Lake Tahoe's Baldwin Beach (photos)

Baldwin beach in South Lake Tahoe (Credit: JB)

Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and more

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Located just a couple of hours from Sacramento and a few hours from San Francisco, Lake Tahoe is one of the great outdoor places in California. When visiting the Tahoe area, South Lake Tahoe offers you the best of both worlds to outdoor lovers - the beach and mountains. To get a good introduction to the area and learn more about the wildlife and the Tahoe area, check out the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center at Taylor Creek.

While many people enjoy Tahoe for the hiking and skiing, the lake offers a number of great beaches to relax, enjoy the water, and play. Throughout the South Lake Tahoe area, there are a number of beaches for visitors and locals to enjoy. One of the best beaches in the area is Baldwin beach.

Baldwin Beach is one of a few beaches located on Highway 89 on the southwest shores of Lake Tahoe. While Pope beach and Kiva beach are closer to the center of town, Baldwin Beach is your last sandy beach option before you begin your ascent up Highway 89 towards Emerald Bay.

Reasons to visit Baldwin Beach

Baldwin beach has some advantages over Kiva beach and Pope beach. For one, it's very close to Mount Tallac and the views from the beach are spectacular. It's amazing to see the mountains sitting right on top of this sandy beach and beautiful blue water.

Another advantage to Baldwin beach is the lack of rocks in the water. Kiva beach is known for having a number of rocks when you go for a swim. Many of them are painful and some people choose to wear water shoes to deal with the rough terrain in the water. Baldwin beach has smooth sand and makes for a more enjoyable swim and stroll along the beach.

Baldwin beach can also be less crowded - both people and dogs - than the others. Since Baldwin beach is the last beach on the southwest shore, it's not quite as popular as the other two (which are located closer to town and Camp Richardson). Also, Baldwin beach doesn't allow dogs so you don't have to worry about competing for space on the beach or in the water with dogs (not to mention what you might step in).

Baldwin beach is a beautiful stretch of sand and consists of a south and north beach. The two are separated based on where you park. Both offer plenty of parking and have short walks to the beach. Tallac Creek flows into Lake Tahoe and separates the north and south beach areas.

While Baldwin beach has great beaches, is dog free, and has few rocks in the water, there are a couple of things to be aware of. Parking for Baldwin beach is $7 per vehicle (unless you have a season pass). However, you can leave and come back later in the day without paying again (as long as it isn't overcrowded and there is parking available). Also, unlike Kiva and Pope beaches, there is no shade from the sun on Baldwin beach.

If Lake Tahoe is your destination for the beach, you can get the best of both worlds with beaches, water, and mountains. If you want to enjoy a peaceful, family friendly stretch of sand with a great view of the mountains, Baldwin Beach is a perfect place to spend the day in Lake Tahoe.

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