Sacramento offers just the right mix of grittiness and glitziness, making it an approachable, enjoyable place to be at any time of the year. But the best time to find yourself in Sacramento is in the fall when the landscape is painted in the changing colors of the city’s more than one million trees. That is the case for the start of this epic road trip that climbs into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Lake Tahoe, one of the world’s most pristine bodies of water, and then plunges into the depths of the desert to emerge in Reno, Nevada, the “Biggest Little City in the World.”
While in the Sacramento area, it is worth a walk around the 12-block Capitol Park gardens. Sacramento’s World Peace Garden offers a spectacular display of rare and unique roses and is the perfect backdrop to the moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The memorial features the names and hometowns of those killed in the war and several lifelike bronze statues that bring the conflict to life.
Tours of the California State Capitol are available, and, during normal business hours, the building is open to the public. Within the walls of the Capitol, visitors will find even more information about the colorful, often-tragic past of Sacramento. Much of the history of the state and the region was forged by the experiences of the Gold Rush, and the Capitol is a great place for visitors to learn about the major figures and events of the period. The city has handful of awesome museums, including the California Automobile Museum, the Crocker Art Museum and the California State Railroad Museum.
Stock aerial view photo of downtown Sacramento by Leo Visions via Unsplash.
Today’s road trip will take visitors through the very same hills, fields, and mountain passes these early pioneers conquered. The first leg of this drive will take us from the State Capitol just blocks from the Sacramento River that brought tens of thousands of adventure seekers to the region over 175 years ago. The drive will begin amongst towering skyscrapers climbing above historic buildings older than Sacramento itself before winding through soft hills dotted with oak trees and cattle farms. We’ll then climb higher into pristine alpine forests that have changed very little since the first European settlers cut paths through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The First Leg: Gold Country to Apple Hill
Departing from Sacramento eastbound on Highway 50 will quickly spirit you away from the bustle of the big city and out of the shadow of progress. The fast and direct way to get to Tahoe would be to continue on US-50 East, but 45 minutes into the trip, we’ll take a detour into Placerville.
Placerville is popularly known as Hangtown because of an event that happened in 1849. As the story goes, a group of gamblers and murderous thieves had taken up residence at the Placerville Saloon. After killing one of the town’s prominent citizens in cold blood, the gang were rounded up by locals and hung to death from a tree. The owner of the saloon, angered at the loss of his best customers, accused the mob of murder. Before an authority could be summoned, the barkeeper was grabbed by the mob and hung to death in the very same tree as the robbers.
Today, Placerville is a bustling town on the edge of the foothills that offers all of the amenities anyone would need—from gas to snacks to a brand-new car—but numerous reminders of the town’s pioneer past remain, including a hanging man at the spot where the hanging tree used to grow.
As we rejoin US-50 East toward Tahoe, mere minutes from Placerville is Apple Hill, a collection of small farms all united by one crop: you guessed it, apples. However, this is far more than just another roadside apple stand. There are more than 50 places to stop and buy apples, cider, pies, and everything else apple-related. It is a perfect place to swing off the highway for a brief side trip and a great place to grab lunch year-round.
The best place to start exploring Apple Hill is the Visitor’s Center. From Placerville, drivers will get on Highway 50 East and take the Schnell School Rd. exit, then turn left to drive under the freeway. Schnell School Rd. becomes Carson Rd. shortly. Follow Carson Rd. for about 4.5 miles. The Visitor’s Center will be on the right. The drive will take you along the ridges of hills clustered with native oak trees, granite boulders, towering pines, and apple orchards. Numerous farm stands, wineries, and cider houses are along Carson Rd. and on the roads connecting. The Visitor’s Center can provide maps, while an online app from the Apple Hill Grower’s Association can make planning this drive easier. At the Visitor’s Center, you’ll find a number of local farms that sell produce, prepared food, and beverages. Fill up before heading out, as the next stretch of driving will get exciting quickly and there are few service stations from Placerville to South Lake Tahoe.
A fresh crop of apples from Apple Hill in Placerville, CA. Stock photo by Craig Pattenaude via Unsplash.
Highway 50 climbs rapidly from Apple Hill and the landscape changes from rolling hills and oaks to sheer canyons and pines. The canyons of the Sierra Nevada range were cut by melting glaciers during the last Ice Age and today funnel melting snow from the peaks of the mountains down to the valley below. The town of Kyburz looks out over one such valley that is known as China Flats. Further up along US-50, drivers will encounter the town of Strawberry, which is little more than a general store near the trailhead of the Lover’s Leap hiking trail. To give you an idea of the elevation change so far, Sacramento sits at about 30 feet above sea level. Placerville is around 1,600 ft., while Strawberry sits at nearly 5,500 ft. of elevation, but takes just 40 minutes to reach from Placerville. Driving from Sacramento to Placerville on US-50 takes about the same amount of time.
Beyond Strawberry, US-50 becomes quite twisty and often narrow as the road plunges and climbs between massive granite monoliths and dense stands of conifers, then opens into bare patches and open meadows. In the winter, this stretch is well above the snow line, so drivers should be prepared with chains if planning to drive east of Placerville. You might find snow on the ground above this point as early as October and well into June or July in good years. Road closures can happen suddenly and without warning, often stranding unprepared drivers high up the slope of the mountains.
Once past the ski resorts of Sierra-at-Tahoe and Echo Lake Sno-Park, US-50 will straighten out a bit. Meyers is the first real town you’ll encounter since beginning the climb up the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Shortly after leaving Meyers, the first views of Lake Tahoe will emerge from behind the curtain of mountain peaks and towering pines. The drive will then take you down to South Lake Tahoe and the beginning of the second leg of the journey.
The Second Leg: South Lake Tahoe To Incline Village
Lake Tahoe is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the world and is known for its crystal-clear water. Tahoe is so large that the far shore is beyond the horizon and the curvature of the Earth can be seen on the water’s surface. The lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and other water sport activities in the summer and remains free of ice even in the depths of winter. Tahoe was once a key part of the culture of the Washoe tribe that inhabited the area before the coming of Europeans who first saw the lake in 1844. The lake has been named Lake Bigler, Fallen Leaf Lake, and Mountain Lake, but was officially named Lake Tahoe by Federal cartographers in 1862. The name Tahoe is derived from the name the Washoe used that translated as “the Lake.”
Highway 50 unceremoniously dumps drivers at a crossroads with one direction heading to nearby South Lake Tahoe and the other heading toward Emerald Bay State Park. Since we’ve been driving for over an hour, we are going to head into town and stretch our legs a bit. South Lake Tahoe is the largest population center on the lake and is home to several major casinos just across the California and Nevada border, called Stateline. The casinos are a great spot to stretch a bit, grab a bite to eat, and maybe strike it rich like a 49er on one of the card tables or slot machines that litter every establishment on the Nevada side. Vegas-style gambling remains illegal in California (aside from on native lands), so most of the nightlife and action in South Lake Tahoe is clustered in the few blocks that are occupied by the casinos and hotels. Hard Rock, Harrah’s, and Harvey’s offer gambling, shows, and all sorts of entertainment. Numerous restaurants, tap houses, and nightclubs are scattered around the shadow of the casinos, offering entertainment, nightlife, and sustenance for road-weary travelers.
Driving along the eastern shore of the lake is the shortest drive and takes you past Cave Rock, a spot that was sacred to the Washoe until a tunnel was blasted through to make way for US 50. The “Lady of the Lake” is also nearby. This rock formation appears like the profile of a woman’s face gazing out across the surface of the water. Though shorter than taking the western shore, the east side of the lake features a meandering drive through pine groves with Lake Tahoe glittering just a few hundred yards away.
The road around the western shore is longer but offers some spectacular opportunities for sight-seeing. After leaving from South Lake Tahoe, the road quickly becomes a tangled snake of switchbacks as the course climbs hundreds of feet above the lake. Along the south-western shore lies an area called Emerald Bay. Once a privately owned region of the lake, the bay is now part of the State of California and is held in trust for the people.
Emerald Bay is named as such for its translucent green-blue water that offers a crystal-clear view of the lakebed. In 2022 after years of efforts to clean up runoff that was fouling the water, the clarity of Lake Tahoe was measured at an average of 71.7 feet. From the road, drivers will be able to clearly see massive rock formations deep below the surface of Emerald Bay, capped off by the lake’s only island Fannette Island. The island is accessible to the public by boat or ferry where visitors can see the ruins of the Fannette Island Tea House that once stood on the island.
Fannette Island in Lake Tahoe on February 23, 2020. Photo by Peter Stringer for Amazing America.
On the shores of Emerald Bay lies a 38-room mansion called Vikingsholm. The mansion was built as a Scandinavian-inspired summer home for Lora Josephine Knight in 1929, who also had the structure on Fannette Island built. Today, Vikingsholm is part of Emerald Bay State Park and is a great opportunity for visitors to experience what is considered to be the finest example of Scandinavian architecture in the United States. Drivers can take the road to Vikingsholm and the Emerald Bay Visitors Center from the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout parking lot.
Continuing north along the shore of Lake Tahoe, US-89 climbs above the lake and away from the shore before descending again near Rubicon Bay. Above Rubicon Bay, visitors will find a trailhead that leads to Balancing Rock Nature Trail. The trail is a very easy ½ mile walk that meander through granite boulder fields, eventually ending at the impressive Balancing Rock. The rock is one, massive chunk of granite thought to weigh more than 130 tons that has experienced erosion from wind and water over many hundreds of thousands of years that has left it looking like one massive rock carefully balanced upon another. At some point, enough of the rock will have worn away that the top section will come crashing down.
Rubicon Bay offers stunning views of Rubicon Mountain and the Tahoe basin. Near the southern end of Rubicon Bay is an old lighthouse that can only be accessed by hiking, but this is another easy, short walk that truly captures the beauty and diverse flora of the Tahoe area and is well worth the few minutes detour off the highway and into Rubicon Bay.
Continuing north on CA-89/ Emerald Bay Rd. leads travelers back to the shore and to Meeks Bay and the campground. Just north lies Sugar Pine, one of the most spectacular places in the Tahoe Basin. Several campgrounds are scattered about the forests of Sugar Pine which look out over multi-million-dollar homes lining the shore of North Lake Tahoe. Sugar Pine is a great spot to view the Rail Tracks, which appear to be railroad tracks that run straight into the water. These tracks are the remnant of boat launches from the 1920s to the 1940s that were used to pull luxury boats out of the lack in winter to be placed in storage. Some of the vintage boats and carriages that carried them are on display at Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park.
Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe. Stock photo by Tim Peterson via Unsplash.
Farther north lies the resort of Homewood nestled in the shadow of Ellis Peak and Blackwood Ridge. Along the coast lies the city of Lake Tahoe. Just west of Lake Tahoe is Olympic Valley, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and some of the most challenging Alpine skiing in the world. This section of the drive is one of the best, as the road curves just above the water and pine forests march off to the towering mountain peaks all around.
North of Lake Tahoe, the road begins to curve to the east and passes through the small towns of Carnelian Bay and Kings Beach before reaching Crystal Bay where the road crosses back into Nevada. This area is known as Agate Bay because of the semi-precious gemstones that are frequently found along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe. Hunting for agate and carnelian is a great way to take in the unique view looking south over the lake. This is one of the best vantage points to see the curvature of the lakes surface.
Continue driving from Crystal Bay toward Incline Village and in just a few minutes, you will enter a heavily populated area. Incline Village sits at the foot of Diamond Peak, home to the world-famous Diamond Peak Ski Lodge and a major draw for tourism in the skiing season. Incline Village has excellent opportunities for rest and relaxation, and since it is also in Nevada, there are several casinos for those who want to try their luck.
It is a good idea to get out and stretch a bit at Incline Village. Though this is the last stop on this leg of the journey, the next part is one of the most arduous for drivers. You’ll want to be relaxed and fresh before heading down into the deserts of Nevada.
Final Leg: The Descent into the Desert
Downtown Reno, Nevada at night. Stock photo by Victor Hughes via Unsplash.
Take one last opportunity to gaze out over the tranquil, blue waters of Lake Tahoe before getting back on the road. You’ll be looking for Mount Rose Highway, Nevada State Route 431. This is a scenic bypass and climbs to the highest Sierra pass that is kept open year round. Mt. Rose Pass is at an elevation of 8,911 ft. and marks the highest point of this drive which began at just 30 ft. of elevation in Sacramento. The highway becomes a ribbon of switchbacks through mountain passes as it wanders around Mt. Rose Ski Area and continues to snake through the mountains as the elevation rapidly drops into the high desert. Reno sits at about 4,500 ft. As SR-431 descends, views of the expansive desert of Nevada begin to open up, offering a stunning contrast to the rugged alpine forests of Tahoe and the rolling grasslands of the Sacramento Valley.
Mt. Rose Scenic Bypass ends in the town of Galena, which is essentially the outskirts of Reno. Most of the area along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the Nevada side of the range was explored by silver miners, which led to the state’s nickname, the Silver State. Silver was discovered in the area around Reno in 1859 and led to a significant population boom in the state. Drivers will merge onto US-580 north and head toward the glittering lights of Reno.
Reno unfolds from the desert floor like a line from a classic rock song. Towering casinos line the main strip and provide the biggest reason for “the Biggest Little City in the World” to be a destination today. Unlike most of the surrounding towns that formed during the silver boom of the 1860s, Reno grew from little more than a bridge over the Truckee River. From a toll bridge, the founders of Reno (then called Lake’s Crossing) arranged deals with the Southern Pacific Railroad as the intercontinental railroad was built. After consolidating power and forcing the County Seat from the mining towns that had previously held sway over the valley. In 1868, the town was officially renamed Reno in honor of a Union Civil War officer killed in combat. The slogan was selected by the winner of a $100 naming contest after Reno officials decided to keep an Art Deco neon arch built to commemorate the transcontinental highway in 1927 that stands at the gateway to the casino strip today.
As the sun sets over the mountains, it is time to enjoy a steak and a show at Circus Circus or Silver Legacy before retiring for the night. The drive today covered about 180 miles and just the driving time alone totaled just about four hours. In the winter, this drive can be all but impossible due to snow, but offers an awesome opportunity to see snow-filled valleys that are among the most picturesque anywhere.
In summer, the snow will have melted away and temperatures will be substantially hotter, especially in Reno, however, this is also one of the best times of the year to be there as the city hosts the Hot August Nights car show, one of the largest shows in the U.S. each year. For car enthusiasts and drivers, few things make the end of a long drive better than an awesome car show.
