SUMMERTIME AT KIRKWOOD

From world championship golf courses to Class Three white-water, Kirkwood Mountain Resort offers its visitors plenty of things to do during the summer months. For the more active vacationers, Kirkwood's 2,000 feet of vertical provide ample recreation space for world-class mountain biking and hiking. While lift-accessed hiking and biking trails are only available on weekends, there are plenty of trails that begin at Kirkwood's base area (in itself no small elevation, at 7,800 feet). Whether you choose a wildflower-strewn hike into the infamous yet picturesque "Devil's Corral" or the fast-paced "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" mountain bike trail, you are bound for glory. Kirkwood also features a thirty-foot climbing wall, a high and low ropes course, and an all-ages zip line for some serious summer thrills. Heights get you down? Take a horseback ride through the Mokelumne Wilderness or hit the all-new Kirkwood disc golf course and enjoy some competitive fun while putting in a little cardio. For those for whom "golf" has only one connotation, more than seven incredible golf courses pepper the nearby Tahoe countryside. Try the world-renowned, George Fazio-designed Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and see where the pros tee off.

HIT THE WATER

Lake Tahoe vacations are not complete without dabbling in some water sports. While a trek to the shores of the main body of water in Lake Tahoe is a bit of a hike from the Kirkwood Mountain Resort, there are plenty of smaller lakes to swim and recreate in around the area. Fly fishing for trout is also popular, so head to Pleasant Valley and hit up the legendary Carson River.