The Lake Tahoe area was first home to the Washoe tribe, who originally called the area "edge of lake" in their language. It later turned into the word "Tahoe", as they had called it "Da ow". Kit Carson and John C. Fremont later discovered the lake on their second expedition in 1844. After several name changes, including Lake Bigler and Fallen Leaf Lake, it was finally officially known and recognized as Lake Tahoe. When those looking to strike it rich found silver near Lake Tahoe in 1858, it later became home to quite a number of people. Within the last fifty years, the population of the area has grown more than five times its size, with over 50,000 residents. The Lake Tahoe is even more heavily populated during the summer months when people look to enjoy the various activities that are home to the area.
However, during the winter months, skiing is especially popular there, as its mountains are considered to have some of the best skiing slopes in the entire world. There are many ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, including the Heavenly Mountain Resort, which offers the biggest ski area in both Nevada and California. The resort has 29 different lifts and 85 unique runs, spreading over 4,800 acres. It also features one of the best views in all of Lake Tahoe, as it is the tallest ski resort with a maximum height of 10,067 feet. Other popular ski resorts in the area include Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960.
During the summer time, Lake Tahoe gets many visitors who are looking for fun in the water instead of in the snow. Boating is incredibly popular in Lake Tahoe, with many restaurants right by the lake offering boat parking. Other popular boat activities in Lake Tahoe include racing and tour cruises, like the Tahoe Queen and M.S. Dixie. A breathtaking fireworks display is also often shown over the lake.
There are also many fun, diverse hiking opportunities around Lake Tahoe. Perhaps the most famous ones are Tahoe Rim Trail and the Eagle Lake Trailhead. Camping in the wilderness is possible in certain areas of the park, as well as mountain biking.
When you're looking to relax a little bit in Lake Tahoe, you might want to check out the many large casino resorts on the Nevada side of the lake.
Those looking to take a very healthy vacation should consider checking out Lake Tahoe. The scenery is gorgeous and expansive, while the activities are all healthy yet diverse. With everything from skiing to swimming to gambling, Lake Tahoe truly has anything a vacationer would want.