Kayaking on Lake Tahoe

Surrounded by dramatic granite peaks, the emerald waters of Lake Tahoe provide a year-round lure for outdoor types.

Some 22 miles long and more than a thousand feet deep, this frigid freshwater lake is nestled in the highest point of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and straddles the borders of the states of California and Nevada.

Surrounded by miles of hiking, cycling and skiing trails, the lake provides a natural focus for summer beach bumming and all manner of water sports.

The majority of the region's accommodation and shops are concentrated in South Lake Tahoe. From here it is just a hop over the border to the casinos of Nevada and only a couple of miles from the ski fields of Heavenly, the lake's premier powder playground.

On the lake's northern shore, laid-back Tahoe City makes an ideal winter base for the ski resorts of Squaw Valley and Homewood.

Lake Tahoe enjoys plenty of Californian sunshine and is a three-hour drive from San Francisco.