Our family just got back from a summer vacation at Lake Tahoe—and of course that means that we got in some biking! Fortunately for us, Tahoe isn’t just beautiful scenery and beaches, it also boasts some great bike paths and trails. There is plenty of rowdy mountain biking and long road rides for the adults, but there are also some great options for kids. Here are some recommended Tahoe rides you can take the whole family on.
A Guide To Biking Lake Tahoe with Kids
Bike Paths
There are some super fun paved bike paths around Tahoe, and you’ll see lots of families there using them. These trails can all be found on the comprehensive Lake Tahoe Bikeways Map.
- South Lake Tahoe Bike Path (Forest Bicycle Trail). Ten miles of paved bike path along the southern shore of Lake Tahoe. There are several opportunities to take a side trip to swim and play at the beach or grab an ice cream cone.
- Tahoe City Bike Paths. 15 miles of bike trail surrounds Tahoe City. Our favorite portion is a 4-mile segment runs along the scenic Truckee River from Tahoe City to Squaw Valley.
- Incline Village (Lakeshore Drive) Bike Path. 2.5 miles of paved path thru Incline Village. Grab the trail at Gateway Park.
Mountain Biking
We spent two days of our vacation doing “family” mountain bike rides. The first ride was at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area, a maze of moderate, mostly smooth single and double tracks through the Ponderosa Pine. Our second ride was at North Tahoe Regional Park, which boasts several miles of twisty trails and paved path.
- Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area. 925 Country Club Dr., Tahoe City. Park at the Nordic ski center and head out on the well-defined double track from the parking lot. Most intersections are well-signed. On the day we rode, we saw LOTS of kids biking here.
- North Tahoe Regional Park. 6660 Donner Road. In addition to traditional park facilities like a playground (great for post-ride fun), North Tahoe Regional Park is surrounded by open space with both paved and unpaved trail. Download a map here.
Bike Rentals
We brought our own bikes (and the Weehoo) with us on our trip to Tahoe, but there are also plenty of options for bike rentals around the lake. Many of the places we saw even had trailers for rent to haul the littlest family members. Here are a couple shops at different places around the lake:
- Anderson’s Bicycle Rental. 645 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe. 530-541-0500.
- Olympic Bike Shop. 620 N Lake Boulevard. Tahoe City. 530-581-2500.
- Village Bicycles. 800 Tahoe Boulevard. Incline Village. 775-831-3537.
Kristen! Thanks for putting together these trip reports. This is what I’ve been looking for. I plan to document our family’s bike trips and share them too. Thanks!