Two sand spits have formed a shallow bay here, with brilliant, warm turquoise water and white, boulder-strewn beaches. It gets very busy, especially during July and August, when the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is underway.
Sand Harbor
Lake Tahoe
Contact
Address
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.2 MILES
Stylized street scenes illustrate a century’s worth of automobile history at this engaging car museum. The collection is enormous and impressive, with one…
18.73 MILES
Sheer granite cliffs and a jagged shoreline hem in glacier-carved Emerald Bay, a teardrop cove that will have you digging for your camera. Its most…
8.84 MILES
Just 12 miles north of Carson City off Hwy I-580, almost halfway to Reno, you'll find this fabulous regional park with manicured gardens perfect for…
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
15.03 MILES
The largest, and arguably most luxurious of the state parks at Lake Tahoe, Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine State Park (formerly known as Sugar Pine State Park), sits…
-
18.41 MILES
Three 1920s-era estates – Baldwin, Pope and Valhalla – sprawl across this 150-acre site on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe. Free, self-guided tours wind…
-
8.71 MILES
Housed inside the 1869 US Mint building, the Nevada State Museum generally hosts one visiting exhibition to complement its four excellent permanent…
-
18.9 MILES
Swoon-worthy views of Emerald Bay, as the camera-wielding crowds testify.
18.85 MILES
Heiress Lora Knight's quirky mansion on the bay, Vikingsholm Castle is the focal point of Emerald Bay State Park, and a rare example of ancient…
Nearby Lake Tahoe attractions
1. Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park
0.77 MILES
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park is the east shore's biggest draw with beaches and hiking for all. Summer crowds splash in the turquoise waters of Sand Harbor…
0.93 MILES
During summer, you can tour the eccentric Thunderbird Lodge, a neo-Gothic 1930s mansion. The only way to get to the lodge is by shuttle bus, leaving from…
4.9 MILES
Crossing into Nevada, the neon starts to flash and old-school gambling palaces appear. You can try your luck at the gambling tables or catch a live-music…
5.69 MILES
Spooner Lake is popular for catch-and-release fishing, picnicking, nature walks, backcountry camping and cross-country skiing. It's also the start of the…
5. Kings Beach State Recreation Area
6.26 MILES
In summer much of the action focuses on Kings Beach State Recreation Area, a 700ft-long beach that often gets deluged with sun-seekers and water rats. You…
7.42 MILES
This wild, dramatic and mostly treeless mountain sits just northeast of Lake Tahoe. The protected wilderness area is a popular destination for hikers and…