Incline Village/Crystal Bay
North Tahoe’s planned community – Incline Village – sits next to one of the North Shore’s oldest towns – Crystal Bay. Yet, these two East Shore communities share a lifestyle that attracts the rich and famous, as well as families seeking the perfect place to grow roots.
Crystal Bay is home to the first casinos, which immediately made this hamlet the North Shore’s entertainment center. From the days of the eccentric and wealthy George Whittell, who would arrive via the Thunderbird, to the early 1960s when Frank Sinatra brought his friends Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin to the Cal-Neva Lodge, to the hopping nightlife of today, Crystal Bay has been the life of the party,
Nearby Incline Village was named for the Great Incline Tramway built by loggers in 1878. It remained undeveloped and pristine for many years because it was privately owned by Whittell. However, in the early 1960s, the land was sold to developers who created this Tahoe enclave, boasting superb recreation opportunities, including a ski resort – Diamond Peak – in the middle of town.
Aside from skiing, shopping and several top-notch restaurants round out a visitors’ agenda. Just above the community is the always popular Mt. Rose Meadows, a scenic, alpine meadow where one can go snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing or sledding. The same activities are found at Spooner Summit State Park on the East Shore’s Highway 28.
But you better be careful, get to know the people of this close-knit community and you’ll be spending your vacation looking at real estate in hopes of finding a place to call home on the East Shore.
Population: About 12,000
Nearby ski areas: Diamond Peak, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Spooner Lake Cross Country Ski Area
“Incline is one of the best undiscovered secrets at Lake Tahoe as a ski town. It’s a great ski town waiting to happen, Diamond Peak has so many great assets that it needs to be on more people’s radar. Diamond Peak has one of the best developmental ski teams in the basin and our kids get the very best training there.”
— Margie Lapanja, an avid skier and wife to Vojko Lapanja, who coaches the Diamond Peak Ski Team
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