A short drive from South Lake Tahoe sits a resort that first opened its doors in 1939. Nestled on the shore of Caples Lake, you likely have driven right past it on your way to Kirkwood and not realized what lies on the Highway 88 property.  

With a small marina and store, restaurant, eight cabins, wood-fired sauna, and a main lodge with lounge, new owners Mike & Gwen Niccoli, who took over in June of 2023, have restored the property back to a year-long operation (sans a few weeks in the shoulder seasons).  

The couple, who met while skiing at Kirkwood and married in 1998, have lived in the region long enough to remember the resort in its heyday.  

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“I worked at Kirkwood for 36 years and we know the previous owners,” said Mike. “We skied together and when the resort was operational in the 90s, we would come over and have dinner here for a date night. We’ve been coming by for forever and we’ve known the family for that long, too.” 

“He was getting to retirement time back in 2010 was like, it’d be kind of cool to have the resort,” added Gwen.  

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Fast forward to 2023 when the couple took the reins, they closed the resort for about nine months for remodeling which included some structural items and foundation upgrades. Also, as part of the upgrade process, the couple decided to reopen the restaurant, which Gwen said had not been open in about 20 years.  

“There’s a huge amount of community and people that came here in the 90s that are turning around and coming back. And half the time we know every person in the dining room, because they all remember this place as a really cool place to come to.”  

According to Gwen, the restaurant, led by Chef Peter O’Keefe, has been gaining rave reviews  

“The people come in and they leave going like, that was amazing, that was ridiculous. The ambiance is awesome, but if you don’t continue to have consistent, really good food, people will fall off. We’ve kind of topped the bar here a little bit, and we’ve been so lucky.” 

With a menu that boasts seasonal ingredients, diners can enjoy items like their 8-hour short ribs with a black garlic jus and sunchoke puree or their cioppino which features chorizo, scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, and smoked trout. No matter the item, patrons can surely expect a one-of-a-kind experience.  

The gorgeous views help, too. Whether it’s the lake in the summertime or the snow-capped peaks in the winter, dining at the restaurant doesn’t disappoint when it comes to scenery.  

If you’re looking for a more rustic or recreational experience, then visiting the resort in the summer might be your perfect cup of tea. Hiking the surroundings, boating on the lake, or fishing for rainbow trout or mackinaw, the resort’s marina and store offer you plenty of support. 

Pontoons, kayaks, fishing boats, and standup paddleboards are readily available for rent up to eight hours and if planning on taking one of those out for fishing, the store has you covered.  

“It’s a whole fishing store,” added Mike. “We’ve got refrigerators full of worms and power bait and a wall full of tackle. “We also have ice and snacky foods like candy bars and power bars and, you know, the kids love coming in from a day of fishing and get their ice cream.” 

If thinking about bringing your child to the lake for fishing, you might want to consider Fishing Day, which started its inaugural year in September of 2024. The date has not been set for 2025, but according to Mike, Alpine County is ready to re-up their support.   

“We got stocked with a bunch of trout that morning through Alpine County and they provided the funding to stock the fish so that’s awesome. We had about 60 kids with hot dogs and chips and if kids didn’t have rods, we had some.” 

The event can easily be a day trip for those in the region, or nearby camping is also available in addition to the options at the property. Lodging at the resort is limited so reservations are highly recommended – especially in the summer.  

Gwen added, “People that came here for lodging, they’re still coming back for like the last 30, 40, 50 years or five generations of families coming back.”  

If that’s the case, you might want to make those summer plans soon.  

Caples Lake Resort is located at 1111 Highway 88 in Kirkwood, CA. For more information you can reach them by phone at (209) 258-8888 or visit them online at capleslakeresort.com.