Fire up the SUV and Come to Lake Tahoe

The Drive is Easy and Scenic

Regardless of where you’re driving from it’s easy to find a route on a major highway to Lake Tahoe and the last hour(s) of the journey are incredibly scenic mountain vistas. Coming from L.A. via Hwy 395 travels along the granite peaks of the Eastern Sierra once you reach Lone Pine. The drive from Reno is only an hour and traverses the Kit Carson Range. The last hour of the drive from the Bay Area climbs into the Sierra Nevada beginning at Placerville.

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The Best Routes to Drive to Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is conveniently located on the California and Nevada border. Getting to and around South Lake Tahoe has never been easier. The drive to South Lake Tahoe is 3.5-hours from the Bay Area, or an hour-long drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, with more than 120 daily nonstop flights. Convenient express shuttle service from Reno is available multiple times per day from the South Tahoe Airporter.

Directions

Driving from the Bay Area

Hwy 80 E
Hwy 50 E to South Lake Tahoe (stay left on the freeway)
Exits into the Tahoe Basin in Meyers, CA
Proceed to Lake Tahoe Blvd at the “Y” intersection

Driving from Reno

580 S freeway ends at Carson St in Carson City
Hwy 50 to South Lake Tahoe (straight ahead from the stoplight)

Driving to South Lake Tahoe from Reno-Tahoe International Airport?

See the drive and all its scenic views ~ before you arrive ~ with our immersive SkyNav experience! Click below and get a head start on your visit!

Experience the drive on a Virtual Tour!

Driving from L.A.

I-5 N
Exit in Sacramento onto Hwy 50 to South Lake Tahoe
Exits into the Tahoe Basin in Meyers, CA
Proceed to Lake Tahoe Blvd at the “Y” intersection

Driving from San Diego or L.A.

Hwy 395 N
Turn left at the 711 in Gardnerville onto Riverview Dr
Riverview turns into Dresserville Rd. Dresserville Rd. turns into Centerville Ln.
Centerville Ln to Foothill Rd right turn. The next stop sign in SR 207 Kingsbury Grade
Left turn onto Kingsbury Grade. SR 207 ends at Hwy 50.
Left turn onto Hwy 50

Related Resources:

We’ll hook you up with the latest road conditions, transportation information, maps, and webcams. If you’re dying to try a sleigh or carriage ride, we can arrange that, too.

It’s a sunny spring day.
The temperature is 63°F.
Ready to enjoy the mountains?

Public Transportation

Shuttles to and from the Reno- Tahoe International Airport: South Tahoe Airporter
Free microtransit service in the south shore region via Lake-Link
Electric Vehicle Charging
Link Tahoe – Lake wide transportation information
Public Transportation while in town
Taxi Options: Yellow Cab | Tahoe Yellow Cab | Crown Taxi (530) 544-8294
Tahoe Backcountry Shuttle (530) 314-3209
TahoeXpress Limo/Bus with trips to Emerald Bay
Sunday Departure Tips
Winter Driving Tips and Caltrans QuickMap
Tahoe Ski Trips – Seasonal
El Dorado Transit Bus – New Sacramento/South Lake Tahoe connector bus route
Public transportation from Sacramento and the Bay Area: Capitol Corridor at (877) 974-3322 or www.CapitolCorridor.org
Seasonal Water Taxi from Camp Richardson, Lakeside Beach, Round Hill Pines, or Beach Retreat
SnowPals – regional carpooling
Ridesharing: Uber Car Service | Lyft Service
Road Conditions at NVRoads.com and CA Road Conditions or both

Rentals & Private Shuttle/Limousine Services:
Enterprise Rental Car at Lake Tahoe (530) 544-8844
Budget Rental Car inside Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe (530) 544-3439
Avis Rental Car inside Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe (530) 544-3439
Aladdin Limousine
Bell Limousine
Reno-Tahoe Limousine
Ski Resort Bus Charters with Discover Lake Tahoe Tours
Tahoe Elite Private Car service (530) 582-5828 www.TahoeElite.com
Hertz Rental Car inside Harveys Lake Tahoe (775) 586-0041
Harrah’s Lake Tahoe VIP Bus Schedule

For the latest up-to-date roadwork information around the Tahoe Basin, please visit ss-tma.org/traffic and project updates

Come Back Again. And Again.

Things to Do in Tahoe for Every Season

Sure, we’re a little biased, but there’s never a bad time to visit Lake Tahoe. Pick a season, any season. Celebrate summer in the Sierra with a hike to Emerald Bay State Park or make a splash at Pope Beach. Discover why Tahoe winters are legendary for skiing and holiday fun at the Heavenly Village and Ski Resort. If you want to avoid the high season crowds, visit Lake Tahoe in the spring to hit the slopes in sunglasses and a t-shirt, or come in the fall when the mountains are painted in autumn colors and hiking is at its best. Regardless of when you visit, there’s plenty of Lake Tahoe things to do.