Here’s an oft-asked question: Can you swim in Lake Tahoe? The answer is yes, especially if cool/cold water is your thing! And, if you look at all the water sports outfitters and popular beaches in the area, it’s clear that it’s absolutely a preferred thing to do in Tahoe for a lot of people. Summer/early fall temperatures for Big Blue reach around mid- to upper 60s – invigorating, right? And there are other places to enjoy Lake Tahoe swimming such as Donner Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake, Spooner Lake and the Truckee River. These waters are also popular for water skiing, Jet Skiing, tubing, boating, diving, SUPing, paddleboating, kayaking and more, with rentals available for all of it. If you’d rather do your Lake Tahoe swimming in man-made structure – aka, pools – you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of them, even one that’s a tram-ride to the top of a mountain! Recreation centers in the area offer passes to visitors so they, too, can make use of the exceptional workout equipment, competition-size pools, classes and activities. Of course, all the resorts offer pools, outdoor and indoor for year-round Lake Tahoe swimming.
Featured for Your Visit
Lake Tahoe Swimming
CA State Park Road, Tahoma, CA
Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is your best bet for winter camping. Also open with a larger selection of sites in the summer, the park is positioned to take advantage of both the beautiful natural setting of Lake Tahoe and the historic aspects. Within the park is access to the Hellman-Ehrmann Mansion that was built in 1903. The property is still exquisitely maintained and is an excellent representation of the wealthy side of Tahoe. Tours are offered during the summer by Sierra State Parks Foundation (sierrastateparks.org). There are various trailheads, swimming beaches and great fishing within the park as well as a Nature Center that helps visitors identify the local flora and fauna. In the winter the foundation hosts full moon snowshoe expeditions, and this is a great place for sledding and snowshoeing. Dogs are allowed on leash only. Visitors should remember to pack it in, pack it out and leave no trace. An entrance fee is charged.
Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is your best bet for winter camping. Also open with a larger selection of sites in the summer, the park is positioned to take advantage of both the beautiful natural setting of Lake Tahoe and the historic aspects. Within the park is access to the Hellman-Ehrmann Mansion that was built in 1903. The property is still exquisitely maintained...read more
Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is your best bet for winter camping. Also...read more
Lake Tahoe Swimming
What would summer be without a sparkling mountain lake and all the toys to go with it? A total bummer, that’s what. The folks at Donner Lake Watersports and Marina are there to supply all the watersport toys one could want. From muscle power to horsepower, all your Donner Lake fun is covered. Those looking to water ski or wakeboard are set with powerboat rentals...read more
Lake Tahoe Swimming
El Dorado Beach is right in the middle of the city of South Lake Tahoe and is the perfect place to stop and have lunch while taking in the view. Visitors can sit at one of the picnic tables at street level, relax on the grass, gaze at the lake from one of the many stone amphitheater-like benches that lead to the beach or make...read more
Lake Tahoe Swimming
Fallen Leaf Campground, a part of the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, is located on National Forest lands and is an excellent place to enjoy the beauty of Tahoe while stepping away from the busy-ness that can sometimes occupy Lake Tahoe. Fallen Leaf Lake is adjacent to Lake Tahoe and offers a large trail network that accesses the top of Mt. Tallac as well...read more
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Lake Tahoe Swimming
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
Palisades Tahoe | Alpine Meadows
Lake Tahoe Swimming
High Camp at Palisades Tahoe is a conglomeration of various activities and dining and drinking opportunities. One of the favorite activities here is a roller-skating rink in the summer. High Camp is also home to the Olympic Museum, a gathering of appreciation for the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe). For skiers and snowboarders, this is both a launching pad for...read more
Lake Tahoe Swimming
The 37,000-square-foot Incline Village Recreation Center has fitness classes and activities for people of all ages from babies to seniors. There are a variety of membership options to choose from. If you want to work out, you’ll find a cardiovascular room and strength area decked out with a wide variety of equipment. The 25-yard indoor pool has eight lanes for lap swim, open swim, swim...read more
Lake Tahoe Swimming
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 Swimming
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 Swimming
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 Swimming
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 Swimming
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
