5 Stunning Lake Tahoe Beaches: on the Nevada Side
Lake Tahoe beaches are beautiful, peaceful and simply must-see! Here are just a few on the Nevada side that you must visit!
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake on the border of Nevada and California. There are many beaches around its edges; beautiful, stunning beaches. Here are a few that are on the Nevada side of the lake that you simply must see if you are in the area!
Lake Tahoe Beaches are some of the most stunning beaches I have ever seen. Lake beaches aren’t usually my cup of tea considering that I grew up about a 2 hour drive from the ocean and worked at a beach for 2 summers. But these Lake Tahoe beaches are incredible. The crystal clear water, the coarse sand and the beautiful rocks made for some of the most unforgettable beaches I’ve ever been to.
In the end of February/the beginning of March 2022 I finally got to see, hike and experience these beaches. My husband had an opportunity to travel to Reno, NV for work and I was lucky enough to travel with him!
Unfortunately, this meant that I was on my own for a lot of the trip and it made for some very quiet hiking. This quietness was quite the adjustment for me! But this quiet hiking did allow me to discover the most beautiful lake beaches I have ever seen!
Important Links
Sand Harbor State Park website
Location
Before we jump into which beaches you need to go see first, let’s start with the basics of where Lake Tahoe is, and any must know information.
As you can see from the map here above, Lake Tahoe is split between the states of Nevada and California. This is why some people say Lake Tahoe is in Nevada and some say it is in California.
Both sides of Lake Tahoe have beautiful beaches, but this post will focus on a few on the Nevada side.
But what about the history of Lake Tahoe? How was this beautiful lake discovered?
HISTORY OF LAKE TAHOE
The Lake Tahoe area was occupied by Native Americans for hundreds of years before Lake Tahoe was ever “discovered”. Specifically it was the Washoe Indians who hunted, camped and fished at Lake Tahoe. But in 1844 Lake Tahoe was “discovered” by John Fremont and his exploration group. Fremont proceeded to call the lake Lake Bonpland after a botanist.
Obviously this name didn’t stick (thank God!), but it took a little bit of a journey before the beloved name of Lake Tahoe finally stuck.
Many Names of Lake Tahoe
Did you know that Lake Tahoe didn’t become the official name of Lake Tahoe until 1945 thanks to California State Legislature. I won’t bore you with the entire history, but below are some of the names that Lake Tahoe had before 1945.
- Lake Bonpland
- Fremont’s Lake
- Mountain Lake
- Fallen Leaf Lake
- Maheon Lake
- Lake Bigler
After much debate about the name, Lake Tahoe was finally suggested. Tahoe means water in a high place and considering the amazing elevation surrounding Lake Tahoe, it seems like a perfect fit. While the name wasn’t loved initially, it eventually was adopted by most of the surrounding population. In 1945 California State agree on the name Lake Tahoe and a vote ended any debate about the name.
After it’s discovery
After it’s discovery, the area was mostly ignored until business in the silver mines in Virginia City, NV began to boom in the 1860s. As was common in the 1800’s and 1900’s, areas were destroyed with only thoughts of business. The Tahoe basin was largely deforested in order to build railroads and the area was left to appear barren and desolate.
By 1912, people began to truly appreciate the beauty of Lake Tahoe and desired to make it and keep it beautiful again. Locals and tourist alike proposed Lake Tahoe as a national park several years in a row at the congressional sessions, but they were unsuccessful.
Conservation
By the 1940s and 50s the group known as Save Lake Tahoe was established to keep the area beautiful. And thank God for their efforts! Perhaps without all the amazing humans who fought to keep Lake Tahoe beautiful the area wouldn’t even be worth driving by!
Now that we know the background of Lake Tahoe, let’s talk about these amazing beaches! Some of these beaches require hiking to get to their sandy beauty. So, I have arranged the beaches into two different lists, the first two that only require a parked car and walking a few hundred feet and a list of beaches that require hiking.
Let’s take a look at the easy-to-get-to beaches first. But don’t underestimate these “easy” beaches, one of them is up there in my top 10 list of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.
Easy Access Lake Tahoe Beaches
Let’s start off with a bang, shall we? This first beach I spent a good amount of time at. I enjoyed the views, photographed the picturesque rocks, water, and sand, and I even watched a sunset here. Like I said, this is one of my favorite beaches I’ve ever been to.
Sand Harbor State Park
As you can see, Sand Harbor is simply beautiful!
This beach is on my “Easy Access” list because this beach only requires a paid parking pass and a few hundred steps. They even have some boardwalk sections where strollers or wheelchairs can access these beautiful views (pictured above).
This Nevada State Park requires a daily parking pass, which costs $10 with a Nevada license plate or $15 with any other state plate. Unfortunately, this pass is only good for the day, so it can get expensive if you continue to return day after day. But believe me, it’s worth it to see it at least once!
This is a very popular location, so I suggest getting there early or going in the evening after the crowds. I went early and at sunset, and both times I enjoyed having the beach area nearly to myself.
Once you pay and park your car, I suggest checking out the visitor’s center. They have your typical souvenirs and maps as well as good information about the lake.
After you have finished and bought any hats, T-shirts, magnets, or Christmas ornaments you may desire (there’s a lot in that store guys!), head outside and you can either walk on the boardwalks, or head straight to the beach and explore.
I spent a good amount of time here taking pictures and just enjoying the warm sun (it was an uncharacteristically warm day for February!). As the sun warmed my face and the water’s clarity blew me away, I took several hundred photos before heading to the next spot on my list.
The next easy access beach is a very small beach, but when I was there I saw 2 families enjoying this area with gentle waves and a small sand area. But I’ll stop describing it and just show it to you!
Cave Rock State Park
Cave Rock State Park is a popular boat launch with public access to the lake, so it might be very busy in the summer, but when I was there in February/March the area was all but empty.
This small beach area borders private beaches, so don’t go past the signs on the beach.
This area also costs $15 to enter if you have an out of state plate, or is $10 if you have a Nevada plate, but the unique rock structure, the clear water, and the little easy-access beach makes this a must-visit if you have the time.
As previously stated, the beach is quite small, but if you need easy access to a beach, this is a good option with many boats to watch (or you can watch the boat ramp if you want to watch people struggle with backing up their trailers. If you know, you know!).
If you are a little more adventurous, there is a hike in Cave Rock State Park. For all the information I have about this hike and more information about this state park, check out my Hiking in Cave Rock State Park post.
There are several other easy access beaches, but they seemed to be primarily in California. Stay tuned for another post about the highlights of California side of Lake Tahoe.
But for now, we are switching gears and trading flip flops for hiking boots (or at least some supportive sneakers). Let’s hike to some beaches!
Lake Tahoe Beaches to Hike to
There are several beaches to hike to on the Nevada side and while I didn’t have time to visit all of them, I was not disappointed with the locations I did get to see. In fact, one of these beaches is top of my all-time favorite beaches list. But don’t let my opinions influence you, see for yourself!
Along this particular shoreline area in Nevada, there are several beaches all in a line. You can see in the picture below that the beaches in this area are interconnected by a system of trails.
The farthest two beaches in this stretch of beaches are Whale Beach (southern most) and Chimney Beach (northern most). Both beaches are on my list of must-see beaches, so I suggest starting at one end and then working your way north or south towards the other.
I will say, I didn’t realize they were set up this way because I started in the middle, walked all the way south and then all the way back north. Basically doing double the hike. And while this gave me more time in nature, there was really no reason to do this.
But hopefully you can learn from my mistake and start at one end and work your way north or south. This way you will be able to see these three stunning Lake Tahoe beaches and maximize your time.
However you do it, whether you just go see one of the beaches or all of them, they are totally worth your time!
But don’t just take my word for it, let’s look at some pictures
Whale Beach
The first one is Whale Beach. This beach is the southern-most beach in this section and is about a mile hike (2 miles round trip) from the road. It is a steep and sandy hike down and back, but you can see for yourself it is a beautiful beach.
Whale beach is also a great location to watch a sunset. While my sunset didn’t turn out quite as picturesque as some people’s photos, it was still peaceful and a great end to a beautiful day.
If you plan to watch a sunset here, make sure that you bring a flashlight to hike back out in the dark. I did in fact pack a flashlight, but the batteries died about a quarter of the way into my hike. Don’t make my mistake, it gets dark out there!
Chimney Beach
This beach is the northern most beach of this section of beaches and is famous for it’s standing chimney. This chimney is all that remains of the home that once stood here.
As you have probably noticed, the crystal clear water and the rocks in the water create some incredible shots. I lost my breath every time I approached a new beach in this section. I truly had never seen something so beautiful!
This beach is much bigger than the others in this stretch (but smaller than Sand Harbor) and I’m sure it can get quite crowded in the summer. So again, I recommend getting here early if you want pictures of an empty beach.
There is a parking lot for this beach and trailhead. When I was there, the parking lot was closed due to snow build up. So just be ready for a decent hike to this beach if you do not go when the parking lot is open.
I spent quite a bit of time here enjoying the sun and how beautiful the water and sand are. This beauty is the exact reason why you HAVE to see this beach if you get the opportunity.
Now, finally, we have my favorite beach, and honestly one of my favorite places in the country (so far!). There are plenty of places I haven’t been, but it’s hard for me to imagine this place being topped.
Secret Cove
First and foremost, Secret Cove is a nude beach. I went there 3 different days and only on the warmest days did I see anyone who was nude. In other words, don’t be freaked out to see a naked person on/near this beach if there is warm weather.
Ok, so now that we are past the “warning” of this beach, it is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!
The rocks, the turquoise water, the surrounding evergreens and mountains, just all of it! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the view literally took my breath away when I saw it for the first time.
Once I recovered my lost breath, I set to work trying to capture the beauty of this place. My camera was in overload as I tried to take as many pictures as possible and you can see why! Just look at how incredibly beautiful this place is!
The trail leads you to a set of stairs that take you down to the beach. As you get closer the water becomes clearer and clearer but seems to lose its green color. To capture the emerald green color you have to stay above the water.
I had seen photos of this place before , and I always assumed the photos were enhanced. There was just no way the water was this clear and blue, but it really is. I promise you this photo is not photoshopped and the water isn’t enhanced, it truly is this gorgeous.
There are two beaches in-between Whale Beach and Chimney Beach that I did not mention. Boaters Beach and Creek Beach are also picturesque, but not quite as picture perfect as Secret Cove or Chimney/Whale Beach. They are not as easy to access as the trail primarily stays above these beaches.
Where to Park
As previously mentioned, there is a parking lot at the trailhead of the Chimney Beach Trail. However, if there is snow, this area will be closed.
So where else is there to park??
The short answer is that there isn’t much parking at all.
It’s all pull-off-to-the-side-of-the-road style parking.
I ended up parking off to the side of the road near the trailhead for Secret Cove. There are a few designated pull-off areas, but for the most part, this road has a very narrow shoulder.
My most important suggestion, just like just about any popular place, get there early! If you want a good parking spot, make sure to get there before 9am.
By the time I hiked back to my car, cars were pulled over in all different places. Ticket worthy places like straddling the road barrier, squeezed in next to the storm drain, and even some cars were still partially hanging in the road.
For the people in the back, get there early if you plan on being anywhere near the trailhead!
Conclusion
Lake Tahoe will always hold a special place in my heart after this trip. I have never been left so stunned by a lake’s beauty.
These beaches were nothing short of breath-taking and I know that I will be back if I can help it.
If you find yourself on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe with a day to spare, or even several days, I suggest taking some time to visit these beaches. You will not be disappointed!
Megan C.
Avid hiker and traveler around the US. I've been hiking consistently since I was 18 and I can't wait to teach you my tips, tricks and hiking hacks! Travel and hike with me and my camera.
