Winter Gear You Should Pack for You and Your Dog

Traveling with a dog requires packing a bit extra and a winter getaway is no different. It’s also worth noting that it’s helpful to get a lot of this gear in advance to ensure everything fits and your dog can practice wearing their winter items beforehand, like snow boots that are very unnatural for a dog to wear.

Packing the basics below ensures that both you and your pup stay comfortable, safe, and ready for winter wonderland fun no matter which shore of the lake you explore.

For You:

• Layers you can add/remove as temperatures shift from chilly mornings to sunnier afternoons

• Waterproof boots with good traction — snowy or icy surfaces are common

• Warm gloves, hats, and a waterproof jacket

• Snow-specific gear (like snowshoes) if you plan to hike or explore deeper snow

For Your Dog:

• Dog booties to protect paws from ice, salty roads, and cold snow

• A waterproof, insulated dog jacket or fleece layer

• Paw balm or wax for extra protection

• A sturdy leash and harness with reflective details for early sunsets

• Extra towels, wipes, and a mat for the car or hotel after snowy adventures

How to Decide Between North Lake and South Lake

Choosing between North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe comes down to the kind of winter adventure you want with your dog. North Lake Tahoe — including areas like Tahoe City, Kings Beach, and Truckee — tends to see deeper snowpack and colder temperatures, making it ideal for classic snow hikes, cross-country adventures, and cozy mountain town vibes. Its proximity to Interstate 80 can also make winter travel slightly easier and more reliable during snowstorms. Meanwhile, South Lake Tahoe blends snowy scenery with larger resort culture and easier access to the lake’s south shore, plus a lively après-snow scene around Heavenly Village.

As you’ll see below, both regions offer dog-friendly walks, scenic drives, and snowy fields for pups to play and explore. We’ve experienced both and enjoyed both trips, but my personal favorite is South Lake Tahoe. South Lake Tahoe is a bit more compact so it offers more lodging, dining, and restaurant options within a short walk or drive.

Visiting North Lake Tahoe in the Winter with Your Dog

North Lake Tahoe shines in winter for its storybook mountain scenery and laid-back, small-town feel. Snow-dusted pine forests, frozen shoreline views, and quiet neighborhoods create an inviting setting for slow mornings, scenic walks, and cozy afternoons with your dog. Areas like Tahoe City, Kings Beach, and nearby Truckee offer easy access to snowy meadows, lakeside paths, and cross-country trails that are perfect for peaceful exploration. If you’re dreaming of a classic winter cabin vibe — complete with crackling fireplaces, fresh powder, and fewer crowds — North Lake Tahoe delivers a relaxed, nature-first experience that feels especially magical during the colder months.

Dog-friendly Winter Activities Around North Lake Tahoe

Stop at Donner Lake Overlook

For a quick but breathtaking winter photo op, take your dog to Donner Lake Overlook. This easily accessible viewpoint offers panoramic views of Donner Lake surrounded by snowy mountains. It’s a great stop to make on your way driving into Truckee and there’s a small parking that accomodate 5-10 cars.

Hike and Snowshoe With Your Dog

Even in winter, plenty of North Lake Tahoe trails are accessible for snowshoeing or hiking with your pup. Make sure to bring dog booties to protect paws from ice and salt. Some top dog-friendly trails include:

• Tahoe Rim Trail – Tahoe City: Stunning lake and forest views with moderate terrain. Dogs must be on leash.

• Donner Memorial State Park Trails – Truckee: Scenic wooded paths around Donner Lake, perfect for a winter stroll with snow covering the ground. The trails are groomed so you can get away with no snowshoes if you have good winter boots or if you use snowshoes you won’t need poles.

• Donner Lake Overlook – Truckee: Short, easy trail with panoramic views of Donner Lake, perfect for a snowy photo op with your dog.

• Sunnyside Trail – Incline Village: Easy lakeside hike that’s great for short walks or a peaceful escape with your dog.

• Truckee River Legacy Trail – Truckee: Flat, paved trail along the river that’s ideal for winter walks or light snowshoeing.

Tip for snowshoeing with a dog: Invest in a hands-free leash that you can wear around your waist or across your body, and utilize a long lead to give your dog plenty of space to move ahead of you. This will help keep your hands free for poles if needed and avoid tripping over one another. If your dog has great recall, this is a perfect activity for letting them run free, as long as they won’t trip you up. Rue either likes to be ahead us or right next to me, so we just stuck to a long lead.

Play in the Snow & Sledding at a Sno-Park

Nothing beats the joy of your dog romping in fresh snow! North Tahoe has several designated Sno-Parks where you can sled, build snow dogs, or just let your pup burn energy.

The Sno-Parks program is operated by California State Parks in conjunction with other agencies, and provides access to plowed parking areas in the snow zone where you can pause to ski, snowshoe, sled, or just have a snowball fight. Some Sno-Parks provide access to groomed XC and snowshoe trailheads and some don’t, but all welcome four-legged friends as long as they stay on leash. While the Sno-Parks aren’t quite free, it’s $15 for a day pass or $40 for a season pass, they can provide a full day of fun.

Here’s are some Sno-Park options in the North Lake area:

• Tahoe Donner Sno-Park – Truckee: Dog-friendly area for snow play and beginner sledding runs.

• Sugar Pine Point State Park – Tahoma: Offers wide open snowfields and trails for both snowshoeing and snow romps.

• Northstar California Resort (Pet-Friendly Areas): While dogs can’t ride lifts, they’re welcome to explore certain base areas, snow-covered trails, and to ride the gondola up to The Ritz.

You’ll find Sno-Park maps, descriptions and more info here. Buy your pass or permit (valid through May 30) online or through regional vendors. Don’t be tempted to park without a permit: you’ll get a $95 citation.

Explore Downtown Truckee

After a morning in the snow, head to downtown Truckee for a cozy, dog-friendly stroll. Many shops and restaurants welcome well-behaved pups on patios or inside with pet policy:

• Truckee’s historic Main Street: Pet-friendly boutiques and outdoor dining. CA 89 is a cute home goods store and keep your eyes peeled for murals around town. The Welcome to Truckee mural is located at the Post Office.

• Coffee shops & cafes with outdoor seating: Let your dog enjoy a puppuccino while you sip hot chocolate. The Coffeebar has a great patio for this.

• Dining: Après ski at the many breweries along Main Street. Many maintain their patios and have heaters. We enjoyed the sour and pretzel with cheese at Craft Logic and the selection at Alibi Ale Works.

Visiting South Lake Tahoe in the Winter with Your Dog

South Lake Tahoe blends snowy mountain scenery with a lively resort-town atmosphere, making it a great option for travelers who want both outdoor adventure and convenient amenities. Home to Heavenly Mountain, Lakeside Beach, and the walkable Heavenly Village, South Tahoe offers easy access to scenic lakeside paths, snow play areas, and plenty of dog-friendly patios. In winter, the town comes alive with twinkling lights, après-ski energy, and cozy lodging options — perfect for couples and pet parents who want a mix of nature and nightlife. With more dining, shopping, and activity options concentrated in one area, South Lake Tahoe is especially appealing if you like having everything close by.

Dog-friendly Winter Activities Around South Lake Tahoe

Hike and Snowshoe With Your Dog

There are several areas around South Lake Tahoe that are popular for dog-friendly snowshoeing excursions:

• Fallen Leaf Lake – In winter, this quiet alpine lake becomes a snowy retreat with peaceful shoreline views and snow-covered forests, making it ideal for scenic walks and snow play with your dog.

• Echo Lakes – Surrounded by granite peaks and blanketed in snow, Echo Lakes offers dramatic winter scenery and opportunities for snowshoeing and cold-weather exploration with your pup (road access may be limited after heavy snowfall).

• Meeks Bay – During winter months, Meeks Bay transforms into a serene, snow-covered landscape with forested surroundings, perfect for tranquil walks and enjoying Tahoe’s quieter west shore atmosphere.

• Page Meadow – This open meadow near Tahoe City turns into a beautiful winter wonderland, offering wide views, gentle terrain, and space for dogs to enjoy fresh snow and relaxed winter strolls.

• North Tahoe Regional Park – A year-round favorite, the park features groomed winter paths and snowy trails that are ideal for leashed walks, light snowshoeing, and daily exercise with your dog.

• Hope Valley – Known for deep snow and sweeping mountain views in winter, Hope Valley is best suited for experienced winter visitors looking to enjoy snowshoeing, photography, and remote alpine scenery with their dog (weather permitting).

I don’t think it’s possible to have a bad view in Tahoe, so prepare for scenic overload no matter what area you decide on.

The two most important things when snowshoeing is gear and checking access to the area you want to explore. If you need to rent snowshoes, you can rent for the day (or several) from South Tahoe Ski and Snowboard Rentals, Camp Richardson, Pyramid Peak Ski and Snowboard Rentals, or Sports Ltd. You can visit Tahoeroads.info to keep an eye on road conditions and closures.

We had originally planned to snowshoe Echo Lakes, but due to road closures we ended up parking near Camp Richardson and walking along the road to snowshoe Fallen Leaf Lake trail instead. This isn’t a super popular area in the winter, so it’s easy to find parking along the road. Typically, about 4 cars can fit at the entrance and another 10 or so down the road past Camp Richardson. Don’t be afraid of the road closure sign if you see if before Camp Richardson. It’s just warning you that you won’t be able to go much further as the roads are not maintained leading up to Emerald Bay.

From the road, it’s about a 2-mile roundtrip hike if you go all the way to the lake. From the start, there is a groomed trail that leads you winding through the alpines. I’d consider the groomed trail easy, and if you don’t veer from it you won’t need snowshoe poles.

If you want to go off the beaten path and explore the deeper snow area, I would recommend poles and a bodysuit for your dog. If the snow is really deep, like when we visited, no markers are visible and service can be spotty so make sure you keep track of your way back.

However you decide to explore, you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Tip for snowshoeing with a dog: Invest in a hands-free leash that you can wear around your waist or across your body, and utilize a long lead to give your dog plenty of space to move ahead of you. This will help keep your hands free for poles if needed and avoid tripping over one another. If your dog has great recall, this is a perfect activity for letting them run free, as long as they won’t trip you up. Rue either likes to be ahead us or right next to me, so we just stuck to a long lead.

Play in the Snow at a Sno-Park

Similar to snowshoeing, you can play in the snow just about anywhere around Tahoe this time of year.

One option is to visit a Sno-Park. The Sno-Parks program is operated by California State Parks in conjunction with other agencies, and provides access to plowed parking areas in the snow zone where you can pause to ski, snowshoe, sled, or just have a snowball fight. Some Sno-Parks provide access to groomed XC and snowshoe trailheads and some don’t, but all welcome four-legged friends as long as they stay on leash. While the Sno-Parks aren’t quite free, it’s $15 for a day pass or $40 for a season pass, they can provide a full day of fun.

California has 19 Sno-Parks spread between Sierra County in the north to Mammoth Lakes in the south, with the majority situated in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe. The two closest to South Lake Tahoe are Echo Lakes, at Echo Summit on Highway 50 (Pacific Crest Trail access into Desolation Wilderness), and Taylor Creek (South Shore access to Fallen Leaf Lake).

You’ll find Sno-Park maps, descriptions and more info here. Buy your pass or permit (valid through May 30) online or through regional vendors. Don’t be tempted to park without a permit: you’ll get a $95 citation.

But, similar to our snowshoeing adventure all the routes for the Sno-Parks were closed or buried under snow. Thankfully, down the street from where we snowshoed on Emerald Bay Road along the Pope Baldwin Bike Path, we found a perfect open field where we could run around and play. We encountered a few people sledding and building snowmen, but we basically had the area to ourselves.

We even got lucky with fresh snow! It was such a magical moment watching Ruby bunny hop through the thick snow while a light, fresh dusting was coming down on us and creating what I can only imagine is like living in a snow globe.

Go Sledding on a Dog-friendly Hill

All of the sledding businesses in Lake Tahoe, like Adventure Mountain, are not dog-friendly. Sno-Parks can be a good option for sledding if they’re open, but really if you just keep your eyes peeled for a decent hill then you’re good to go.

We found the perfect hill behind Heavenly Village on the west end of Forest Suites Resort. There’s public parking connected to Heavenly Village, but if you go past that you can safely park on the street and just walk right up to the open meadow.

We brought inflatable Funboy sleds and an electric pump, so it was easy to inflate the sleds in our hotel room and then deflate and pack them up when we were done.

It’s a bit hard to tell in photos, but there were a few packed tracks for sledding by the tree line with some fun bumps along the way. The hill is a gradual incline, so it’s an easy walk up and just enough slope to give you a long run down.

I haven’t gone sledding in so many years and forgot just how much fun it can be. I think Rue even enjoyed it because every time I pointed to the sled she hopped right on in front of me.

Après Ski Around Heavenly Village

Heavenly Village is where most of the good bars, shopping, and restaurants are in South Lake Tahoe. It’s also the main access point to the mountain, which means it can get busy.

We didn’t encounter big crowds or long waits at restaurants when we visited at the end of March, and everywhere in the Village is very dog-friendly.

Heavenly Village is where we do most of our dining when visiting South Lake. We’ve visited a handful of times so we know what’s good and who has spacious dog-friendly patios.

Here’s the dog-friendly restaurants we enjoy:

1. Azul-Latin Kitchen: We have a tradition that this is the first meal we eat every time we come to Tahoe. Get the spicy marg and queso to start. I’m also a big fan of their sweet potato tacos for vegetarians.

2. Base Camp Pizza Co.: Really good pizza and part of their patio is covered with heaters. This place can get really busy depending on when you visit. If the wait is too long, go across the street to Blue Dog Pizza.

3. California Burger Company: Decent burger and even better fries. Nice patio area with live music and fire pits.

4. Heaven’s Little Café: Some say these are the best breakfast burritos in Tahoe.

5. Fire + Ice Tahoe: Happy hour drinks with a view of the mountain.

If you want to do a little shopping for your pup or forgot something from home, Dog Dog Cat is across the street from the Village in the Target shopping center. They have a wide assortment of treats, toys, and pet care products.

Explore Zephyr Cove’s Dog-friendly Beach

Zephyr Cove is a mile-long sandy beach located on National Forest land on Lake Tahoe’s southeast shore. It is a full-service resort with a restaurant, beach bar and grill, and a general store and offers plenty of fun in the summer and winter. While the resort itself isn’t dog-friendly, the stretch of the beach at the north end is.

Zephyr Cove offers the iconic landscape you envision when thinking about Tahoe: Tall alpine trees lining a strip of sandy shore with outlets featuring large bouldering rocks in the shallow parts of the water.

The beach can be busy on the weekends, but generally not in the winter months. There’s plenty of parking in the lot and we’ve never had to pay when visiting in the winter, but I’ve read there is a $10 fee. You can also park along HWY 50 and walk over if you want to avoid having to pay.

You’ll be able to find restrooms, picnic tables, and a trail within the trees from your walk from the car to the beach. There are also trashcans and a pet station, so make sure you pick up after your dog.

Zephyr Cove’s Beach is actually fine rock and pebble instead of sand, so it’s a bit easier to walk on with shoes, but keep an eye on where your pup is stepping so they don’t encounter anything sharp.

There are also several boulders and logs along the shore where you can stop and enjoy the views along your walk. The water will be cold, but it’s safe for your dog to go in if they’re feeling adventurous.

It’s advised that owners keep their dogs on leash, but we always run into furry friends that are off-leash. We generally don’t mind this if the dogs are friendly, but please don’t break this rule if your dog can be reactive to humans or other dogs.

If you want to explore more beaches during your winter getaway, check out our dog-friendly guide to beaches in Tahoe.

Grab a Beer at a Taproom or Beer Garden

South Lake Tahoe has several taprooms and beer gardens that are perfect for warming up and hanging out after a day in the snow.

The Hanger Lake Tahoe is our go-to spot when visiting. They have a huge selection on tap and four sours, which is one of the reasons this is our favorite spot. They have a small indoor seating area that is dog-friendly and a decent size patio where they recently installed igloo enclosures with heaters. If you’re hungry, they also have two food trucks on-site.

Sidellis is a hidden gem I just found out about. You can tell it’s a locals hangout and upon our arrival we were immediately greeted by two dogs inside the biergarten. We went on a Saturday night and were able to get a table to ourselves so Rue could lay on the bench next to me while I enjoyed The Darwin Kettle Sour Series. They do have a limited food menu and around 5-6 other beers on tap.

We attempted to try the Basecamp Beer Garden that is attached to their hotel, but the patio was buried in snow.

Have you been to Lake Tahoe in the winter? Am I missing any dog-friendly activities or do you have any questions about our guide? Let me know in the comments below!