The 4th of July is an action-packed time in the Lake Tahoe region. From parades and drone shows to water activities on warm days, it won’t be hard to find something that piques your interest. Plus, in this guide, you’ll get some handy tips for how to have the best experience possible while practicing responsible tourism.
WHERE TO STAY
The Village at Palisades Tahoe hotel’s central location makes for a super convenient home base, with all the amenities you need for a big holiday. For example, you’ll get exclusive access to our 8 outdoor hot tubs and underground parking that will keep your car cool in the summer heat. Plus, you’ll be in the heart of base area excitement. You can order food to-go, dine on one of our many patios, or skip the crowd entirely and cook in your own kitchen.* When you book with us, you’re just steps from summer’s best activities like the Aerial Tram, the Tahoe Via Ferrata, and more. Not all of our rooms have air conditioning, so book right away to get the room type you want!
PRO TIP: Guests who book with us at The Village at Palisades Tahoe get access to discounted Aerial Tram tickets.
*The majority of our rooms have private balconies, fireplaces, and kitchens. Not available for Standard rooms or Studios.
WHAT TO DO
Itinerary for 4th of July
The 4th of July was made for outdoor activity, and when you’re staying in The Village at Palisades Tahoe, it is just nine minutes to make the exciting ride up to High Camp via the Aerial Tram. At the top, enjoy stunning views of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region, as well as a number of activities to choose from — which we’ll dive into further down in this blog.
There’s plenty more to do in the Lake Tahoe region, too. You can head to the beach, take one of our recommended hikes, or even rent a boat, kayak or paddleboard. We’ve got a full Water Activities guide for you to make it simple. Bike rentals are easily available in The Village at Palisades Tahoe outside of Parallel Mountain Sports, and a bike path takes you between the resort and Tahoe City as well as the lake’s West Shore. Remember things might book up ahead of time for 4th of July, so make sure you’ve got your reservations in advance.
At Nightfall: This year, Tahoe City is presenting a technologically innovative patriotic display. Instead of fireworks (which pose a fire danger during this warm time of year) there will be a drone light show over the lake! If you are searching for traditional fireworks, you don’t have to go all the way to South Lake to see them. (You won’t want to, either – More on that below). From Commons Beach in Tahoe City, you’ll be able to see the South Lake Tahoe fireworks display in the distance.
See All North Lake Tahoe Celebrations
PRO TIP: Bike from Palisades Tahoe to Tahoe City. You’ll breeze by all the traffic and have fun!
Itinerary for 5th of July
10am: Tuesday is Farmers Market Day! Head into Truckee, grab a coffee from Coffeebar or Dark Horse, and park at the Truckee River Regional Park. Bring a backpack to fill with whatever local goodies you find at the market! If you don’t have too many perishables, walk along the Legacy Trail, where you can see the unbelievable turquoise of the Truckee River.
Daytime Activity Ideas:
- Tee Off: Play a round of golf at The Links course at The Resort at Squaw Creek.
- Adventure Awaits: Climb the Via Ferrata as a family or do the lower-impact Treetop Adventures Ropes Course. Follow it up with ice cream from Euro Sweets in The Village!
- Cool Currents: Raft down the Truckee River. When you’re done, check out the patio at River Ranch.
- Experience Nature: See Wildflowers on the Shirley Canyon trail or at High Camp, and take 1-mile a North Face Guided Hike at 10:30am or 1pm any day
- Cultural Education: Learn about the history of the Washoe Tribe with a new display up at High Camp, or visit the Olympic Museum, featuring memorabilia from the 1960 Winter Olympics.
5pm: Everybody’s favorite summer music series is back with Bluesdays. These lively blues shows take place every Tuesday from 6-8:30pm in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. You might even be able to see the show from your balcony!
Itinerary for 6th of July
The crowds will have subsided a little bit from the weekend, so today’s your day to hike Shirley Canyon up to High Camp. We recommend starting early between 7 and 8 am to have to coolest temperatures of the day. This is a strenuous hike that will require you to bring a lot of water and pay attention to where you are going. High Camp itself opens at 10am, so you can grab a refreshment at the High Camp Marketplace, try your hand at Disc Golf or Geocaching, or even go roller skating at 8,200 feet.
In the evening, participate in some restorative yoga to stretch those muscles after a long, active day. From 5-6pm, come to First Street Yoga for this FREE session in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. The July 6th class is taught by Kellee Rich of Palisades Tahoe Yoga. This class is first come, first serve and may reach capacity, so arrive early. Luckily, you’ll be right by your hotel, so that shouldn’t be hard!
TRANSPORTATION
We’ve touched on it already: Bikes are a great method of transportation during a busy holiday weekend. But that’s not our only tip!
- If you’re staying in Tahoe City, Truckee or in Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista/Carnelian Bay, you can use TART Connect. Summon this FREE service via app (like you would with Uber/Lyft) and get wherever you need to go within each zone.
- Take the TART bus. Our regional TART buses are free, with routes running around the North Lake Tahoe region from 6am-6pm. If you’re out in Truckee, rely on this bus to get you lakeside or back to The Village.
- If you have to drive, carpool and bring some patience. Travel time is typically longer on holidays (Another reason to make The Village at Palisades Tahoe your home base: you won’t have to travel far to get to the lake!)
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
We ask that you respect the fragility of beautiful North Lake Tahoe and do your best to leave this stunning landscape better than you found it.
- NO FIREWORKS. These are illegal in California and are especially risky during the summer months when fire danger is high. For that reason, ALL CAMPFIRES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED, as are charcoal grills, smokers, smokeless stoves, and open flame of any kind.
- PACK OUT YOUR TRASH. That’s right: Don’t throw your trash away in public cans at beaches or trailheads. These are almost guaranteed to be full or overflowing during busy times, which poses a threat to wildlife such as bears.
We hope to see you out and about this Independence Day!
