Sure, Tahoe is great in winter—but so are the Lost Sierra and Mammoth Lakes regions, which take longer to reach but reward with plenty of cold-weather fun. An hour north of Tahoe, Chalet View Lodge in Graeagle (Plumas County) offers serenity and endless dog-friendly opportunities for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with Fido right outside the door.
The boutique property features 50 guest rooms, suites and cabins, the majority of them dog-friendly, plus an on-site craft brewery and a spa. The lodge’s 10 acres are laced with cross-country and snowshoe trails that branch into quiet, snow-covered forest lands.
Down south, Mammoth Lakes beckons not just downhill skiers, but DogTrekkers vacationing with their best four-legged friends. A great lodging choice is Tamarack Lodge, dating to 1924 and creaking with period ambiance (the dog-friendly cabins are thoroughly modern). Ten kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails near the lodge are open to XC enthusiasts with four-legged companions, while snowshoe trails, also dog-friendly, are maintained separately. If solitude is your preference, know that dogs, leashed or under voice control, are allowed on all trails within the expansive Inyo National Forest —and that Mammoth abounds with dog-friendly places to stay.
