Dating back over 125 years, the River Ranch Lodge & Restaurant is perched along a celebrated bend in the historic Truckee River.
Initially completed in 1888, the River Ranch (originally called Deer Park Inn) grew into a fashionable watering hole; with a unique and picturesque location on the narrow gauge railway, the ‘Ranch brought many visitors to its door. The Inn was always a featured and favored spot. It remained a popular resort until the Great Depression of the thirties, when tourism came to a standstill.
The Inn was abandoned and became dilapidated through disuse. In 1950, the old structure was cleared and a new building was erected. During the 1960 Olympic Games at nearby Squaw Valley, numerous foreign diplomats used the lodge as their headquarters.
New ownership purchased the property in 1972 and embarked on a major ongoing refurbishment. Continuous renovation has made the River Ranch into an iconic, cozy, wood-shingled lodge coveted by locals and visitors alike.
The restaurant used to consist of just one dining room, where family-style dinner was served; it has evolved into a California-style fine dining restaurant with the main dining room and central bar cantilevered over the rushing river, and private dining room situated around a river rock fireplace that provides a more intimate dining experience.
The spacious outdoor patio is nestled along the docks of a natural pool on the Truckee River, and hosts lunch and drinks for thousands of summertime visitors daily, who arrive by rafts, canoes, SUPs, inner-tubes, bikes, in-line skates, cars, motorcycles, public transit or on foot.
The River Ranch Lodge & Restaurant is truly a landmark in North Lake Tahoe. Whether blanketed in sparkling white snow or shaded by colorful umbrellas and towering Evergreen trees, whether bustling with activity or secluded and peaceful, you’ll want to experience all that The River Ranch has to offer!