Big Bear Lake or South Lake Tahoe?

In summer South Lake Tahoe is a real lake-beach destination. Pope, Baldwin and Kiva beaches are on the edge of town, Nevada Beach and Zephyr Cove are just across the state line, and the water is turquoise over white sand. Big Bear Lake's shore is mostly rock, with a few sandy patches and one supervised swim spot at Meadow Park.

Both lakes sit at about the same altitude and are cool even at the height of summer, reaching only about 20°C. At Big Bear a swim is a quick cool-off between boat trips. At Tahoe a beach afternoon can be the plan for the day in July and August.

Both serve mountain resort food, and neither has a local cuisine. South Lake Tahoe has more range: casino steakhouses and late diners on the Nevada side, small craft breweries and a few lakeview dining rooms. Big Bear keeps to log-cabin breakfasts, burgers, barbecue and Mexican plates in the Village. In both, busy weekends mean waiting for a table, and a cabin kitchen does a lot of the work.

Neither is a place for sightseeing, but South Lake Tahoe has a little more to show. The lakeside estates of the Tallac Historic Site and Vikingsholm at the head of Emerald Bay tell the story of the lake as a summer retreat for wealthy San Franciscans. Big Bear's history is the 1860s gold rush in Holcomb Valley, which you can follow on a dirt-road drive past old mining remains. Its other sight is the Discovery Center, which covers the forest and its wildlife.

Big Bear goes to bed early: some après-ski, a brewpub or a sports bar, then the hot tub. The California side of South Lake Tahoe is just as quiet. A short walk into Nevada, though, the casino towers at Stateline keep gaming floors and bars open all night, and a club or two fills up on peak weekends.

So Tahoe is a place where you can stay out late, but it has no bar district to wander. Visitors who want more than that drive to Reno.

Both are serious mountain bases, but South Lake Tahoe works on a larger scale. Big Bear cannot match its scenery: the deep blue lake ringed by granite, Emerald Bay, the Desolation Wilderness a few minutes from town and the Tahoe Rim Trail around the basin. Heavenly, Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe also add up to far more skiing than Big Bear's two modest areas.

Big Bear still has plenty for a week outdoors. It has pine and oak forest, the Pacific Crest Trail along the north side and short hikes to Castle Rock and Cougar Crest. The San Gorgonio Wilderness is close by, and bald eagles winter around the lake.

From South Lake Tahoe there are more places worth the drive. Within an hour or so you can reach the boardwalks and saloons of Virginia City, Carson City and Genoa, the Gold Rush towns of Coloma and Placerville, and the Amador wine country. A loop round the lake takes in Tahoe City and Truckee.

Big Bear's winding roads make every outing slower. Lake Arrowhead, the orchards of Oak Glen and Riverside's Mission Inn are within reach, but Palm Springs and Los Angeles make a long day, and most visitors stay on the mountain.

Both work well for families, and in winter they offer much the same: ski schools, beginner slopes and sledding hills. The difference shows in summer and on bad-weather days. Big Bear has more built for children, with the Alpine Zoo, an alpine slide, mini-golf and go-karts. South Lake Tahoe relies on shallow sandy beaches, bike paths and the short trails at Taylor Creek, and has nothing indoors when the weather turns.

Each has its downsides. Big Bear has thin air and queues on the roads at winter weekends. In Tahoe, storms can close the roads, and the casino strip is no place for children to linger.

You need a car in both. Each has a small core you can walk: the Village at Big Bear, and the area around Stateline and the gondola base at Tahoe. Both also run buses or shuttles to the ski areas in winter.

The difference is in where the traffic builds. Big Bear is reached only by steep mountain highways that crawl on long weekends. At Tahoe the summer jams are on Highway 50 and the narrow Emerald Bay road, and winter storms can close the passes from Sacramento and Reno.

Shopping is not a reason to visit either town. Big Bear's Village has fudge and candy stores, bear-themed souvenirs and a few antique and home-decor shops, which make for an hour's browsing. South Lake Tahoe is more practical, with ski and outdoor stores around the gondola base and a few galleries selling lake photography and art.

Both are costly at peak times and cheaper midweek, so when you go matters more than which town you choose. Big Bear's savings come from shared cabins in the shoulder seasons, which suit groups and families who cook for themselves.

At Tahoe the best deals are at the casino hotels on the Nevada side, which discount heavily midweek and in spring and autumn. Lift tickets at the big resorts are steep, though. In both towns the hiking, the lake views and the snow play cost little.

South Lake Tahoe has a real live offer for a mountain town. Casino showrooms and an event arena bring touring rock and country acts and comedians all year. In summer there are concerts and theatre at the Tallac estates and a long-running Shakespeare festival on the beach at Sand Harbor.

Big Bear has a small community arts centre, free summer concerts by the lake and an autumn Oktoberfest with Bavarian bands. Beyond that, live music means a guitarist in a bar.

Neither town has a bathing tradition, and in both the cabin does most of the relaxing. Big Bear's rentals often come with a private hot tub and a wood stove, and the town has a few day spas.

South Lake Tahoe's spas are mostly in casino hotels and ski lodges. What it adds is natural hot springs within easy reach: Grover Hot Springs about 45 minutes south, and the Carson Valley resorts around Genoa about half an hour over the pass.