Approximately one million years ago, Lake Tahoe evolved to its current shape and size as glaciers scoured the land during the Ice Age. Here’s a look at some of the facts that make Tahoe such an amazing body of water today:

• Maximum depth: 1,645 feet (second deepest in United States, behind Crater Lake)
• Average depth: 1,000 feet
• Maximum length: 22 miles (north–south)
• Shoreline: 72 miles

by Elisabeth Korb

One look at Tahoe's pristine waters and it's clear why Lake Tahoe is an international treasure. Its surface mirrors the near perfect cobalt-blue sky above while huge boulders and stretches of white sand are easily visible feet below.

However, development and other man-made impacts have diminished Tahoe's once-crystal clarity, which, in the late 1960s, measured over 100 feet. Declining at a rate of some 9 inches per year, it has since dropped to 68 feet.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe's now-ubiquitous bumper sticker, "Keep Tahoe Blue," is a constant reminder that we all play a part in safeguarding, or degrading, The Lake. The motto has inspired plenty of offshoots, some maintaining the serious call-to-action tone, others just plain entertaining.

Need to drop off the dog for a few hours or few days? These options take the bored out of boarding.

Find your way around Lake Tahoe with our handy regional map.