Don’t Ski or Snowboard? 12 Winter Activities in Tahoe to Do Instead
A guide to visiting North Lake Tahoe in the winter, for all the non-skiers out there.
Snowshoeing to Chickadee Ridge
A little over a year ago, Jon and I bought a house in North Lake Tahoe and moved to the area part-time. It’s super close to one of the area’s ski resorts, but the thing is… I don’t ski or snowboard. When I confess this to neighbors, they’re usually surprised or confused. Though I’m mostly here for the summer sports, I’ve been started to discover a lot of fun things to do in the winter as a non-skier.
Long before I moved here, I mostly sat around the house when I joined friends on ski trips—only venturing out for après or dinner once they got off the mountain. But that’s boring. I still like to be active and get outside, especially in such a beautiful area. So over the years, I’ve started to explore more and gather what I think is a pretty rad list of ways to enjoy the North Lake Tahoe area in the winter—no ski pass required.
Short on time? Here’s a quick overview.
Snowshoe Chickadee Ridge, Paige Meadows, or Donner Summit
Take a self-guided driving audio tour of Lake Tahoe
Go on a winter hike on the East Shore Trail or Eagle Rock
Book a spa day at Everline Resort or The Ritz
Walk around historic downtown Truckee
Enjoy a sauna and cold plunge at Lake Tahoe
Take a guided full-moon or sunset snowshoe tour
Ride the tram to High Camp for a mountaintop, sunset happy hour
Join the skiers for an après dance party at Chammy’s or KT Base Bar
Opt for a chill après at Sugar Bowl
Play trivia, bingo, or join another fun event at a local bar
Look out for seasonal events and festivals
☀️ 1. Snowshoe Chickadee Ridge
Trail map: Chickadee Ridge, 2.4 miles, out-and-back
Getting there: 45 minutes from Truckee; 30 from Tahoe City
Make a day of it: Time your hike to have brunch or dinner at Smoke Door afterwards, or (if heading west), swing by the iconic Gar Woods for Mai Tais and burgers by the lake.
If I were to recommend just one trail to snowshoe on a trip to Tahoe, it’d be Chickadee Ridge in the Nevada Nordic area off Mt. Rose Highway. It’s a bit of a drive from Truckee, Tahoe City, and South Lake Tahoe, but absolutely worth it. The trail is beginner-friendly, with enough of an incline to give you a workout, and can even be tackled without snowshoes in certain conditions. But the real special part? Those who make it to the top of the ridge are rewarded with stunning views of Lake Tahoe — and will get to meet the friendly, resident chickadees who give the ridge its name.
Some other great areas to snowshoe include:
Paige Meadows: A mellow, mostly flat trail just outside of Tahoe City. You can also join a guided moonlight tour of the meadows.
Donner Summit: Scenic trail just outside of Truckee
Spooner Lake Loop: A mellow, forested loop on the East Shore near Carson City, NV
Where to rent snowshoes
If you’re coming from the Bay Area, stop by Sports Basement before leaving. If you’re already in Tahoe, head to Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, Tahoe Mountain Sports in Truckee, or Village Ski Loft in Incline Village all have rentals. Most are $20-25 per day.
Preparing for a trip? Shop my Amazon Storefront for expert-approved travel essentials.
☀️ 2. Take a self-guided driving audio tour of Lake Tahoe
Get the tour: Download on Viator
If I’m totally honest, I have zero interest in visiting any of the regional museums here in Tahoe even though I enjoy learning about the area’s history. If you’re like me, a fun alternative is to sign up for a self-guided, driving audio tour. You’ll get to learn about the area while actually getting out and seeing the sights. I like this audio tour I found on Viator, which at $17 is also a very affordable activity as well.
☀️ 3. Go on a winter hike on the East Shore Trail or Eagle Rock
Trail maps: East Shore Trail // Eagle Rock
Snow levels depending, there are some trails in the Tahoe area that are still accessible in the winter time. These range from scenic, paved bike paths like the East Shore Trail to short, hiking trails like Eagle Rock. If you’re in the Truckee area, Donner Memorial State Park also has some relatively flat and accessible winter trails, and you can often still reach Emerald Bay on Tahoe’s West Shore as well.
Want more winter hike recommendations? I really like this list that fellow blogger Gabrielle Viola put together.
☀️ 4. Book a spa day at Everline Resort or The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Book a treatment: Everline Spa // Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe
The spas both at Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe near North Star and Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley near Palisades are open to hotel guests and non-guests alike. It’s a bit of a splurge, though still less than your friend’s ski pass. Everline teatments come with access to their fitness center and outdoor hot tubs, while Ritz has an indoor hot tub, steam room, sauna, cold rain-shower plunge, and lap pool—so plan to make a day or afternoon of it.
☀️ 5. Walk around historic downtown Truckee
If you haven’t explored downtown Truckee much, I think it’s worth spending an hour or two wandering the cute mountain town’s main street. Some of my favorite shops include Bespoke, Miro Miro, and bookstore Word After Word.
For coffee, Drink Coffee Do Stuff is my pick. And if you’re coming up on happy hour, go grab a seat at the bar at Moody’s for martinis and fries, Tangerine for wine and French snacks, or RMU for beers, cocktails, and $2 shots of tequila whenever a train rolls by. Cloud Sushi (across the railroad tracks) is also a tasty option, while the new home of local brewery FiftyFifty Brewing Co. will soon open on the edge of town.
☀️ 6. Sauna and cold plunge at Lake Tahoe
Book that sauna: Reserve on Viator
I’ve yet to try this, but recently learned of a few companies running saunas on the shore of Lake Tahoe. This one by Tahoe Multisport is public (unless you reserve all 6 spots) and at $80 per person is a more affordable option if it’s just one or two travelers. Lost Sauna Co is another one I’ve seen around and had my eye on — but that rental is for the full sauna, starting at $300 for 2 hours.
🌅 7. Take a guided full-moon or sunset snowshoe tour
Find a tour: Tahoe Adventure Company
Yes, yes, more snowshoeing, but for a slightly different take on the sport, you can also join a sunset or full-moon snowshoe tour alongside an experienced guide with outfitters like Tahoe Adventure Company. Unlike a self-guided snowshoe, on these tours you’ll get to learn more about the area’s history and astronomy while doing a little winter stargazing.
🍸 8. Ride the tram to High Camp for a mountaintop, sunset happy hour
Get tickets + view calendar: Palisades Sunset Happy Hour
Located in Olympic Valley, Palisades Tahoe is one of the bigger ski resorts in the Tahoe area and has several chair lifts and trams open to non-skiers via their sightseeing pass. The main one is the Aerial Tram which takes you to High Camp, where there’s a small Olympic museum and a restaurant and bar with views over the valley and Lake Tahoe below. The food is—as you’d expect from a ski resort—expensive and just OK, so I usually come up for a drink rather than a meal.
The best deal is their semi-regular Sunset Happy Hour: $29 per person, including one drink. Ever since the hot tubs and pools at the top of the mountain closed, the party scene has been a bit quieter, but this weekend event is still a fun, low-effort way to experience High Camp and enjoy a high altitude sunset.
🍸 9. Join the skiers for an après dance party at Chammy’s or KT Base Bar
Find it on Google Maps: Chammy’s // KT Base Bar
There’s almost always a DJ or live music at Palisades on winter weekends. Join the post-ski crew for drinks and dancing at KT Base Bar or the iconic ski bum bar Chamois (aka “Chammy’s”). Both are an excellent choice for a lively, rowdy time.
🍸 10. Or opt for a chill après at Sugar Bowl
Find it on Google Maps: The Terrace at Village Lodge
Prefer something more low-key or family-friendly? Then head to Sugar Bowl where you can lounge at The Terrace at the recently updated Village Lodge. The large, sunny patio has cozy, wool-throw-covered chairs, inviting firepits, and lovely views of the lifts. Settle in, order a drink and a snack—like flatbreads, pretzels, and charcuterie boards—and enjoy the views. If you’re coming from Truckee, it’s worth getting off I-80 and driving in from Donner Lake to take in the winter scenery. Be prepared to walk on snow from the parking lot.
If you can, stick around until 5pm, when the restaurant Yarrow opens for dinner service.
🍸 11. Play trivia, bingo, or join another fun event at a local bar
I’m usually not a fan of trivia nights, but the first time I joined Alibi’s Tuesday trivia night in Truckee, it got downright rowdy. Beyond trivia night, Alibi actually has a pretty robust calendar of events, ranging from live music and silent movie nights to trivia, bingo, karaoke, and educational talks.
There are a few other bars and restaurants in the area that have a rotating list of lively and well-attended events, such as RMU (Truckee), my favorite craft brewery, The Good Wolf (Truckee), which is more concert-focused, and Tahoe Tap Haus (Tahoe City), best known for their weekday trivia.
😎 12. Look out for seasonal events and festivals
Check the calendar: Lake Tahoe Events
Before moving here, I didn’t really pay much attention to local Tahoe events, but there are quite a few good ones. A lot are fundraisers for good (and ski/outdoors-related) causes but some of the more popular ones can draw quite the crowd. Lake Tahoe Events is a good place to check since they list everything from recurring events, like Palisades’ Sunset Happy Hour and their Disco Tubing, to concerts and festivals like the annual Snowfest.
