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Established as a state park in 1953, Emerald Bay is regarded as one of the most gorgeous enclaves in all of Tahoe. It’s over 1,500 acres of hiking trails, turquoise water and pine trees.

It features one of Tahoe’s original summer homes, Vikingsholm Castle, and the only island on the lake, Fannette Island.

One caveat to Emerald Bay is due to its beauty, it is very popular and has a minimal amount of available parking. These two things can seriously complicate your visit.

In this guide, we’re going to cover topics such as directions, camping, activities, parking and much more. Let’s get into it!

How To Get To Emerald Bay

Entrance sign for Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

Emerald Bay State Park is located on the west side of the lake, along CA-89 (Emerald Bay road). Despite what you may think, getting there is pretty much a straight shot.

From South Lake Tahoe:

The south side of Lake Tahoe is where most visitors stay and play. It shares a border with Nevada and thus, is littered with casinos, hotels, shops, restaurants, ski lifts and more.

The entrance sign to Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

Drive south on Lake Tahoe blvd. (away from Stateline) for 2.5 - 3 miles (you’ll feel like you’re driving away from the lake. Don’t worry, you’ll rejoin it soon)
When you come to the intersection for Lake Tahoe blvd. and CA-89 (Emerald Bay road), turn right and continue straight for about 8.5 miles.
As you enter the perimeter of the park, you’ll arrive at the campground entrance first. If you’re NOT staying here, continue straight
After another couple miles, you’ll see a small lot on your right with the entrance sign (pictured above). This is the lot for Emerald Bay State Park proper.

The windy road leading to Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

From North Lake Tahoe/Incline Village:

Unfortunately, visiting from the north side or Incline Village means a longer drive, though it’s still pretty straight forward.

If you’re coming from Incline Village, you could go either direction. Our recommendation, however, would be to follow the north route.

Drive south on Hwy 28 for about 10 miles
Keep left to turn onto West Lake blvd.
At the traffic circle, merge onto CA-89 and follow this for about 18 miles
You’ll pass D.L. Bliss State Park on your left
About 2-miles after passing D.L. Bliss, you’ll see the parking lot for Emerald Bay on your left

Parking & Fees

Parking lot for Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

The parking situation at Emerald Bay is abysmal, at best. Considering the amount of daily visitors the park sees, the amount of parking spaces is insufficient.

If you arrive early enough, and we mean EARLY, you’ll be ok. We arrived just after 8am on a weekday to near empty lot, as you can see in the photo above.

By the time we gathered our things, paid the fee and began our hike (maybe 8:30) the lot was near capacity. That’s how quickly it can happen.

Parking lot full sign at Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

If you see this sign, it’s too late. You’ll either need to circle around a few times until something opens up or try again later in the day.

Keep in mind that parking isn’t allowed on the side of the road and while you could park nearby in the Eagle Falls parking lot, walking along this road is pretty sketchy.

Pay stations at Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

As is the case with most attractions in Lake Tahoe, there’s a fee to use this lot. The pay stations are to the left of the entrance of the trail to Emerald Bay.

These pay stations accept credit/debit cards, as well as cash. They do not, however, give change. So be sure you have the exact amount.

Fees are as follows:

$10.00 for day-use (your day-use receipt is also good for visits to D.L. Bliss and other state parks in the same day)
$3.00 for a single hour (if you’re just looking to check out the view and leave, this is the option for you. If you’re wanting to go down to the beach, you’ll want to opt for day-use)

Emerald Bay Viewpoints

People looking at Fannette Island from the Emerald Bay viewpoint in Lake Tahoe

These are a few easy-access viewpoints where you can get a commanding view of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island.

Emerald Bay State Park Viewing Deck

The view of Fannette Island as viewed from the parking lot of Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

We’ll start with the main viewpoint located just steps from the parking lot were just discussing. It’s large and provides the closest view of the island.

If this is all you want to do (and not hike into the bay itself) then you’ll select the $3.00, one-hour option at the pay stations.

Lower Eagle Falls View

The view of Fannette Island from Lower Eagle Falls in Lake Tahoe.

While a bit obstructed by pine trees, the view from Lower Eagle Falls (across the street from the Eagle Falls trailhead) is gorgeous, nonetheless.

If you position yourself correctly, the trees even provide frame for Fannette Island. This is also a great spot to see a sunrise/sunset over Emerald Bay.

Inspiration Point Vista

Further down the road is the small parking lot for Inspiration Point. In our opinions, this is the weakest view of the three. If it’s all you can get, though, it’s better than nothing.

Much like the Vikingsholm lot, there is a fee to park here. The fees are:

$5.00 for 30-minutes or less
$10.00 for over 30-minutes

Honestly, beyond the view, there isn’t much else to do over here. So if all you’re doing is checking out the view, opt for the 30-minute timeframe.

If the Bayview trailhead lot is full (Cascade Falls), you can check for a space in this one. Keep in mind, though, that it’ll add a half-mile to your hike and you’ll need to pay the $10 for the over 30-minute timeframe.

Emerald Bay Things To Do

Person jumping into the water of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

Despite being a relatively small enclave of the much larger Lake Tahoe, there are many recreational opportunities in Emerald Bay.

Hiking Trails

Hiking trail in Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

There are a number of hiking trails contained within Emerald Bay State Park. They range from easy jaunts to full-day treks.

The main hiking trail is the one leading from the parking lot down into Emerald Bay. It’s one-mile, round trip, and is easy going down but steep going back out.

The most famous would be the Rubicon Trail. It’s a beautiful shoreline hike connecting Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss and is roughly 16-miles, round trip.

Other trails that are outside of Emerald Bay proper but can be accessed along Emerald Bay road include Eagle Falls & Eagle Lake, Granite Lake, Maggie’s Peaks, Cascade Falls, Velma Lakes and much more.

Vikingsholm Castle Tour

Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

This gorgeous example of Scandinavian architecture is a former summer home of multiple people from the early 1900’s.

Daily tours are held during the summer season. A knowledgable guide takes you through the interior and details its history.

If you want more details on Vikingsholm Castle, we suggest reading our previous post about it here.

Kayaking, Paddleboarding, & Swimming

Kayaks sitting on the beach at Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

Other popular activities at Emerald Bay include kayaking, swimming and paddleboarding. Emerald Bay’s exclusive vendor, Kayak Tahoe, rents out both daily during the summer months.

I recently tried kayaking for first time in Emerald Bay and wrote a post about my experience kayaking to Fannette Island. If you’ve never kayaked before and are interested, give it a read.

Women on the beach of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

Also, you could always swim or simply hang out at the beach. Note that if you want to swim, you must do so in the designated area.

It’s marked, located near the middle of the beach line and is rather small. If it’s a particularly busy day, this can fill with people quickly.

Emerald Bay Visitor Center

The Visitor Center, while small, is a must-do while in Emerald Bay. Especially if it’s your first time. In it, you’ll find multiple exhibits detailing the history and development of the park.

There’s also a small gift shop inside selling typical items like t-shirts, patches, pins and coffee mugs in addition to food and drink items.

Behind the Visitor Center is a short trail to the lower section of Eagle Falls. This is best viewed in spring or early summer. Run-off is near non-existent after that.

*Note: Eagle Falls is the only waterfall in Lake Tahoe that feeds directly into the lake.

Emerald Bay Boat Tours

There are multiple boat tour operators in Lake Tahoe but our favorite is, Tahoe Cruises. They’ve been operating since 1979, are fully licensed and insured.

They provide both day-time and sunset cruises around Tahoe and Emerald Bay. Their vessels have fully stocked bars and food is available for purchase.

Camping & Lodging

A view of Emerald Bay from Fannette Island.

If you’re looking to camp in Emerald Bay, you’ll want to book a site at the Eagle Point Campground. You can reserve a site up to six months in advance.

You must reserve your site through Reserve California and due to its popularity, sites sell-out fast. So the earlier you decide on a date, the better.

Another popular campground near the lake is Fallen Leaf Lake Campground. These sites need to be reserved through Recreation.gov, also up to six-months in advance.

If you’d rather stay in a hotel, we highly recommend, The POSTMARC, in south lake. Particularly if it’s just you and your spouse. It’s our favorite and only 13-miles from Emerald Bay.

Otherwise, if you’re here with family, we recommend Bluelake Inn (budget friendly), Lakeland Village at Heavenly (luxury condos) and Hotel Azure.

Things To Do Near Emerald Bay

While there’s a lot to do in Emerald Bay, there are a plethora of activities and sights to see that are either just outside the boundaries of the park and some just a few miles away.

Below, we’re going to cover a handful of our favorites and some we think you and your family would enjoy.

Eagle Falls & Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake near Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe.

Just down the road from the Emerald Bay parking lot is the trailhead for one of the most popular trails in Tahoe - Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake.

Upper Eagle Falls is a short, but somewhat steep jaunt from the parking lot. Beyond that, you hike another mile to the beautiful Eagle Lake.

It’s fairly short and family-friendly. Though you’ll want to bring hiking poles with you (tap the link to see our top recommendation) as this trail is VERY rocky.

*Tip: Check out our post about the hike to Eagle Lake here

Hike to Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls near Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

Cascade Falls is another fantastic hike just outside of Emerald Bay proper. You’ll find the trailhead at the Bayview trailhead just across the street from the Inspiration Point parking lot.

Much like the trail to Eagle Lake, this one is also rocky. However, it’s only the last 2/3rd’s-of-a-mile. The first third is relatively flat and smooth.

To get the full experience, you should do this hike in spring or early summer. As snow melt depletes, so does the run-off.

*Tip: To get all the details of this hike, check out our post about it here

Get An Epic View From Cave Rock

A view of Cave Rock and Lake Tahoe from above.

This one’s a bit of drive away as it’s located on the Nevada side of the lake. Despite that, we feel it’s worth mentioning as the view of the lake from Cave Rock is too good to miss.

The trail is short (about a quarter-mile) and goes at a barely noticeable incline. You will need to scramble up to the top of Cave Rock but it isn’t anything technical.

*Tip: Get all the details about Cave Rock by checking out our post here