With reopening underway, there are many questions about how visitors can best enjoy North Lake Tahoe while keeping their health and well-being, as well as that of the community’s, top-of-mind.
The North Lake Tahoe destination has worked with local businesses and county officials to answer these questions through a video series and Know Before You Go guide. These will help get you up-to-speed on what to know when you’re ready to plan your next adventure to our mountain paradise.
Adhere to CA and NV Statewide Safety Guidelines
With lodging properties, retail vendors, drinking and dining establishments reopened, there are plenty of opportunities for you to enjoy Tahoe’s friendly culture relatively up close. Because we want to be able to keep these establishments open, it is important that all of us do our part to limit the possibility of infection—which is more likely to take place in enclosed spaces.
Wearing a mask or cloth facial covering is one of the easiest ways to limit the transmission of airborne and droplet contaminants likely to contain the virus – and it is required by current mandates in California and Nevada. They help you and others to keep invisible biological materials to yourself by placing a barrier between you and particles in the open air. While outside, you may remove your mask at your discretion, but should only do so in areas where you are relatively isolated. That means if you’re hiking or cycling in relative seclusion, you can pull your mask down… but if you’re shopping at one of our outdoor artisanal markets, the mask should be covering your mouth and nose.
These measures are most successful when everybody in a given area is wearing a mask. You wear a mask to protect others, and they wear one to protect you. By doing this in accordance with California and Nevada state mandates, you potentially remove one avenue for infection.
As you navigate Tahoe during your visit, you’ll find that the vendors, servers and bartenders—for example—all wear masks for your protection as they work with you. We ask you to return the favor!
Be Prepared for Changes in Lodging Service
With lodging properties reopened in Tahoe, you can plan for a long weekend or mid-week stay during your Tahoe adventure. As you do, you’ll find that lodging proprietors throughout the region have taken a number of important steps to make sure visitors can enjoy their properties safely so that they can focus on fun, relaxation and rejuvenation.
While you’re on-site, we ask that you continue to wear facial coverings in shared areas, and observe physical distancing guidelines described in the signage provided throughout the resort and lodging properties to protect yourself, vendors and other guests.
Rest easy knowing that, at each of the lodging properties throughout the region, they’ve taken care to ensure that shared public spaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected—and that on-site dining experiences have been revised so seating arrangements are appropriately spread out to minimize contact between groups.
To further limit the potential of viral transmission, some lodging properties are temporarily suspending regular room service and limiting equipment rentals. Make sure to check lodging vendor websites to understand what may or may not be available for borrowing, and consider bringing these items yourself so that you’re able to have the experience you anticipate without putting yourself or others at risk.
Dine, Drink and Shop in Safety and Style
If you’ve been missing craft beer, gourmet eats, and Tahoe made goods, now is a wonderful time to support those local businesses and luxuries you’ve come to enjoy over the years.
For our foodies out there, dining options remain plentiful—but with some smart changes made to ensure your safety. Many dining establishments will continue to offer curbside pick-up service throughout the duration of the pandemic. Others, who offer on-site dining, will offer socially distant dining, with clearly demarcated spaces to illustrate the distance at which parties should sit to limit potential exposure to one another.
As mentioned earlier, retailers are now open in Tahoe. Some are offering outdoor markets where you can purchase craft goods made with the spirit of Tahoe in mind by our locals. Others will allow indoor shopping experiences and ask that you wear a mask when patronizing their store as well as practice social distancing and foot-traffic directions as you peruse their aisles. And consider touchless payment options as you make your purchases.
Your adherence to safety standards and continued patronage of Tahoe establishments will help to keep our community healthy, vibrant and Tahoe beautiful.
Get Back to Beautiful Nature
North Lake Tahoe has a vast array of hiking trails, cycling paths, open water, and bluebird skies that could keep any explorer occupied for days on end. And as you prepare for winter adventures in North Lake Tahoe, check out our Winter Resort Messaging Video and our Preparing for the 20/21 Winter Ski Season blog.
As is always the case, we want you to have a safe and enjoyable experience as you explore the great outdoors in our region. We invite you to take guided tours with experienced guides who will help you to choose routes that limit potential hazards and keep you out of Tahoe’s hospitals—which still need to focus primarily on the people that live here. If you aren’t utilizing the expertise of a tour guide, we ask that you observe all safety precautions outlined on signage throughout the region, and advise you bring sunscreen, a snack, plenty of water, a cell phone, and a partner so that you can manage your safety and well-being independently.
While outdoors, you’re asked to practice discretion where facial coverings and social distancing are concerned. Please avoid busy areas by choosing a different location to explore when and if you observe large groups of people, and always wear your mask in any circumstance where you might be closer than six feet away from another person (such as when you are walking past them on one of our gorgeous hiking trails).
Finally, help keep Tahoe gorgeous and blue by packing in and packing out. It’s a part of Tahoe culture to leave no trace as you explore the region, so make sure to appropriately dispose of any trash or recyclables as you conclude your visit, so that Tahoe remains vibrant, clean and enjoyable for generations to come.
Thank You
The team at North Lake Tahoe is endlessly grateful to its visitors and locals who are doing their part to keep our community healthy, vibrant and safe. We look forward to having you here with us year after year and are especially grateful for your patronage as we navigate an unprecedented time.
