any opinions/insight?
There is plenty to do in Tahoe in August, both on and off the water, even on the mountains. It is also crazy busy then. Kind of amazed there is availability in Yosemite as well. Sacto airport great option.
There’s plenty to do in Tahoe in the summer, especially if you like watersports and being outdoors (and there’s always gambling if not lol). A week for less than $1k is an amazing price for the time of year.
It’s a long drive to Yosemite from Tahoe - from South Lake to the village probably 5+ hours in no traffic.
Yosemite is PACKED in the summer, and you MAY need a reservation to drive into the valley in August.
And as @Izzy74 notes, it’s fire season, so… food for thought. You might not be impacted by a fire per se, but if it’s big enough, the smoke may be an issue, as the Tahoe area is essentially a basin.
If you decide to do both, it might be cheaper to fly in/out of Oakland International instead of Sacramento - it would only increase your drive time by a couple of hours overall.
We go to Tahoe every August. There is a lot to do (hiking, boating, rafting, golfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc…). The kids seem to be going back to school earlier and earlier so August isn’t nearly as crowded as July. Fires/smoke can be an issue. Hopefully not. Yosemite is great if you don’t mind the drive. We love the Yosemite Lodge.
I’m not sure what weather you are used to, but typical highs are 90F in Yosemite during August. If it were me, I’d favor another time during which outdoor temperatures were more comfortable and/or not finalize plans until close enough to have a good estimate of weather, so I’d best appreciate the many amazing outdoor activities.
As others have noted, Yosemite is also several hours away from Tahoe. You’d lose a lot of the day driving back and forth. If you run out of things to do at Tahoe, a closer option is spending a day or 2 in Reno. Reno is also hot during summer, but I am assuming mostly indoor activities.
You can also spend a day in “old west country” from Tahoe - we were just there and spent a day in Carson City & Virginia City. The state museum and railroad museum in Carson City are great. Can tack on Reno if you have the energy (we didn’t). Echo what the others say about it being a bit of a drive to Yosemite, but it’s amazing. Not sure if you’d still need to have an entry slot reserved by August, they say they’ll update summer plans on that as the year goes on.
Btw I think we have stayed at that resort in Tahoe before (and in summer) - I think we got it via VRBO so not sure how standard the accommodations are, but ours was pretty good and it’s a good location there too.
Not sure what your options are from DC but flying into Reno would be easier for Tahoe than Sacramento.
The best way to go is via Mono Lake and Lee Vining (just over 2 hours to Lee Vining then another 2 hours to Yosemite Valley if you drive straight through, though it’s better to make a day of it in Tuolumne Meadows on the way). Lines to enter the park at Tioga Pass are also generally shorter than on the west side. If you have accommodation reserved inside the park then you won’t need a reservation for entry.
Things to do in and around Tahoe:
The short hike (<1 mile each way) to Angora Lakes where you can hang out and swim (one of our favorite places).
Hike down to Secret Harbor (2.5 miles each way) and swim in Tahoe there.
A good longer hike (4 miles each way) would be to take the boat across Echo Lake and hike over the pass to Lake Aloha.
Visit Virginia City for the day.
Visit Bodie for the day (longer drive but a stunning place and well preserved ghost town).
Mid August is likely just ahead of the riskiest parts of fire season though it’s unpredictable.
I think Sacramento is best for flights, it’s only 2 hours to Tahoe and 3 hours back from Yosemite. Reno will be more of a pain to drive back from Yosemite.
Thanks everyone. We now have place on hold until COB tomorrow. We have some other plans next year also, and I am having trouble deciding if it’s worth the cost coming from the east coast. Flights plus renting a car makes for a not cheap vacation not matter where you’re going.
Thanks - we already have our “big” vacation planned for early October, so that won’t work for us this coming year. But I do wonder if September might be a better time (assuming no fires).
Hmmm…it’s a good thought - the weather (and smoke/fire issue) would be the same as August but the crowds post-Labor day would likely be smaller in both locations…
2nd edit: re the Bodie rec. It’s not really reachable in winter so we didn’t go there, but we drove that route (395] to Death Valley (from Tahoe) during thanksgiving and it’s a beautiful drive. Bridgeport is a cute stop, and Mono Lake is a bit further down from Bodie too. Of course, I would not recommend going all the way to Death Valley in summer! (But it’s a very underrated destination. It’s close to the top of our list of favorite national parks. In winter.) Of course, you can also drive that route to Yosemite from Tahoe (east entrance in summer, closed in winter) and maps tells me it’s under 3 hours to the Tuolomne visitors center?
We went to Yosemite in November once. It was a bit chilly for us from HI but my SF BIL said he had never been there before w/o crowds and found it much more serene. A few of the roads were closed for repairs but it was uncrowded and we enjoyed the majesty of the park and quiet. We stayed in the park in cabins.
I think the fire and smoke risk is much higher in September. We were in Yosemite in the first week of August this year and the first fire of the season had just started. We often used to backpack Labor Day weekend but now that’s usually a bad idea and we go for late July/early August when the worst of the bugs have died down.
Heading to Tahoe at the end of June/first week of July. My husband and I have been there before at this time of year. Bringing the family this time.
We’re looking at an E-bike tour of the lake, a visit to Virgina City, renting a boat or jet ski for an afternoon, going to one of beaches, watching the 4th of July fireworks on the lake, maybe catching a show or some live music at Harrah’s. We are staying near the Heavenly resort and will be able to walk to a lot of places. Flying into Reno from the east coast.
Love the suggestions by @Twoin18. Have been to Angora Lakes many times and it is wonderful. Also did the Echo Lake boat and trail which was great. My DH and older sons did some backpacking there a long time ago. The Rubicon Trail from Emerald Bay to Bliss park is fantastic. We also like Eagle Falls/Lake and beyond. All tend to get crowded so going early is key. In addition to hiking and swimming, kayaking on the lake is fun.
The recommended drive from S Lake Tahoe to Yosmite is lovely and spending some time in Tuolome Meadows (the dome hike there is very nice) highly recommended.
We have only flown in and out of SFO as we are usually doing other things in the Bay Area.
