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US 50 leaves the flat Sacramento Valley behind as it enters the formidable Sierra Nevada range as a two-lane mountain road. The views are awesome indeed as the highway snakes through the American River Canyon and passes over 7,382-foot Echo Summit. Along the southern shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, rugged wilderness is replaced by South Lake Tahoe's flashy casinos.
US 50 winds along the base of soaring cliffs lining the American River Canyon, revealing vistas of sparkling mountain lakes and tumbling waterfalls (best seen in spring). Experienced rock climbers tackle the sheer face of Lover’s Leap, a promontory rising 1,285 feet above the river. From the lofty vantage point of Echo Summit, Lake Tahoe shimmers in the distance.
