Planning a trip to Lake Tahoe in late August, early September and am undecided where to stay and would like to ask for input from readers. We want to do some sightseeing and am unsure whether it is better to stay in south lake tahoe or north lake tahoe and also where is the best location to stay with a good view of the lake & mountains surrounding the lake.

I grew up at Lake Tahoe (well, in the SF bay area during the week, and at tahoe on the weekends ), and actually have family in Birmingham...

I''m partial to the South Lake Tahoe area, as there seem to be many more "day trip", "partial day", morning-, afternoon- options for getting outside and enjoying the fantastic scenery. If you can't snag a view from your hotel room, a short, easy walk along any of the trails leading to Mt. Tallac will put you on any number of hillsides with spectacular views of the Lake Tahoe Basin (most hike farther on to climb the mountain or into the Desolation Wilderness area, but the views along the way are awesome!!!) Or, you could drive up the road atop the hill between Fallen Leaf Lake and Angorra Lake, & stop at the old ranger station at the top of the hill. Incredible view of two small lakes on either side of you, with Lake Tahoe beyond. Then, keep driving/going to Angorra Lake/Angorra Falls---you can grab a pitcher of home-made lemonade (the best!!) and relax on the deck gazing at the falls and the mountains, or renting a boat on this great moutain get-away, you can drive up from the "Y" and check out Emerald Bay, Vinkingsholm, Eagle Falls, etc. with views along the way. You can drive up the "east shore" from Stateline and check out Zephyr cove, etc. You can drive up Hwy. 50, seeming like you're heading "away" from the Lake, but stop & explore the Echo Summit area for some neat walks to great views, great mountain lakes, etc. (and, more great views of Lake Tahoe along the stretch of hwy. 50 between Echo Summit and Meyers/the "Y".


North Lake Tahoe is a little closer to the Reno Aiport, both north and south lake tahoe are within a couple of hours of Sacramento (south by hwy 50, north by i-80).

Outside of ski season, the choice of N or S Tahoe is mostly about what you want to do at night. If casinos and night life are your thing, you definitely want to be S. If you prefer a quieter, more natural setting, you want to be N.

Either way, Tahoe is incredibly beautiful. September is a very good time for a visit -- smaller crowds and mild weather.

For sightseeing, it really doesn't matter, in my opinion. You will be driving around the entire lake anyway, probably several times. It sounds like you will be there around Labor Day, and Tahoe is pretty packed for that weekend, so make reservations early! It is starting to cool down (usually) at that time, and the lake is very popular and crowded.

Both areas, north and south, are fine for views of the lake, but I think you have more lodging choices from S. Lake Tahoe. Incline Village on the North shore, Kings Beach and Tahoe City all have accomodations up on hill-sides to view the lake. Weekend casino hotel prices at Stateline are very high, so you may want to consider renting a house, ski chalet or ski condo. I would definitely mention this by phone when making reservations that you absolutely want a view of the lake, either from a condo or any of the Stateline casino-hotels. Harvey's is probably the best choice in the hotel category for views, with Horrizon coming in 2nd.
For views of the lake, I would skip the ski condos at Heavenly, Squaw, Northstar, etc, because they are inland and more for mountain view and the slopes. The hillside condos by Diamondpeak ski resort seem to have a great view of the lake and mountains.