In a setting as naturally beautiful and enticing as Lake Tahoe, don’t hem yourself in. This winter wonderland isn’t just for skiers and boarders. If your idea of winter sports is a bit tamer – say an easy snowshoe hike or a quiet afternoon cross-country skiing – you can find that here, too. Even if your idea of a winter fun includes a good book, a hot toddy and a roaring fireplace, the lodges and area accommodations are happy to fulfill that fantasy. From ice skating to sleigh rides to soaking in hot springs, here are 12 things to do in the winter in Lake Tahoe.

1. Skiing and Snowboarding No matter your skill level, it’s hard to resist the world-famous powder at Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts. You can’t really even complaint that you’ll be too cold since the average daily winter temperature is 45 degrees! The top resorts include:

• Heavenly Mountain, the highest-ranked resort in the area with more trails for intermediate and advanced skiers, but plenty for beginners to choose from.
• Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the biggest in the area, with 6,000 acres for all skill levels, cross-country skiing and even dog sledding.
• Northstar Ski Resort, on the north side of Lake Tahoe and offering super well-maintained trails for beginners and intermediates.
• Sierra at Tahoe, on the south side of Lake Tahoe and catering mainly to beginner and intermediates. Experts should try the challenge of Huckleberry Canyon.

Remember, these huge ski resorts don’t only offer skiing and boarding – there’s plenty going on off-piste, as well, including scenic gondola rides, snow tubing, ice skating and sleigh rides.

2. Snowshoeing

Speaking of snowshoeing, Lake Tahoe offers amazingly scenic trails for your “walk” in the woods. Locals love the 3-mile roundtrip Tahoe Meadows trail, the 2.1-mile Spooner Lake loop and the heftier Carson Pass, with a variety of trail options, including Woods Lake, Winnemucca Lake and Frog Lake.

3. Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country has been a popular sport in the Sierra Nevada Mountains since the mid-1850s when Snowshoe Thompson carried mail across the peaks. South Lake Tahoe is brimming with trails, meadows and snowy shorelines awaiting your discovery. There are groomed trails at certain resorts, including Kirkwood and Hope Valley, but most trails are ungroomed and on public lands, great for classic striding cross-country.

4. Sleigh Rides
Set off into a powdery winter wonderland on a traditional horse-drawn sleigh ridge. You’ll be carted along Lake Tahoe, beneath towering pines, and regaled with tales of the local area – and maybe even a song or two – by your friendly host.

5. Gondola Rides
Not a skier but still want to access the alpine views of the Lake Tahoe area? No problem. Hop on the gondola. You can ride up, check out the vista, then ride back down. The Heavenly Gondola offers a particularly pretty ascent – 2.4 miles to an observation deck.

6. Dog Sledding
You have to try it! Depending on the tour operator you choice, you’ll get transportation from your accommodations, a scenic drive, time to pet and play with the dogs and a tour through the woods and along the lake.

7. Ice Skating
Let out your inner child and glide along Lake Tahoe’s indoor and outdoor rinks – or maybe even a naturally frozen lake or river. In Squaw Valley, you can ice skate at the Olympic Ice Paviliion or resort at Squaw Creek. Heavenly Village has an open-air skating rink. And if you check in with locals or hotel staff, they’ll be able to give you the inside scoop on various frozen bodies of water in the area and which ones are safe to skate on.

8. Birdwatching

The birds haven’t all gone south for the winter! If you’re an avid birder, head out into the woods – snowshoeing is a great, quiet choice – and search for bald eagles and golden eagles who rest here during this time of year. Chickadee Ridge is a particularly nice birding destination for snowshoers who can see lots of the namesake birds here. Check out the USDA’s website for a list of other birds you can find in the area.  

9. Tubing
Play for hours in the snow, experiencing the glee that strikes all ages as they careen down a hillside on an inflatable tube. At the Soda Springs Mountain Resort, you can visit Tube Town, which even has its own lift so you don’t have to walk between runs. At Tahoe Donner, there are multiple monitored tubing lanes. Or, bring your own sleds and tubes to the Mt. Rose Snow Play Area off Mount Rose Highway. Of course, the bigger resorts, like Heavenly and Squaw Valley have their own tubing areas, too.

10. See a Castle
Really! With appropriate footwear or snowshoes, you can walk down to the Vikingsholm Castle on the shores of Emerald Bay. It’s much quieter here than in the summer and you can explore the 11th-century, Scandinavian-style castle to your heart’s content. Check out the grass roof (likely covered in snow at this time of year) and beautiful stained-glass windows. The castle was originally built for Lora Josephine Knight in 1928, then sold to Harvey West, a local philanthropist who ultimately donated the castle house and land to the state of California.

11. Soak in Hot Springs
Soothe those weary muscles after skiing, snowshoeing or even some energetic snow play with a nice long soak in a Tahoe Basin hot spring. These mineral-rich springs will have you feeling revived in no time:

• David Walley’s Hot Springs with five hot mineral pools, an outdoor heated pool and a full-service spa
• Carson Hot Springs with plenty of spa treatments and public outdoor pools
• Grover Hot Springs in Hot Springs Valley, with both hot mineral pools and cold plunge pools
• Steamboat Hot Springs in the Reno area with a healing center and spa, seven private indoor pools, a geothermal steam room and infrared saunas

12. Take a Helicopter Tour
See those trails you skied today from the air on an epic helicopter flightseeing tour. Expert pilots can fly you over pristine wilderness and the azure waters of Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, the Desolation Wilderness, Crystal Bay and Sand Harbor.