4 of the Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe as a Wheelchair User

*Hotels.com asked me to share these accessibility suggestions for Lake Tahoe, so I’m thrilled to bring you this article! As travel today remains uncertain, please keep your safety and the safety of others in mind at all times. If you are comfortable with traveling, please travel responsibly and within regulation. Any travel is at your own risk.

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Are you looking for a family outing in a beautiful wheelchair accessible destination? Well, look no further!  Bordering California and Nevada is the 122,200-acre freshwater lake known as Lake Tahoe. This major tourist attraction is best known for its beaches and ski resorts. And even better than that is the fact that some of them are wheelchair accessible! There are also paved trails and cruises that people with mobility impairments can thoroughly enjoy. If that’s not enough, Tahoe City has many restaurants and shops that are wheelchair accessible to complete your stay. Here are the best wheelchair accessible Lake Tahoe attractions –

Wheelchair Accessible Lake Tahoe Attractions and Things to Do

Soak up the sun at accessible beaches

The first stop on our tour is Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. Here, you will find a 1/3 mile wheelchair accessible boardwalk nature trail, picnic area, and accessible path to the beach. If you would like to get out of your chair and enjoy an easier, smoother ride across the sand, you can. Beach wheelchairs can be used here free of charge on a first come, first served basis. 

Next, you must head on over to North Lake Tahoe Beach. This accessible beach is a quaint, 2.7 acres with 540 feet of gorgeous shoreline. Your family will thank you for it! Here, you will find wheelchair accessible picnic areas with paved walkways, bbq grills, benches, and picnic tables. This is one place that you can just relax and not have to focus on it being accessible. Instead, you can spend that extra time with your family. 

Next on our travel itinerary is Pope Beach. This beach can be found on the Southside just off of Highway 89. The beach is unbelievably beautiful and is known as one of the cleanest beaches in the area. A nice, paved trail winds through the national forest and runs between the shoreline and Highway 89 on Tahoe Pope Beach Rd. You will find this area is shady with towering pines and there are plenty of paths and sidewalks to roll around on and enjoy the views. 

Enjoy the thrill of adaptive skiing 

If the laid-back lifestyle on the beach is not your thing and you would prefer a more adventurous excursion, you will find several ski resorts with adapted ski programs on Tahoe’s North Shore. There is nothing like the feeling of swishing down the slopes with the wind whipping through your hair and a smile on your face. If you’d like to learn more about what the ski resorts offer, you can contact Alpine Meadows Ski Resort by calling 530-583-4232, the Boreal Ski Resort at 530-426-3666, or the Diamond Peak Ski Resort at 775-532-1177. These are also some of the best accessible places to stay in Lake Tahoe, so consider staying at one of these resorts, no matter what activities you want to enjoy. 

Roll on wheelchair accessible trails

Now that you have swished and swooshed down the slopes, let’s switch it up and enjoy some of the peaceful accessible trails at Lake Tahoe. The following trails are just some of the exciting things to do around this amazing lake. 

• The Pinedrop Trail is a 1.2 mile asphalt paved trail located on the northern shore of Lake Tahoe and North Tahoe Regional Park. You will roll along a hilly landscape and through the towering pine trees. 

• Next is The Pope-Baldwin Bike Path. This is the most popular asphalt paved path and runs a total of 3.6 miles around Lake Tahoe. 

• You may also enjoy The Ski Run Bike Trail. This is an asphalt paved 0.6 mile trail, linking homes and apartments with the community’s downtown area and US 50. 

• Another accessible trail is The Tahoe Trailways Bike Path. You must make sure those tires are pumped up and your wheelchair is fully charged if you want to roll the length of this one! This trail is a total of 19.4 miles and is paved with asphalt. This path offers beautiful scenic views of Lake Tahoe and the Truckee River. 

• The Truckee River Legacy Trail runs along the river’s south side and offers more scenic views. From this trail, you can have access to Truckee River Regional Park and Riverview Sports Park. This asphalt paved path is a good distance of 4.4 miles in length.

Get out on the water with accessible boat rides

Now that we have thoroughly had great access to all the land around Lake Tahoe, let’s go out into the water with a wheelchair accessible boat ride or two! With a wheelchair accessible restroom aboard, wheelchairs have easy access onto the M.S. Dixie II.  This cruise is one of the best cruises on South Lake Tahoe and departs from Zephyr Cove Resort & Marina. This cruise is not only offered as a 2.5 hour scenic day cruise with a plethora of photo ops and lunch and cocktails available for purchase, but also as a sunset dinner cruise. This could make for a romantic evening with plenty of appetizers, entree stations and desserts. Also, there are cocktails and wine available for purchase. The sunset cruise is about 2.5 hours long.

You may also choose to board The Tahoe Gal. This cruise is on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and is only wheelchair accessible aboard the lower deck. This cruise line offers the options of the Lunch Cruise, Happy Hour Cruise, Shoreline Brunch Cruise, or the Sunset Dinner Cruise and more. You can book one of these for a memorable day on the water by calling 1-800-218-2464. 

As you can see, Lake Tahoe has lots of amazing options of things to do to enjoy this beautiful area. Kudos to The National Park Service and other governmental agencies in the Lake Tahoe area for continually working to be more inclusive for all visitors. Lake Tahoe is not only breathtaking, but just knowing that they care about their guests is even more enticing. It is nice to be able to enjoy an area together with the family and Lake Tahoe will certainly not disappoint. 

So, what are you waiting for? Lake Tahoe is an amazing destination for everyone. Pack your adventurous side and get ready to have the time of your life in the most scenic setting, all from the comforts of your own wheelchair.

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