When you go to Lake Tahoe, it’s easy to just get in your car and drive. It’s a 76-mile drive to get around it all, and your destination could be just a few miles away. You may not think much about doing that, but now may be a good time to think about doing something else.
Lake Tahoe’s population can swell to 300,000 people on peak days. It’s no wonder traffic gets so tangled during rush hours that you could lose your good mood when dealing with it, but that’s not the only reason to get behind the wheel.
Here’s the situation: Here’s another one: Vehicle exhaust is one of the main reasons it’s hard to keep Lake Tahoe the pristine, blue, watery gem it once was. In 1968, a submerged white disc could be seen 100 feet deep in Lake Tahoe. Today that has dropped to around 70 feet. Taking vehicles off the roads can help slow or reverse that alarming trend.
You can save your sanity and do your part to keep the lake beautiful by using bikes, buses, or buses as much as possible.
Getting around Lake Tahoe by bus
You’ll find several local bus and transportation services around Lake Tahoe. Half of Lake Tahoe is in California and the other half is in Nevada. Going a seemingly short distance can sometimes require the use of two different services. Hours vary by season. It all gets so complicated that navigating the New York City subway system during a snowstorm seems simple in comparison.
You could try to figure it all out yourself, or just give up and get in the car, but don’t throw in the towel just yet. In fact, the best way to discover Lake Tahoe transportation is the same one you probably already use on the roads: Google maps. Understands seasonal schedules and can give you a list of travel options and times.
If you prefer to do it on your own, your transit options in Tahoe include:
TART (Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit) operates along 30 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline on the California side. They offer year-round and seasonal routes and schedules, including an overnight trolley to Squaw Valley and Incline Village. In the summer, buses run serving Tahoe City, Squaw Valley, Tahoe Vista, Kings Beach, Crystal Bay, and Incline Village. You can get real-time information and tracking using the Swiftly mobile app.
The South Shore Trolley serves the Nevada side of the lake. It also runs to and from Truckee, Northstar Village, and Kings Beach. In the summer, they offer service from Incline Village to Sand Harbor and the Emerald Bay Trolley, which runs from the Tahoe City Transit Center, the Y Transit Center, with stops at Camp Richardson, Homewood, Meeks Bay, Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm. .
Free shuttle to Lake Tahoe ski area
In winter, you can take free ski shuttles to many of the area’s ski resorts. Before choosing your ski spot and where to stay, ask if you can use one of them.
The free Night Rider overnight shuttle also connects the North Shore and Truckee to the Alpine, Squaw Valley, and Northstar. It works from mid-December to April.
Bike Lake Tahoe
A bicycle is an eco-friendly way to get around Lake Tahoe. You can bring your own bike or rent one from various bike rental shops around the lake. You’ll find some of the top-rated Lake Tahoe bike rental stores on Yelp. The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition has some good cycling maps and information on where to ride a bike in Lake Tahoe.
More about keeping Tahoe Blue
You can read more about the effects of air quality on water clarity on the Keep Tahoe Blue website.
