We show you the history of the 114-year-old rustic River Ranch Lodge, and see how it has remained a favorite year-round getaway for skiers and rafters. Plus, we ride the rapids with the Truckee Rafting Company.

The River Ranch Lodge is the only lodge located on the banks of the Truckee River. It's over 100-years old and was originally constructed in 1888. Back then, it was called the Deer Park Inn, but was still a hub of activity because of its prime location. When it was abandoned in the 30s it didn't take long before someone else took advantage of this mountain treasure.

In the 1960s the River Ranch Lodge was a tennis camp for its well-to-do visitors from the Bay Area. When the 1960 Olympic Games visited, just down the road at Squaw Valley, the lodge became a haven for foreign diplomats.

Today the lodge is a year-round get away packed with skiers in the winter and rafters and vacationers in the summer. It transforms itself daily from a quick and fast lunch palace to an elegant and romantic dining experience in the evening.

During those hot summer months, the River Ranch Lodge partners with the Truckee Rafting Co. Buses arrive all day long to pick up lodge goers and drive them up the road to Tahoe City so they can board a raft and take a leisurely 5 mile float down the river at their own pace. The end of the line is the patio deck of the River Ranch Lodge making a perfect place to dry off and have lunch.

Both a family retreat and a romantic get away the River Ranch Lodge is definitely the Sierra's best kept secret.

River Ranch Lodge
Highway 89 at Alpine Meadows Road
(530) 583-4264
www.riverranchlodge.com

Truckee Rafting Company
Tahoe City, CA
(530) 583-0123