A view of Lake Tahoe to south from Tahoe City, California on the north shore. This alpine lake is located on the border of California and Nevada at an elevation of 6,225 feet and was formed during the Ice Age over 2 million years ago. With an average depth of 1,000 feet and maximum depth of 1,645 feet, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States after Crater Lake in Oregon. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders visit many of the ski resorts surrounding the lake including Squaw Valley and Heavenly, which hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. In the summer, fishing, boating, camping, and other water sports are very popular.

Located at about 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountains is Mammoth Lakes, CA. From this view at Juniper Springs Lodge, Mammoth Mountain, which is an active volcano, can be seen in the background. The Mammoth Mountain ski area which open in 1955, has 28 lifts, 23 chairs, and 3 gondolas on 477 acres of land. The summit of the mountain tops out at 11,053 feet.

The mountain village of Murren, Switzerland at an elevation of 5,413 feet, clings to the side of the cliffs of the Bernese Oberland. With a population of 450, but over 2000 beds, Murren has become a very popular toursit destination which is unreachable by public road. Hiking in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter are the main recreational activities of Murren. On the top right, aerial tramway wires can be seen which link Murren with Gimmelwald and the Lautebrunnen Valley.