You’re speeding through the trees, exhilarated, when you decide to stop the vehicle and turn the motor off. Suddenly, your snowmobile excursion changes from an adrenaline-fueled ride to a perfectly peaceful experience of winter quiet.
The combination of outdoor thrill and refreshing calm draws groups to the Reno and Lake Tahoe area year-round. Though most know of the area’s impressive ski resorts, golf courses and gaming opportunities, not everyone realizes the range of outdoor activities available to groups.
Groups can combine Reno’s extensive shopping, restaurant and gaming options with its nearby outdoor wonderland. Reno serves as the perfect hub for groups to venture all around the Tahoe area.
Whether your group desires a fast-paced romp through the wilderness, a contemplative look at the world-famous panoramas or a little bit of both, you can exceed their expectations with one of these four outdoor activities.
Snowmobiling
When half your group wants to zoom past the scenery and the other half desires a more meditative experience, snowmobiling might prove the answer.
Snowmobiling guides break groups up based on whether they seek a tame ride or a speed-loving adventure. Both groups ride past the same spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and its surrounding mountain peaks.
“It’s a really fun trip,” said Jamie Lokan, tourism sales manager for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. “It’s crystal-clear air that you’re breathing, and the views are just beautiful.”
Snowmobiles weave through pine trees, aspen groves and meadows of white along mountain trails reaching more than 8,000 feet high. From these heights, tour guides stop along lake-view ridges for unforgettable panoramas of Lake Tahoe below.
Luckily, although the tours only run during winter, the Lake Tahoe region averages 300 days of sunshine. So you have a good chance for pleasant winter weather for your snowmobile tour.
Located about 50 minutes from Reno, both Zephyr Cove Snowmobiling and Lake Tahoe Snowmobiling regularly take groups into the protected forests and meadows around Lake Tahoe. The two snowmobile companies can rent warm winter clothes to anyone worried about the cold.
Trips range from one to three hours.
Lake Cruises
With every clink of your glass and every bite you take, you can glimpse screen-saver-worthy landscapes all around you aboard one of Lake Tahoe Cruises’ vessels. Passengers sailing on both sightseeing and dinner cruises will be able to relax as they soak up the reflective blue waters and towering mountains of South Lake Tahoe.
“Everyone who comes to our area should go out on the lake,” said Lokan. “For groups, a lake cruise is one of the must-dos. They are really amazing tours.”
You can choose from two paddle wheelers for your groups: the 520-passenger MS Dixie II and the authentically replicated Tahoe Queen. Both feature sightseeing and dinner cruises that sail through the lake’s stunning Emerald Bay.
Sightseeing cruises run year-round with indoor and outdoor seating. The experience changes throughout the seasons: Visitors see snow-capped mountains in the distance until about June, which ushers in the summer. The snow returns in autumn and lasts through the winter. While snapping photos, guests will learn about the area’s past and present with guided narration and a special video presentation aboard the MS Dixie II.
Elegant dinner cruises offer live entertainment, cocktails, wine, a dance floor and four gourmet courses while the ships sail quietly into the sunset. About 50 minutes away from Reno, these cruises also reveal interesting stories about Fanette Island and Vikingsholm Mansion.
