You know a place holds stories when geologists, filmmakers and local folklore all claim it for different reasons. Lake Tahoe, straddling the border between California and Nevada, United States, fits that bill perfectly. Formed during the Ice Age, the lake was shaped by faulting and glacial carving that created its deep basin. It is now one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the United States. For generations, the Washoe people lived around these clear waters, fishing and gathering seasonally. Centuries later, miners arrived, steamboats crossed the water and Tahoe shifted from a resource hub to a year-round retreat.

Emerald Bay, seen in today's image, became one of its most photographed corners. Because the bay is shallower than the main lake, its water takes on a lighter hue. Beneath the surface rest old launches and barges, now preserved within Emerald Bay State Park. In the middle, Fannette Island rises with a small stone 'Tea House,' a 1920s structure built by philanthropist Lora Knight, who also commissioned Vikingsholm nearby. And the story doesn't end here. Local stories mention 'Tahoe Tessie,' the lake's mythical creature. You never know—maybe you'll catch a ripple that makes you look twice.