Lake Tahoe.
Finding good information beyond the usual superlatives is ironically difficult to find, given that it is such a popular destination. A popular thought is that any beach, any location is as good as other. However, we found that every area of the lake is different and with correct expectations, can be explored very differently. In this first trip we explored the north and east side (with a cursory, and a rather unimpressive drive to the west and south side).
We rented a 2 bedroom house in Kings beach area. The house was 2 blocks away from kings beach. We went for kings beach we because read somewhere that beach had ‘calmer’ and ‘shallower’ water, suitable for kids
The bad:
• In reality, kings beach does not have calm water. Water is choppy. It is fun, no doubt. But it is far from calm.
• The water is shallow but no more shallower than most beach. It is about 2 feet deep for almost 40-50 feet into the lake.
• There are dogs a plenty. And they are not leashed. They happily come to you begging for food. I find it annoying and the owners sheepishly smile saying that ‘it is a friendly dog’. This seems to be true with almost all beaches in Tahoe
• Crowd is a mix of families and loud youths. And they get annoying.
• This looks like an upcoming area and there are a lot of new constructions. However, overall it had a feel of junk yard with lot of run down houses. It seems that this area is populated by low income population who serve the business in local area. We didn’t find comfortable to walk around in late evenings.
The good:
• The water was chilly but after a quick dip, it felt good and we stayed in water for over an hour.
• Water activity rentals are right on the beach, though with the waves, water activities didn’t look too much fun.
• There is 10$ parking, though street parking in inroads is plenty.
• Picnic tables and a small play area are good convenience.
• Plenty of restaurants including sub-way and Taco bell walkable from the beach
• Close to route 267 (easy access from bay area, via I80 west). Going south on route 28, to Tahoe City and emerald bay on a weekend is a busy route, full of traffic. Since kings beach and incline village are north, there is no traffic in this area.
Going north from kings beach on route 28, on the east side, are incline village, sand harbor beach, and zephyr cove.
We did a kayak tour from the sand harbor beach. We were told that the water is shallow in incline village/sand harbor area, making it warmer than most of the other lake. This is indeed the case. Some good things about sand harbor beach area:
1. Water is very calm, shallow and warm
2. Can paddle/kayak easily as there are no waves
3. Plenty of boulders to jump over from. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore with a kayak/paddle boat. Snorkeling for underwater boulder recommended.
4. A kayak rental with a guide costs ~90$, almost same as renting kayak for all day. Guide is not really needed-as long as you stay close to the coast line. Kids > 4 should be fine as long as they stay seated. My nephew, @ 9 years kayaked for ~4 hours straight.
5. Along the coast, there are plenty of tiny secluded beaches. There is no access from the road, so if you kayak here, you will have the beach to your self.
6. With about 2 hours of leisurely kayak, you can reach the Vikingsholm castle ,chimney beach and secret harbor/cove.
The bad:
1. Parking is horrendous. On weekends, by 10 AM, parking is full. Parking lots are closed 1-3 PM. Street side parking is not allowed-there is a 300$ fine. The entire stretch on east side (rt. 28) is crowded.
2. Food is not easily available. There is a restaurant in the sand harbor beach. But best is to pack it in.
South of Sand harbor is the chimney beach. This is a very nice beach. There are no proper signs for it. But look out for a parking lot, immediately to south of Vikingsholm castle . Chimney beach and secret cove are clothing optional beaches. Avoid secret cove. Chimney beach if more of family beach so should be fine.
A good way to experience Tahoe would be to bike along route 28 on the east shore, and find the hidden trails that take you down to the beach. Most of this trails are not on the touristy maps.
Zephyr cove is further south. It is extremely popular, crowded umbrella-to-umbrella and packed with raucous youths as well as families. The main parking lot become full quickly as this beach is also a launch area for lake cruises. But free parking is permitted on route 50. Park further away, north, from the main entrance to warrior way. There are a lot of very short flat trails that take you from the road to beach areas that are much less crowded. Off route 50 is a school parking lot (Warrior Way). There is a sliver of the beach in this area that extends into the lake culminating in boulder formations. Again a good place to climb over boulders and jump off into the lake. For water sports, though you would need to be close to the main parking lot.
Renting a place somewhere in incline village sounds most promising because of accessibility to variety of north shore beaches, food, many lodging options and Reno.
On the way back, we came back to incline village, to route 267 to I 80. In retrospect, from zephyr cove continuing on route 50 west, might be a better idea. Overall, Lake Tahoe, with clear water and variety of water sport seemed as a perfect replacement to flying out to Hawaii or Caribbean- we are looking forward to making this a annual summer time affair!