The greenish blue lake looks just like a giant gem. It's also as clear as a mirror. The trails down…read morethere are really hard to walk. While walking in the woods you can just hear the wind sound and the birds singing.

I would not call this place a secret, by any means, but it IS a cove and it's a beautiful place to…read morevisit if you can find a place to park. The trails are magical, the water is spectacular and the views will knock your socks off (if you happen to be wearing any )!

Quality/Quantity - Not so hidden, lol. The first beach…read morewalking towards Sand Harbor from Incline. Very small, but we were here off season (just the way I like it) and other than one other family, it is just us "two" here. So a private beach, lol. We are hosting our friends today. Showed them our free local parking spot. Gave them a quick tour of this area and all of Incline. A short 1.5 walk on the beautiful and easy Tahoe East Shore Trail. Just be careful of all the ebikes that do NOT have full control of their bikes or themselves. It would be nice if there was a separate bike path, or only allow manual bikes on the walking paths...? Atmosphere - Again, a very small, NOT so hidden beach. A nice stop/break from the 3 mile walk. Approximately the half way mark from Incline to Sand Harbor. Restrooms nearby, but I can NOT recommend them. More like outhouses with NO sink to wash your hands. Easy walk or bike ride. Fairly easy, very short walk/hike to each path. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - N/A.

If you park at tunnel creek cafe, you can access the beach. You walk on the sidewalk then loop…read moreunder a tunnel. The lake is always amazing. You can even do the walk with a stroller.

Kayaking/Paddle boarding is one of my bucket-list and I can't believe I finally did it! This was…read moredefinitely a workout, 1000/10 experience though! Based on our experience, We were accompanied well, the process went smoothly and the team from Sand Harbor Beach Rental was great! Cindy, Jeff and Cierra/Sierra were all very nice. Will definitely come back and do it again!

This is my favorite place to paddle, swim, hike, explore, & relax. It's sad that this place has…read moregotten so popular that it's now hard to visit during warm days and summer months. Please help keep this place clean and pristine so we can all enjoy it for a long time!

This spot on Tahoe has ahhhmazing breathtaking views, dog friendly beach access for everyone and is…read moretruly a hike to a hidden gem that you won't soon forget!! Skunk Harbor not only combines all of these wonderful attributes but also throws in a bit of history for you to check out too! Parking is FREE but limited, located at a turnoff along HWY 28 about a few miles north of the Spooner/HWY 50 junction - look for an old green pipe gate which is also the entrance to the trailhead (do NOT park in front of gate, you WILL be fined). After you park, grab your gear (keep in mind there are NO facilities - take out what you take in). Travel along the old dirt road on the other side of the green gate through the Tahoe forest. When you reach the fork in the road you have 2 choices: left fork leads to Prey Meadows which is blanketed with many varieties of wildflowers in the spring anddd right fork leads you to Skunk Harbor. Throughout your hike down to Skunk Harbor take in the breathtaking picture worthy views all around. Upon your arrival to the beach be sure to find the historical remants of an old railroad ramp used to supply timber to Virginia City after the Comstock Lode plus an abandoned stone house along the waters edge with historical markers from the 1920s that belonged to the wealthy family of George Newhall built as a summer house here for vacations and parties. Everything was brought in by boat, during the Roaring Twenties ~ WOW!! This is a MUST DO!! Hike is roughly 3 miles round trip, I always enjoy an adventure / hike with a reward at the end, Skunk Harbor not only has this throughout but pays off at the end. Be prepared for a bit of workout on the way back out as it is uphill and can be exposed depending on time and season/weather. So bring plenty of H20 and take your time but this hidden gem is worth it!!

My favorite spot to hang out and enjoy Lake Tahoe's pristine waters. If you get there early enough…read moreand don't do in the dead of summer, you'll have a good shot of having it all to yourself. My last 3 trips have resulted in me being the only one down there for a solid couple hours. The trail and beach are dog friendly, so bring your companion along with you. It's a short hike in and out but beware, your going up and up on the way out. Nothing impossibly difficult, but it can wind you. Other than that, go out and enjoy it. Leave no trace, respect the historic building down there, and don't feed the wildlife. Oh, by the way, parking can be a pain. There's only room for maybe 6-7 cars if they cozy up with one another. So like I said above, getting here early is key.

We ended up at Chimney Beach Trailhead while looking for a beach in the area…read more Unbeknownst to us, and something to definitely keep in mind is that this is definitely a moderately difficult hike/trail - with an absolutely stunning beach to enjoy at the bottom of it. The trail itself has no signage, and is very windy with many different options to get (lost) to different sections of the beach . As with many of the other beaches in the area... It was super clean and clear waters, and an amazing lake view at the beach.

We lucked out and did this hike down to the beach on a weekday when it wasn't too busy. Parking in…read morethe lot was not an option, too full, but we did park along the roadside. The hike down is very steep, but not long. There are tons of great bird and plants and lizards etc to enjoy on the way up and down. There are several small beach spots to enjoy at the bottom, with calm cool waters with so many colors of blue and soft pebble sand. This beach is definitely worth the 1.5ish mile roundtrip walk.

Sand harbor is a great place to spend the day especially on a hot day! The sand is great at this…read morebeach. It does have a tendency of being a bit crowded on a summer day. The restaurant is convenient for a refreshing drink or to satisfy your hunger. The bathrooms could use more cleaning through out the day since there is so many visitors passing through all day. The kids had a blast paddle boarding, rock jumping, walking around, swimming and sun bathing. I do love this lace and will continue to visit whenever I get the chance.

If you're planning your very first trip to Tahoe, rented a house for the weekend, and dream of…read morevisiting the most popular spots - be prepared that you might not actually get in. Or, take a look at my tips to maximize your chances: 1. Reserve your day in advance at www.reservenevada.com to enter before 10:30 AM. 2. If you only realize this during your vacation (instead of a week earlier), you'll have to battle it out at 10:30 AM along with thousands of others. The problem? There's only one lane each way, so you'll end up stuck in an hour-long traffic jam. We left Tahoe City at 9:00 AM on Sunday and still didn't make it in. Part of our group walked in on foot and noticed plenty of empty parking spaces, but when we asked why they weren't opening the gate, the staff told us they'd "open at 5 PM" and even demanded a fee for walking through a park we didn't even plan to stay in (and no, you're not allowed to just walk along the road). Everything besides the natural beauty here is a disaster: - Poorly planned access roads that leave people stuck in traffic for hours, even those not going into the park. - Rude, unhelpful staff who clearly don't care about visitors. - A completely broken system: instead of letting cars in as spaces free up, they just say, "We'll open the gates at 5." At a place this busy, that's unacceptable. I'm giving 1 star not for the park itself, but for its management and staff. Oh, and one more thing: if you finally make it into town and leave your car there, don't count on the shuttle. You'll wait for 2 hours, only for it not to show up - or to arrive full, with staff telling you to "wait for the next one" over and over until your day is wasted. Our situation was even worse: six people with paddleboards. We had to drop off people and gear at a nearby viewpoint (20-minute parking only), then drive back into town, park, and take a $50 taxi ride to meet up with our friends. The nature here is absolutely stunning, but the organization will ruin your day. Plan ahead carefully, since you have no other place with this monopoly.

This was one of our most memorable camping trips with our kids when they were younger. We last…read moreminute joined a few of our friends from work and their families. Another family sold us their spot for this week. If you've ever been here to Fallen leaf you know the breath taking views this lake and it's grounds has to offer. Our campsite was the largest and no one was behind us. Our kids played in a creek nearby. We hiked and ventured to a few waterfalls in Angora while here. It was so sad to see where the fires burned through this area. None of our photos taken here do the grounds any justice. Everything was pristine. I look forward to returning some day. I'm due for some grounding and getting lost in nature.

Gorgeous hike from the main road, easy for kids and a great scenic view of the lake. If the…read morecampground is open it's an even shorter hike. We enjoyed looking for mushrooms and wildlife!

Wonderful State recreational Park. Kings Beach State recreational Park is amazing. Wonderful place…read moreto stop by and enjoy nature and beautiful scenery. Great spot to take some photos bonus there's a play park for the kids to play and there's also wonderful Pier. 5 stars.

Gorgeous views of the lake and I never get tired of staring at this lake, whether in summer or the…read moremiddle of winter. No one was really here when I came as it had just snowed a ton so I got the park mostly to myself. I fall in love with the mountains surrounding the lake everytime I come. And this time, the snow on the peaks with the blue from the water was just totally mesmerizing. There is a parking lot here which was mostly empty when I came but probably very challenging in the summer. Glad I got to see this beach in all its serenity and peace in the middle of winter. Just beyond breathtaking.

Sitting right on Washoe Lake, you'll get the most out of a…read morevisit to Washoe Lake State Park by camping at $15.00 per night. It's offered on a first-come basis, There are 29 campsites, equipped with a table, grill with fire rings and room for trailers. Two comfort stations, one of which includes a shower, are available. Several sites can hold an RV up to 45 feet in length. Don't forget to get your Nevada fishing license before dropping a hook into the lake. The views of Washoe Valley & the Sierra Nevada Mountains make it all worthwhile !!

In the almost 20 years we have lived in Northern Nevada, and driven by here enroute back and forth…read morebetween Carson City and Reno, this is the first time I have stopped, gotten out and walked around. I spent some time in the picnic area and walking along the shoreline. The park was well maintained with lots of shady spots, cool grass and sandy beaches. The bathrooms were convenient and clean and there was a generous parking area. There are BBQ grills and lots of picnic tables throughout the area. There is also a large group pavilion. There are a number of trails around, but may be better suited for cooler weather as there is not a lot of shade away from the day-use area. There is a ranger station a few miles north that is worth a stop. Staff are friendly and helpful and there is a small exhibit of old mining and farming equipment and a very nice native plant garden. Definitely worth the stop.

There's something so special about hiking in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area. Maybe it's the tall…read moreTahoe Pines or the secluded beaches. Or maybe it's the views of the rocky coastline or rampant wildlife. Maybe it's the breathtaking trailheads and the smell of fresh pine that hits your nose. Whatever it is; I just love it. The Whale Beach Trail offers all of those lovable Tahoe accents that I love. I found this trail through the AllTrails app (Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach) and it was the perfect way to check out several secluded beaches along the way. The Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach Trail loop is a short 3 miles long, but it's a great way to hike down the beaches and relax along the way. You can take the shorter version of this trail which is just the Whale Beach Trail and it's about 1.5 miles long. I started at the parking lot above Chimney Beach. If you plan on starting here for the loop trail, get here before 8 am. Otherwise, parking will be full and you'll have to find a spot down the road. The trail starts off pretty easy along a single track sanded path through the beautiful pine woods. The trail begins to widen and open up to some wonderful views of the lake and gorgeous secluded beaches down below. The trail passes by several beach coves (Secret Cove, Secret Harbor {aka Boater's Beach}, Creek Beach, and Whale Beach) and ends at Whale Beach. Not a ton of elevation gain, but the ups and down of the path will give you a nice workout. Pair that with climbing to and from the beaches and you've got yourself a nice little moderate hike with plenty of exploration opportunities. Most people seem to use parts of these trails solely to get down to the beach. Because of this, the trail is relativity calm which leaves you with many opportunities to have the trail to yourself. It's mostly shaded with a few open spots to allow the sun to peek through. There are several restrooms along the trail and also near the beaches. Saw several birds and lizards all throughout the trail. It's super peaceful and gorgeous. A trail that I would come back to simply because it allows access to so many different beautiful beaches. Whale Beach itself is lovely and secluded with the clearest water and super soft sand. However, Sand Harbor Beach is by far the most beautiful of all the beach coves along this trail. It's also not nearly as crowded as Secret Cove which is a total relief. This was easily one of the most memorable Tahoe hikes that's I've done simply because the views are unparalleled. Such an amazing trail that you should check out sometime.

Our family LOVED this trail! Parking was a little rough. We ended up facing south on SR-28 on the…read moreside of the road. There are stairs down, so you should try to find those. (Not that they are much better than the rocks down, but they're something. ) We zig-zagged down the trail taking the farthest-most route to Whale Beach. There were other turn-offs that would have taken us to Secret Cove/ Boaters Beach/ etc, but we kept straight. I wouldn't say the trail is super-well marked, though. It helps to know where you're going (we used the All Trails map). We took our puppy, and she was off-leash most of the time. There were other dogs at the beach, so they had fun playing. We were excited to see parta potties as we got closer, too! (No wash stations, so BYOHS). The climb back is ... a workout. We we're able to take one path down, and another loop back - not that you can quite tell from the map picture as apparently my watch wasn't actually tracking the whole time. But, still fun! All of the kids (3, 7, 8, and 9) made it there and back without having to be carried. We have hiked before, but I wouldn't say we're expert level. So, it's doable!