San Francisco to Lake Tahoe to Reno

If you want to break up the 3-hour drive from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe, take a short detour off I-80 and have lunch in Old Sacramento. US 50 leaves the vast, flat stretches of the agricultural Sacramento Valley behind for the foothills of the Sierras. As altitude increases the terrain becomes more rugged and the scenery impressively more dramatic.

US 50 hugs the southeastern shore of Lake Tahoe into Nevada. Often framed by snowcapped mountains and tall pine trees, the lake is a stunner—usually sapphire blue in color, with water that’s remarkably pure and clear. On the way to Reno, I-580/US 395 crosses the Galena Creek Bridge, a cathedral arch span that towers nearly 300 feet above the Washoe Valley.

I-80 heads through the Sierras, reaching an elevation of over 7,000 feet at Donner Pass. The views of forested mountains are grand, but keep in mind that snow (requiring tire chains in order to negotiate the highway safely) can occur into late May. If you got lucky at the casino—or even if you didn’t—splurge on a fancy hotel or dinner, or both, in San Francisco.