Summer Activities

Summer around Tahoe is the perfect time for outdoor activities with family and friends. For some, drinking alcoholic beverages is part of the fun-in-the-sun experience. But excessive alcohol consumption and summer activities don’t mix.

Forty soon-to-be eighth grade students from Pau-Wa-Lu and Carson Valley middle schools just wrapped up a two-week summer program with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO). The annual G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training) program has lessons from Deputies Teresa Duffy and Chris Wiggins which wrapped up with a four-day adventure event at Lake Tahoe.

Heavenly Mountain Resort opened their summer activities at the top of the hill Saturday, including the anticipated Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster.

For a daily fee, people will take the Gondola up the hill to the upper mountain, and have unlimited access to the mountain. For those eight-year-old and older, and over 45 pounds, the $89 Ultimate Adventure Pass Includes a Gondola Ride, Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster, Summer Tubing, Hot Shot Zip Line, Boulder Cove Ropes Course and Granite Peak Climbing Wall. There is also a $49 pass for kids under eight with age appropriate activities.

The climbing wall at the top of the Heavenly Gondola is ready just in time for Labor Day Weekend activities.

The permanent climbing wall was unveiled to the public today and adds to the resort’s expanding offerings of summer activities, like ropes courses, zip lines and tubing.

Heavenly Mountain Resort has received the final approval needed for its major expansion of on-mountain summer activities. After Vail Resorts gained approval from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on March 27, they needed the blessing of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board, which they received today.

"You have to adapt to changes in life or you won't survive," John Rice told a crowd at Wednesday's 'Tahoe Talks' held at LTCC.

"Change is happening, clearly we're in a drought, whether it's here for short term, or long term, time will tell," said Rice, the VP and General Manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe. "The ski industry has the most to lose in a drought."

The final environmental impact report on Heavenly Mountain Resort's Epic Discovery Project has been completed and is now ready for public review. The new project, located at Heavenly Mountain Resort, will expand their summer activities to include more canopy tours, hiking and biking trails as well as interpretive activities.

Northstar California Resort invites golfers and foodies alike to compete in the first annual Tees and Tastings tournament Thursday, August 28. The tournament will feature a two-game, nine-hole tournament with four beer and cuisine pairings throughout the front green of the Northstar Golf Course. Winners will receive tickets to the Wine & Brew Walk event, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 6 during the 29th Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival.

Tees and Tastings Schedule

Heavenly Mountain Resort has upped the ante on summer fun, introducing new adventures at the top of the Heavenly Gondola for Summer 2014. Summertime guests will have the opportunity to swing through the trees and fly through the air on new experiences including the Boulder Cove and Black Bear Challenge Courses, the Discovery Forest Canopy Course and the 3,300 foot-long Blue Streak zip line. On Friday, June 13, Heavenly Mountain Resort will open these expanded offerings to the public seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through September 1.

Cultivating a passion and appreciation for the outdoors is a year-round task, and Heavenly Mountain Resort is stepping up to the challenge by expanding its summer operations to include more interactive, family-friendly learning experiences.

“Lake Tahoe is a year-round destination, and there is a tremendous opportunity to offer more summer activities at the top of the Gondola,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “Our hope is that visitors of all ages and backgrounds are able to create life-long connections to our National Forests through adventure, play and recreation.”

Powerful early-season storms combined with the area’s largest snowmaking operations have allowed Vail Resorts’ Lake Tahoe mountains – Heavenly Mountain Resort, Northstar California Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort – to open early with 111 acres. Heavenly and Northstar will open on Wednesday, Nov. 14 with a combined seven lifts and eight trails, totaling 51 acres.

As David Letterman rhetorically asks: Hey kids, do you like the rock n' roll? Two outdoor concert venues at South Lake Tahoe will be filled with superstar performers, plus there's dozens of outdoor competitions and family events, fireworks extravaganzas and the country’s biggest celebrity golf tournament that has Tahoe South positioned as summer’s hot spot for entertainment, outdoor recreation and events.

The first Lake Tahoe Motorcycle Adventure Ride and Rendezvous is slated for August 23-26 on the beautiful South Shore of Lake Tahoe (Tahoe South). The event includes both off road and pavement rides, evening social events, entertainment, guest speakers, vendors and Tahoe summer activities. The event welcomes all makes of bikes and riders.