The weather is warming up! So let’s head to the mountains for a hike! Squaw Valley, an alpine resort area in Olympic Valley, California, is in the Lake Tahoe area. This is the perfect place for a fun day trip filled with food, shopping, hiking, and a mountain top swim!
Squaw Valley is the name of the resort area at the base of the mountain with shops and restaurants. They also run the ski lift to the hiking area. They have tons of great outdoor clothing shops as well as other great one of a kind stores. The restaurants are all top notch, and many are even dog friendly!
I like to start my day by taking the tram up to the top of the mountain where you can begin your hike. On the way up, you’ll see the most beautiful rock formations and mountain scenery down below as your tram slowly climbs higher and higher up the mountain side. A ticket can be booked in advance online and costs $29 round trip, up and down the mountain.
Once at the top, there’s tons of activities to do. I go straight for a hike! I hiked to see Emigrant peak and then hiked to the top of Squaw peak. The views were incredible! I could see down to Lake Tahoe off in the distance, as well as all of the valley I had just climbed moments before. I will mention, it can be a bit cold some days, even in mid August. So check the weather before you go for high camp.
After soaking in the views, I took a swim in the hot tub and pool located at high camp. It was so relaxing after a nice hike, and you can really enjoy the mountain air from the nice hot water.
For dinner, I took the tram back down the mountain to the Squaw Valley resort area and ate outside. The day I went, they resort was having a wine festival. There was live music and wine booths set up all around the outdoor shopping area. I also was able to enjoy some great shopping before heading back to the big city later that evening.
If you’re looking for a fun day trip from Sacramento or even just looking for places to explore in the Tahoe area, check out Squaw Valley. Between the hiking, shopping, eating, and swimming, there’s something for everyone here.