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’ll find picnic tables, barbecue grills and a fun kids’ play structure, while nearby concessionaires rent kayaks, jet skis, paddleboats, stand up paddling (SUP) gear and more. Adrift Tahoe is one of several local outfitters offering kayak, outrigger canoe and SUP rentals, lessons and tours.
Kings Beach State Recreation Area
Lake Tahoe
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.08 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…
20.01 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…
10.93 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
14.26 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…
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20.64 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…
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14.64 MILES
Housed inside the 1869 US Mint building, the Nevada State Museum generally hosts one visiting exhibition to complement its four excellent permanent…
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20.27 MILES
Swoon-worthy views of Emerald Bay, as the camera-wielding crowds testify.
20.06 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
1.37 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…
2.6 MILES
North Tahoe Regional Park, at the northern end of National Ave, has hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails, a disc-golf course and nice…
4.64 MILES
This forest can be accessed from Truckee; it features some great hikes leading you around Donner Summit.
4.7 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…
7. Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park
5.74 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…
6.26 MILES
Two sand spits have formed a shallow bay here, with brilliant, warm turquoise water and white, boulder-strewn beaches. It gets very busy, especially…