Lake Tahoe is one of California's most popular tourist regions, known for its excellent outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the year. The region is best known as one of the Pacific Coast's best destinations for skiing during the winter months, home to top skiing areas such as the Heavenly Mountain Resort, Alpine Meadows, and Palisades Tahoe, the host of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games.

Visitors can hit the slopes or enjoy opportunities for cross-country skiing, snow tubing, snowshoeing, and snowmobile riding throughout the region. During the summer months, the region is a popular area for parasailing, jet skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, and other water sports at areas like Tahoe City and Kings Beach. Each year, the city hosts the prestigious Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance, one of the nation's top wooden boat shows. On the region's Nevada side, lively casinos line the lake's North and South Shore regions, including the Calneva, which was once owned by singer Frank Sinatra.