Visiting one of our many beaches is one of the most popular things to do in Tahoe since Lake Tahoe has a 72-mile perimeter, and its beaches dot around it like pearls. Though the water doesn't get to exactly balmy temps, beach-going is still a favorite thing to do in Tahoe. Rumor has it that there's even a nude beach somewhere around here!
Featured for Your Visit
Lake Tahoe Beaches
12593 Donner Pass Road, Truckee, CA
History buffs, campers, cyclists, hikers and those who love their water sports will find Donner Memorial State Park the perfect place for either a visit or an extended stay. The Donner name is a nod to the story of the snow-stranded emigrants and their ill-fated wagon train in the winter of 1846–47. One part of the forlorn pioneer group made camp near Donner Lake, now site of the state park, during record-breaking snowfall. Now visitors can go to Donner Memorial State Park and check out the new $6.6 million visitor center/museum that chronicles the Donner Party and the human and natural history of the region. During summer season the park has 142 spaces for car, RV and tent camping. There is also a concessionaire renting water-sport toys from kayaks and SUPs to two-seater personal watercraft. Being a state park in the Sierra, everything is surrounded by beautiful pines and plenty of hiking and biking in adjacent Cold Stream Canyon and swimming in the kid-friendly canal and China Cove. Depending on snowfall, a cross-country ski trail is groomed through the park, which is also a great place for snowshoeing. An entrance fee is charged.
History buffs, campers, cyclists, hikers and those who love their water sports will find Donner Memorial State Park the perfect place for either a visit or an extended stay. The Donner name is a nod to the story of the snow-stranded emigrants and their ill-fated wagon train in the winter of 1846–47. One part of the forlorn pioneer group made camp near Donner Lake, now site...read more
History buffs, campers, cyclists, hikers and those who love their water sports will find Donner...read more
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Hidden Beach is a public beach a mile from Incline Village just off Highway 28. The beach is 750 feet in length and is comprised of rocky alcoves, a boulder-filled shoreline and stretches of soft sand. This area tends to be busy, but it isn't impossible to find your own private piece of paradise on a large Tahoe granite boulder. There are portable bathrooms on...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Kaspian Recreation Area is on Highway 89, 4 miles south of Tahoe City at the base of Blackwood Canyon. A campground and outdoor recreation area, the zone is excellent for wilderness fun in summer and winter. Kaspian Beach and Campground are located on National Forest land managed by the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The summer offers mountain biking, road cycling and hiking....read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
If your dog is your best friend, Kiva Beach is for you. Kiva Beach, a part of the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, is one of the few beaches where dogs are welcome, though they still must be on leashes, per El Dorado County leash law, and the Tallac Marsh is off limits to canines to protect the wildlife of the Taylor Creek wetlands....read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Lake Forest Beach is a free day-use park within the neighborhood of Lake Forest Glen, a few miles outside of Tahoe City. The beach is a secluded, sandy and pebbly shoreline. The views are spectacular from the angle provided by the park, giving direct sight of Mount Tallac and other framing mountains. This beach is perfect for launching paddleboards, kayaks or windsurfing equipment. The area...read more
The south and east shores of Lake Tahoe span two different states and three different counties and exhibit physical attributes more diverse than one might imagine. This area contains the lake's one and only island and a native Washoe spiritual site. It contains a cove known for its afternoon winds and beaches known for their shallow shorelines and gentle slopes. The south...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Lake Tahoe is the second-deepest lake in the United States (and the entire world at its elevation of 6,228 feet). The bottom depth is measured at 1,645 feet deep in Crystal Bay near Kings Beach. With such a deep floor the lake has some unique attributes: Its colors shift to play off the sky's hue, it never freezes and, sometimes, the waves get so big...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
The first inhabitants of Lake Tahoe were the semi-nomadic Washoe Indians who would migrate to the lake when the snow started to melt. The men would spend the summers fishing and hunting small game, while the women wove baskets and did other things to prepare for the following winter. The lake was a spiritual place with healing powers for the Washoe, where they could rid...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park is a park system found on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. With six different management units that total 14,301 acres, the park protects miles of dense Tahoe forest and beautiful sandy and rocky beaches. Within the park are the swimming areas of Sand Harbor, Chimney Beach, Hidden Beach, Secret Cove, Creek Beach, Boaters Beach and Whale Beach as well...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Lakeside Beach is a lovely stretch of Tahoe sand. Although it caters to homeowners and the clientele of many of the South Shore motels and vacation rentals, any visitor can purchase a daily pass at the gate. The beach boasts playground equipment, and visitors can play volleyball, sit at picnic tables and rent boats, Jet Skis and other water-activity equipment at the adjacent Lakeside Marina....read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Meeks Bay Resort & Marina offers camping, lodging and outdoor recreation within its 2,000 acres. A full-fledged marina providing boat service, boat tours and kayak, paddleboard, motor boat and pedal boat rentals, Meeks Bay is home to a beautiful white-sand beach that was once an ancestral Washoe Indian site. The resort offers full water ski and water tubing packages. There are three varieties of accommodations...read more
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Memorial Point Overlook is on Highway 28 between the town of Incline Village and Sand Harbor. An easy way to see the expansive beauty of Lake Tahoe, this overlook gives you a bird's-eye view of the variations in water color and the large granite boulders that frame the shoreline of Lake Tahoe. The free parking area accesses a visitors center and a quick trail that...read more
Lake Tahoe Beaches
Moon Dune Beach may be tiny and not offer many services or allow pets, but it does have the softest, whitest sand found in Lake Tahoe. And it offers free access. The beautiful beach provides some shady areas off the water and portable bathrooms in the summer. Please note that there is no designated parking lot. Parking is on Highway 28 only. Located across from...read more
