Ellis Peak, being easily reached by a good trail, is the common point of ascent from Homewood, McKinney's, Tahoe Tavern and other resorts.
Six miles out from the Tavern, the first stop is made at Homewood, one of the newer resorts.
Three and one-half to four miles further along is McKinney's, one of the oldest, best known and well established resorts on Lake Tahoe.

It was founded by J.W.McKinney, who was first attracted to this region by the Squaw Valley excitement.

(See special chapter.) For a time in 1862-3 he sold lots on the townsite of Knoxville, then when the bottom dropped out of the "boom" he returned to Georgetown, engaged in mining, but returned to Tahoe in or about 1867, located on 160 acres on the present site and in 1891-2, after having erected two or three cottages, embarked fairly and fully in the resort business.

For several years his chief patronage came from the mining-camps, etc., of Nevada, Gold Hill, Virginia City, Dayton, Carson City, Genoa, etc.
They came by stage to Glenbrook and thence across the Lake, on the small steamer that already was doing tourist business in summer and hauling logs to the lumber mills in winter and spring.

Thus this resort gained its early renown.
The bottom of the Lake may be seen at a considerable depth near McKinney's, and looks like a piece of mosaic work.