Back in the 1860’s, Tahoe was the center of a busy commerce that involved the silver mines in Virginia City, where the Comstock Lode was discovered in 1859, and the Central Pacific Railroad, which ran from the Sierra toward the town of Truckee. The silver mines needed wood, as did the boomtowns and the railroad. An extensive logging empire was built on the east shore of the lake to supply these industries. From Incline Village to Glenbrook, the entire shoreline was clear-cut by the loggers, leaving scars that would last for decades. The famous Flume Trail, now used by hikers and cyclists, was an ingenious water system that moved the timber from the top of the mountain down to the shoreline. It was then put on barges and sent across the lake, then onto railway to finally land in Virginia City. By the early 1880’s, the mines and the demand for timber petered out. The only business that showed promise was tourism,and thus began a rush to build resorts.

Nearly every community around the lake owes its existence today to a resort or hotel. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, travelers from San Francisco would take one train to Truckee, and from there board a second train that rode on a narrow-gauge track to Tahoe City. When they got to the lake, they would have their choice of fabulous resorts such as Tahoe Tavern at Tahoe City, Brockway Springs Hotel near Crystal Bay, the Tallac House on the West Shore, and the Glenbrook Inn on the East Shore. Since there were no roads at this time, the only way to reach the distant resorts was by passenger ferry. A network of steamships developed to service the lake. A typical day outing for guests of these lavish hotels was to circumnavigate the lake, stopping at various landings to enjoy refreshments and see the sights.

Unfortunately, none of the historic inns have survived to modern times. Most were destroyed by fire, a problem that constantly tormented Virginia City and Truckee, where fire-fighting methods were primitive at best. The only resort that made it to the 1960’s was Tahoe Tavern; it was razed for environmental and commercial reasons. Often compared to the Ahwahnee in Yosemite, Tahoe Tavern’s opulence was not enough to save it from the condominium-building craze.

There is no denying that unregulated growth in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, much of it stimulated by the arrival of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and the development of gaming on the South Shore, added to the urban blight that still remains around much of the lake. Only now, after so much of the lake’s history has vanished, is there a movement to preserve what’s left and to promote the classic “Old Tahoe” look.

Despite human tinkering with the landscape, Tahoe endures with an undiminished grandeur. There is nothing quite like the first time you fly over this giant pool of indigo blue water, cradled between grand mountain ranges. Nothing can detract from the experience of entering Emerald Bay, and finding yourself surrounded by awesome granite walls. And nothing compares to the sense of awe that comes from scrambling up the trails of Desolation Wilderness to visit pristine alpine lakes and take in the incredible views.

The lake is one of nature’s greatest marvels, one that offers a lifetime of enjoyment. It is, as Mark Twain wrote, “surely the fairest picture the whole earth affords.”