Straddling the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe attracts nearly three million visitors a year. About four hours by car from San Francisco, Lake Tahoe is one of the largest, deepest and clearest freshwater lakes in the entire world. The summer months (early June to mid September) offer ample opportunities for boating, watersports, golfing and hiking, while the winter snows (usually appearing in late November and lasting until mid May) make for some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the United States. For those with less outdoorsy ambitious, Lake Tahoe offers gambling, shopping, fine dining, and, of course, stellar views of the lake and surrounding mountains all year long.