An Evening Stroll at Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Pine State Park

A few weeks ago I was with my family and friend heading up the West Shore to have dinner at Sunnyside Restaurant, one of our favorite “things to do” at Lake Tahoe. On the way we took a detour and parked at Sugar Pine State Park which turned out to be the highlight of the whole day. One of those nice surprises that adds to an already great summer afternoon in Tahoe.

After living in Lake Tahoe for 15 years I’m a little embarrassed to say I had never taken the time to visit the park and The Hellman-Ehrman Mansion which I had seen many photos of before. It was late in the afternoon around 4:00pm and the grounds were light with visitors who were strolling back from the beach to their cars. It was such a perfect time to be there as the sun had already peaked earlier in the day and was slowly making it’s way down now. There were two couples enjoying a glass of wine on the large front porch of the mansion and taking in the view of Lake Tahoe. It made me think about how Isaias W. Hellman might have looked like sitting in that same spot over 100 years ago. I was soon going crazy taking pictures of the mansion and the grounds as my daughter and husband played hide and seek in the mansion’s beautiful garden and gazebo area. I could easily see why this was a popolar location for many brides looking for the perfect Lake Tahoe wedding venue.

I soon discovered Sugar Pine State Park, Tahoe’s largest state park, has so much to offer visitors. You can spend days exploring the many hiking trails and interpretive trails in the area. There is the Nature Center and Gift Shop offering interpretive displays, hands-on exhibits and theater. In the summer there are Junior Ranger Programs for kids ages 7 to 12. The historical buildings like the Tank House, Pine Lodge (The Ehrman Mansion) and Phipps Cabin were fascinating. Even a tennis court with lake views were on the historical grounds.

Now next time I’m coming back with a bottle of wine. Those two couples had the right idea! I suggest if you have time to visit Sugar Pine State Park for an afternoon it’s really worth doing! Come swim, tour the mansion, have a picnic, go camping, ride or hike one of the many varied trails. It really is a picturesque setting – quite magical.