Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States 3 Feb 2026

You know a place holds stories when geologists, filmmakers and local folklore all claim it for different reasons. Lake Tahoe, straddling the border between California and Nevada, fits that bill perfectly. Formed during the Ice Age, the lake was shaped by faulting and glacial carving that created its deep basin. It is now one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the United States. For generations, the Washoe people lived around these clear waters, fishing and gathering seasonally. Centuries later, miners arrived, steamboats crossed the water and Tahoe shifted from a resource hub to a year-round retreat.

© Bill Stevenson/Cavan Images

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