Beach camping at Lake Tahoe

July 25, 3:50 PMWorld Beach ExaminerBarbra Stuter

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Emerald Bay - Photo by Richard Bittaker

Beautiful Lake Tahoe is renowned for being the hub of some of the best skiing in the world.  Squaw Valley, Heavenly and Alpine Meadows are just a few of the world class ski resorts that surround this famous alpine lake.  Not only a winter destination, Tahoe’s beautiful scenery and cool mountain temperatures make it a fantastic summer getaway destination to beat the heat of California’s central valley.  There are obviously many lodging choices around the lake, as Tahoe is one of the premier tourist destinations for Northern California and Nevada.   However, in keeping with my camping series, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite beach camping spots all around the lake. 

Camp Richardson Beach - Photo by JLC

North Shore                                                                     Tahoe State Recreation Area                                  
This campground, along with Camp Richardson (one of my South Shore picks) is one of the busier on the list by virtue of its proximity to Tahoe City.  A perfect car camping destination, there are plenty of restaurants, grocery stores and places to shop nearby.  This 55 acre campground has great lake access with boating facilities and a pier, and is also a wonderful spot for day trips and picnics.   All the campsites have metal bear-resistant food lockers.  Like all the campgrounds near or around Lake Tahoe, proper food storage is dictated by law.  You must store all food, beverages and toiletries in the food lockers to avoid a ticket, and more importantly to avoid attracting bears to your campsite. 

South Shore  
Emerald Bay Boat Camp is on the opposite end of the camping continuum from Camp Richardson and the Tahoe State Recreation Area.   With 20 mooring buoys, you can either sleep on your boat or camp on shore.  This first come first served campground can also be reached on foot via a trail from Vikingsholm. There are no showers or facilities other than water and chemical toilets available.  Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring and the ever present bear food locker.  In my opinion, Emerald Bay is not only one of the most spectacular spots on Lake Tahoe, but one of the most beautiful in the world. 
 
Camp Richardson is the Disneyland of camping here at the lake, and I'm not sure I'd really call it camping!  No tent camping here, just RV spots and cabins you can "camp" in.  This is one of the few campgrounds that is open year round, and is really for those of you who are novice campers.  Not only is it a great spot to camp with its proximity to the casinos of South Shore Lake Tahoe, it is also a great spot to hang out during the day.  It has a full service marina, and the Beacon Bar and Grill has live music on the weekends and the greatest rum runners in the northern hemisphere.

Emerald Bay and the Tahoe Queen - Photo by JLC

East Shore
Nevada Beach is easily my favorite campground on the lake, it is also the one with the closest campsites to the beach.  Open mid-May through October,  I’m not the only one who loves it, so make sure to get your reservations four months to the day in advance.   Flush toilets are really the only facilities available, and water is available – but not in shower form.  All the campsites have the ever necessary bear boxes, picnic tables and fire rings.  There is also firewood for sale, for having a nice fire to sit around on what are sure to be cool evenings, no matter when you camp.  The greatest feature of the Nevada Beach campground is the wide sandy beach, perfect for sunbathing, swimming (if you can stand the 60 degree water temperature) and kayaking.

West Shore
D.L. Bliss State Park is one of the most popular campgrounds on the lake, this state park includes six miles of Lake Tahoe shoreline.  Tent camping is available but most of the campsites are designed for RV’s.  There aren’t any RV hookups, but there are flush toilets and showers.  The D.L. Bliss state park itself has some great hiking trails, and one is the short hike to the “Balancing Rock”.   Hopefully the day the rock’s equilibrium is upset by the eventual erosion of the little strip of granite holding them in balance, won’t be the day you decide to visit.   Of course each campsite has bear boxes, and you really do need to use them.   I have heard many stories of bears breaking into cars to get food, and I have an ice chest (left out of the bear box) with a nice set of bear teeth impressions.

For more great information on everything you need to know about Lake Tahoe, check out these great articles by the Lake Tahoe Travel Examiner, Elizabeth Sedway.